Redefining alumni relationships: What do they want from you?

If you’ve worked in higher ed for a minute, you know how important relationships are to getting your job done. Any alumni engagement professional will tell you that good relationships are the key ingredient to a successful alumni relations program. Building rapport internally across the campus and externally with graduates helps create strong alumni communities.

Universities use varying techniques, but the goal is always the same: Keep alumni connected to their alma mater. Whether it’s the university magazine, a call for commencement ceremony volunteers or a major league baseball game, these events offer opportunities for alumni to gather celebrate and reminisce about shared memories.

Some schools rely on tried-and-true on-campus events to establish and build relationships. But in an increasingly transient world, how practical is it to base an alumni affairs strategy strictly on campus-centric activities? Post-pandemic, colleges are increasingly mixing location-based events with other activities that continue to tie graduates back to campus in new and different ways.

Unique experiences

Salisbury University in Maryland, located just 30 minutes from the popular resort destination Ocean City, offered a holiday ornament glass-blowing event that sold out so quickly that the institution had to open a second session. Erin Smith, assistant director of alumni engagement and annual giving at the university, worked with local glass-blowing studio owner Jeffrey Auxer (‘06) to provide an experience that attracted alumni. The alumni association subsidized part of the cost, offering the $35 experience for just $25, which proved to be an added incentive. 

Even so, many alumni who have moved away cannot or will not travel for any event, no matter how unique or popular, so how do you keep them connected? Jay Dillon, chief alumni officer at the University of California Berkeley, explained “COVID taught us that personal relationships don’t always need to be in person.”

Three years ago, UC Berkeley launched a new way to engage alumni via online courses, a method already familiar to students. For Fall 2024, they offered a course titled “Extreme Politics: Radicals, Revolutionaries, and Terrorists.” Taught by a well-known professor, the class was asynchronous and open to alumni. Dillon noted approximately 15,000 alumni have enrolled in six courses so far, and those who take them are three to four times more likely to make an annual donation. UC Berkeley has tapped into timely and relevant topics like the Modern Civil Rights Movement and Food and Culture, and Dillon said, “We can deliver this programming sustainably and consistently over time.”

Traditional Experiences

Alumni Homecoming and Family Weekend is a more traditional week of events that includes a celebration of employee-alumni, reunions and student ‘Spirit in the Square’ activities, culminating in the Flock Party and football game at Salisbury University. Smith shared that SU has alumni who own local breweries and wineries and connections to food trucks that attend, and emphasized the importance of planning well in advance. 

“The invitations went out in June for October,” she said.  

Coordination with on-campus partners, as well as external vendors, is paramount. “You need a champion for these events,” Smith noted. “It’s better for an alumni athlete to receive an invitation from their coach, than from me.” The nostalgia of alumni’s campus experiences plays a significant role in attendance. 

To avoid overstretching staff during a busy weekend, Smith suggests combining events where possible to create a bigger, better event. But she also warns against holding too many overlapping events, which can “dilute the pool of attendees.”

UC Berkeley’s Homecoming and Parents Weekend packs in over 80 events, offering everything from meet-ups and meals to tours and open houses, lectures and athletic events. Many of these events are hybrid, allowing both on-campus visitors and virtual attendees to participate.

When Things go Wrong

No campus is immune to negative publicity. The constant stream of communication and social media can turn a local issue into a national media story, impacting a university’s brand and reputation. Salisbury University found itself in the media spotlight in early November after the arrests of fraternity members. 

The day the allegations were made public, SU President Carolyn R. Lepre emailed the campus community, acknowledging the shock and disbelief shared by the university. On November 7, Lepre updated both the campus and alumni communities, stating the situation was under investigation and promising to provide further updates as needed.  

As noted by Educause, the student experience is the beginning of the alumni experience. Lepre made use of the proper channels to keep the relevant parties as informed as possible during this developing story. “Although obviously terrible, it’s been nice to see how supportive most alumni have been,” said Smith. Despite the negative news, RSVPs for alumni events had not changed, showing that no single incident can define a campus community.

Finding What Works

Dillon emphasized that every school is different: “Find an alumni need that your university can address.” He suggests starting with the question, “What can we do better than anyone?” This will often draw alumni closer to the university and engage them at a deeper level. The key, as with so many things in life, is good communication.

Engagement is typically used to measure social media reach, but across varying modalities, it is also a strong indicator of alumni interest and giving. Institutions want to bring alumni into the fold and keep them there—however that may work for your university.

When asking alumni to give of their time, talent or treasure, don’t be afraid to try something new. Ask what your alumni want from your institution. With shrinking staff and increasing alumni numbers with each graduation cycle, finding new ways to engage alumni will be an ongoing process that requires refining to grow those relationships and strengthen the alumni program.