Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/124472
Alumni To with L VE Students are students for only a few years, but graduates are alumni for life. Schools that want a long-term relationship with alumni need to find ways to keep the spark alive. By Sharon Shinn B usiness schools have always loved their alumni— those passionate, committed graduates who serve their alma maters by recruiting new students, acting as mentors, making corporate contacts, and providing financial support. "Strategically speaking, alumni can bring great talent and wisdom to the institution," says Joanne Shoveller, associate dean of advancement and alumni relations at INSEAD, with locations in France, Singapore, and Abu Dhabi. "Alumni are the best people to promote the brand—they are the brand." But these days, schools are putting even more effort into making sure that their alumni love them back. They aren't wooing their grads by sending chocolates and flowers, but by providing them with opportunities to connect—with the classmates, faculty, sports programs, and campuses where students spent some of their most memorable days. 32 May/June 2013 BizEd