Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/124472
Davi d Kosch eck/G low Imag es factor of the venues is important, Monaghan notes, because "it's all about the value proposition. Our alumni are really busy, and they have ten other things competing for their time. We have to ask ourselves, 'What's in it for them?'" Since 2008, Saint Joseph's also has sponsored Global Community Day, when teams of alumni, students, and parents gather to perform acts of service on the same day in multiple locations. Last year, that meant 70 sites in three countries. Because so many alums are local, most of the service sites are in Philadelphia; volunteers meet on campus for a kickoff meeting and are bused to locations around the city. They return at day's end for a wrap-up session that includes pizza and a chance to reflect on their contributions. "A lot of schools, particularly those with a religious affiliation, offer students a chance to do community service," says Monaghan. "Alumni often find there's no easy outlet for service, and they miss it. So this is another way we can keep them connected to the school." Give alums a chance to connect with current students. "Many alumni say that what they want to do more than anything else is help the next generation of students," says Monaghan. "That might mean helping them find jobs, figure out what careers they want, or understand what it means to live in New York City." To promote connections between past and current students, Saint Joseph's arranges for events like Dinner with Hawks. At this combination etiquette dinner and networking event, each table holds four students and four alumni, organized by their career interests. Tuck also offers graduates a chance to mingle with current students. For instance, every year, Tuck brings about 100 alumni to campus to serve as visiting executives. "Some of them stay for an extra day and hold office hours to meet with students," says Danos. In addition, Tuck allows current students to search the alumni database to find graduates with by areas of interest or expertise, they can sign up for online discussions, either among themselves or with the input of a Tuck professor. "It's sort of an expertise-matching system," says Danos. "The site is designed to allow closed, small-scale discussions where people with the same interests can talk about their issues. This part of the site is still in its formative stages, but we believe it will be the wave of the future." Many alumni say that what they want to do more than anything else is help the next generation of students. —Tom Monaghan, Saint Joseph's University matching interests and then get in touch with them directly. "I'd say two-thirds of our job placements are done through the formal system, where students interview with recruiters who come to campus," says Danos. "And maybe one-third are done in a more personal way through specialized contact." Design websites dedicated to alumni. These sites allow alums to interact with each other, update personal contact information, and find out about upcoming events. Often they also include content— such as a series of webinars that Wharton creates for its site—that only alums can access. Dartmouth has recently upgraded its alumni website, MyTuck.dartmouth.edu, to make it highly interactive. Not only can alums update their profiles, read faculty research, find career building tools, register for upcoming events, and search for classmates Support alumni groups. Especially for schools that have widely distributed student bases, it's key to work with the alumni groups that might flourish anywhere in the world. For instance, INSEAD now boasts 43 separate national alumni associations, all of them independent organizations that are designed to suit the local culture and interests, says Shoveller. The school also promotes a number of independent alumni clubs built around specific interests, such as energy, entrepreneurship, and global private equity. To help alums find each other no matter where they are, INSEAD has launched a mobile app that "has really helped alumni make personal and professional connections," says Shoveller. Maintain international outreach. Schools with mostly regional alumni bases tend to concentrate their energies on local events; schools with international populations have to BizEd May/June 2013 37