Educational institutions have opportunities to create unique alumni associations which will look and feel more like alumni communities. This course will show you how you can create active alumni communities to increase enrollment, retention and placement for your entire institution. You will learn how to provide your alumni with valuable services and how to seek their help to enhance your educational programs and career services, as well as marketing and admissions. From getting started to setting up an alumni data base management system and determining the institution's return on investment, this course provides you with operational strategies for establishing an effective alumni association.

Module 1: Preliminary Steps

• Determine why an Alumni Association is being created.
• Create guidelines to set up an Advisory Board.
• Agree to guidelines to set up an Advisory Board.
• Determine where the Alumni Association fits within the corporate and/or school organization chart.
• Formalize Alumni Association Director Job Description.
• Determine if an Alumni Association at your campus is a result of a mandate from leadership, pressure from competition, or other.

Module 2: Setting Up

• Set up a dedicated Alumni Association website.
• Outline a one- to two-year plan for the Alumni Association roll-out and development.
• Gain buy-in from the entire school.
• Structure details including budget, relationships with other departments, and integration with current student management system.
• Determine initial return-on-investment guidelines.

Module 3: What the Alumni Get

• Describe the Alumni Association benefits to graduates.
• Decide on the membership process.
• Research and list benefit offerings.
• Discuss how to plan and set up Alumni events.

Module 4: Challenges and Opportunities

• Determine what the school expects from its alumni.
• Describe the challenges to setting up an Alumni Association.
• List the short- and long-term benefits of an Alumni Association.
• Discuss the public relations and community outreach opportunities.
• List the barriers to getting an Alumni Association started at your school, and ways to overcome them.