We’ve Come a Long Way, Baby
CURRENTS Article As CASE celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Association of Alumni Secretaries, this timeline highlights milestones in alumni engagement since the early days of U.S. higher education.

Then and Now
CURRENTS Article Scotland's University of Glasgow embarked upon an ambitious fundraising campaign during the midst of global recession. That was not in 2008, but in the 1870s. More than a century later, the university's experiences offer lessons on fundraising during a fiscal crisis.

Getting There
CURRENTS Article Women make up two-thirds of the advancement workforce but still lag men in leadership positions and pay. At the same time, the overrepresentation of women in advancement raises concerns about what the lack of gender diversity may mean for the profession.

President's Perspective: Research Matters
CURRENTS Article The volume of research conducted and disseminated by CASE has grown substantially since 2003, when the CASE Board of Trustees established research as a strategic priority. This column discusses the why, what, and how of CASE's research activity.

President's Perspective: The More Things Change
CURRENTS Article The Internet, internationalization of the educational marketplace, and the economic crisis have radically changed the advancement profession in the past decade. And yet, the fundamentals of the profession remain constant. Successful programs are driven by institutional mission, focused on strengthening relationships with key constituents, integrated across the advancement disciplines, supported by the institutional leadership, and staffed by dedicated professionals.

President's Perspective: On Top of the World
CURRENTS Article CASE President John Lippincott takes a look at advancement's role throughout the world.

Education
CURRENTS Article Leaders discuss the value of education to society as a whole and the shift from thinking of education as a tool for individual fulfillment to considering it the primary driver of social and economic progress.

The Three Americas
CURRENTS Article The United States is in the midst of a change in demographics. William H. Frey describes the shifts as he sees them and looks ahead to what those changes could mean for the nation.

Playing the Numbers Game
CURRENTS Article U.S. demographics are undergoing dramatic shifts, and advancing institutional interests in this new landscape will require a better understanding of the values that drive different people. This article explores various aspects of the changes.

Closing Remarks: Mind the (Gender) Gap
CURRENTS Article This column looks at the persistent gender gap in salary and compensation within the advancement field and suggests what might be done to correct it.

The Advancement Myths of Community Colleges
CURRENTS Article This article shows how community college advancement is busting the myths about poor fundraising results, lack of alumni loyalty, and negative public perceptions. The reality is that development at two-year institutions is becoming more sophisticated and successful, alumni do stay engaged with their two-year alma maters, and the community college brand is coming into its own.

Closing Remarks: Hidden Heroes
CURRENTS Article This column highlights lessons learned from early HBCU leaders and considers how those lessons are relevant today. It includes the inspiring stories of Mary McLeod Bethune, Joseph Samuel Clark, Booker T. Washington, and Mordecai Wyatt Johnson.

Who Are You?
CURRENTS Article This article describes the characteristics of a typical advancement officer, statistically speaking; identifies how traits of typical male and female advancement practitioners differ; and briefly lists some of the elements of the highest-paid and lowest-paid survey respondents.

The Big Picture
CURRENTS Article Advancement has remained a mostly stable environment since 2002, when CASE last gathered comprehensive data about the profession. The 2005 survey reveals characteristics about the field as a whole, including data about advancement practitioners' levels of experience, management responsibility, age, disciplines in which they work, levels of education and professional certification, public/private institutional status, institution types, and geographic region.

A Man for All Reasons
CURRENTS Article A profile of John Lippincott, CASE's new president, highlights the themes that characterize his plans for the organization: serving members, strengthening CASE's global outreach while supporting its many communities of practice, and "advancing advancement" by helping campus leaders understand the profession's strategic role. Further, the profile's sidebars recount Lippincott's background and summarize the organizationwide assessment that preceded his appointment.

The Artisans of Advancement
CURRENTS Article As a profession, advancement is becoming increasingly formalized: more defined, more visible, more respected, and more central to institutional missions than ever before. But is it a profession? Some of the field's most respected practitioners weigh in. The article also tracks some CASE history, including both Greenbrier meetings, founding principles, and early leadership. Part of the issue focus on five forces shaping advancement.

Leaving Their Mark
CURRENTS Article The gender balance in the advancement profession has flopped from 61 percent men in 1982 to 65 percent women in 2002, according to CASE membership surveys. CURRENTS interviews six current and former advancement officers to explore what difference this demographic shift has made in the profession. Part of the issue focus on five forces shaping advancement.

Globe-Trotting
CURRENTS Article As the world shrinks, the ideas, knowledge, traditions, and transactions affiliated with advancement cross borders with increasing ease. To better understand why institutions worldwide are launching or strengthening advancement operations, CURRENTS talked with five experienced pros about how globalization is changing the way they engage donors, serve alumni, and communicate with stakeholders. Part of the issue focus on five forces shaping advancement.

Sea Change
CURRENTS Article This special issue overview explores five forces that have shaped advancement: the move toward professionalization, the ubiquity of technology, the globalization of advancement operations, education as a commodity, and the growing influence of women.

Strategic Corner Posts
CURRENTS Article CASE developed a comprehensive strategic plan for 2003 to 2008. Peterson, the president of CASE, gives the planning process timeline and describes the plan’s four imperatives: strengthening member services, furthering the advancement profession, establishing global leadership in education advancement, and leading change in advancement practice. The article is of interest to CASE members or advancement scholars wanting to know about the association’s initiatives and history.

We the People of CASE
CURRENTS Article The 2002 CASE Salary Survey provided information on the demographics of the advancement profession, including years of experience, institution type, advancement discipline, geographic region, and managerial level.

Top Brass
CURRENTS Article In the advancement profession, women outnumber men two to one according to data from several recent CASE surveys. But does that ratio carry through to the top advancement positions on campus? What seems like a yes-or-no question actually requires a broader look at the professional and personal challenges women face as they forge ahead in their advancement careers.

A Running Start
CURRENTS Article Vance Peterson, a former CASE trustee and president of Sierra Nevada College, became CASE president in January 2001. Peterson brings experience in campus information, fund raising, and advancement management to his new role. This profile describes his goals for CASE, including establishing the online CASE Network, developing standards for professional certification, promoting advancement ethics, improving the campaign reporting standards, increasing training services, encouraging diversity, and creating a new strategic plan.

Spreading The Good Word
CURRENTS Article The article presents a history of the alumni relations profession and examines its current status, along with the challenges for alumni officers, around the world.

A View from Across the Pond
CURRENTS Article In an interview, Ben Morton Wright presents findings from his survey of the relatively new educational fund-raising field in Britain. He describes changes in government policy that encouraged the development of the fund-raising area, the profession's growth, its gradual progress toward being accepted within academia, obstacles presented by the tax structure, gift-reporting problems, and other challenges.