Laws of Attraction
CURRENTS Article In an era of tight budgets and increased accountability, giving alumni what they want—and how they want it—is critical. Developing an effective engagement strategy requires alumni professionals to reconsider how alumni identify themselves, relinquish control of some programs, and meet alumni where they are—on land or online. Most of all, it requires a willingness to listen and to change.

Swifter, Sharper, Stronger
CURRENTS Article A growing number of chief alumni officers are striving to make the alumni board a more strategic entity. To achieve this, chief alumni officers recommend aligning the alumni board's goals with the institution's goals, rethinking the board's membership and nominating process, and making the board's work meaningful to alumni and the institution. The end result is a more positive experience for alumni relations' VIPs: the volunteers.

The Journey Is the Reward
CURRENTS Article The alumni relations profession has undergone profound changes in the past 100 years. As the field celebrates the centennial of the Association of Alumni Secretaries - a predecessor of CASE - eight alumni relations leaders share their thoughts about the challenges and opportunities the profession faces at the dawn of its second century.

Selling for U
CURRENTS Article Brandeis University maintains a fruitful, 64-year relationship with a group of "friends" who hold book sales and other fundraisers for the institution year after year.

Rethinking Reunions
Product This webinar looks at how the University of Rochester used analytics, benchmarking and high-level volunteer input to rethink its reunion program. Presenters from the university talk about the processes and steps that were used to transform the reunion program and the results of their efforts to date. This multimedia file is a recording of a webinar presented May 3, 2011.

Network Views
CURRENTS Article The financial crisis of 2008 brought with it a deepening sense of insecurity, and the desire to be connected to a network increased. The MIT Alumni Association wanted to respond to this change in the economic landscape, and in doing so, staff found a new way to partner with alumni and enhance the roles they play.

Advance Work: Powering Up
CURRENTS Article The United World College of South East Asia starts a robust alumni relations program from scratch.

Know Your Market
CURRENTS Article Surveys may not be the solution to every engagement conundrum, but good research can help institutions understand how to better connect with alumni. Alumni relations officers and research pros share what they've learned and provide tips on how to get the most useful data.

Advance Work: Creepy Campuses
CURRENTS Article Campus ghost stories can build affinity with students, who can develop fond memories of telling spooky tales on campus, and attract fans of history and the supernatural who otherwise have no ties to your institution.

AdvanceWork: Membership Has Its Privileges
CURRENTS Article The Wisconsin Alumni Association and the University of Wisconsin-Madison Libraries teamed up to offer WAA members free online access to library resources--a benefit previously available only to students and faculty on campus.

One Craft, Different Cultures
CURRENTS Article More alumni directors outside North America are reaching out to their alumni audiences to encourage lifelong relationships with alma mater. However, these alumni directors face unique challenges. In Europe, Latin America, Africa, Asia, and Australia, school and university alumni often don’t have the tradition of giving to alma mater that’s a given in the United States and Canada. The institutions might not have maintained close ties with alumni, and poor record keeping can hinder relationship-building efforts. Some institutions' goals for alumni relations include encouraging continuing education and career networking by alumni as well as fund raising. Campus alumni offices also can become resources for groups of alumni who are more connected to each other than to the institution.

Infusing Education Into All We Do
CURRENTS Article Educational programming often attracts alumni who don’t participate in other alumni activities, and it can also help the alumni office build on-campus relationships and support. This article presents a broad definition of educational programs and describes examples such as reunion seminars, community service projects, alumni club lectures and tours, student-alumni workshops, vendor-led seminars on financial matters, and online career networks.

Joining Forces
CURRENTS Article Small colleges may have trouble hosting alumni events in locations where their alumni base is small. Three liberal arts colleges in Maine--Bowdoin, Colby, and Bates--teamed up to hold combined programs for alumni in cities nationwide. The three alumni offices now work together to organize arts and sports events, travel programs, and networking parties, as well as a joint annual retreat for alumni officers from nine New England colleges.

Setting Up Shop
CURRENTS Article The author presents stories of how institutions, ranging from two-year colleges to independent schools, have launched or revived alumni associations. Alumni officers can adapt the strategies she describes to match the needs of their own campuses.

AdvanceWork: For Keeps
CURRENTS Article This article outlines the basics of establishing an "e-mail for life" or permanent e-mail address service for alumni.

Proceed with Caution
CURRENTS Article An alumni relations executive offers event and programming tips that respond to and capitalize on societal trends.