Major League Bragging Rights
CURRENTS Article In competing to throw out the first pitch at Wrigley Field to start off one of two Chicago Cubs "Salute to the Big 10" night baseball games in October 2012, Big 10 alumni chapters in Chicago, including Michigan State University's Chicago Spartans, gained an attractive opportunity to engage alumni and demonstrate the benefits of Big 10 alumni networking to high school guidance counselors.

Shaking It Up
CURRENTS Article Alumni clubs and chapters are powerful tools for keeping alumni connected to each other and the institution, gathering insight into what alumni want from their alma mater, and even raising money for the institution. Alumni leaders don't need to devote a large amount of their budget to create successful groups, but they do need to ensure that the groups are well-managed and catering to the critical mass.

Network News
CURRENTS Article Baylor University in Texas uses a network model to link the Baylor community worldwide. The network has generated more than 1,700 events since September 2003, indicating that the Baylor Network is a success.

Alumni Relations Programs: Tufts University - Gold Medal
Best Practice On Oct. 19, 2006, Tufts University Alumni Association invited all regional chapters to participate in Tufts World Day, a series of orchestrated events around the world that celebrated the university's networks of alumni, parents, students, and friends. Tufts World Day promoted a connectedness among alumni and back to alma mater just two weeks before the public launch of "Beyond Boundaries: The Campaign for Tufts."

Advance Work: Taking It to the Troops
CURRENTS Article University of Iowa clubs are sending gear and goodies to Iowa-based troops in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Kosovo.

A New Chapter
CURRENTS Article The traditional chapters and clubs model in which they are organized geographically and run by volunteers continues to make sense for some institutions, but not for others. Many institutions are tinkering with the traditional model by counting on technology to connect people, using alumni office staff to take care of the administrative details once handled by volunteers, and developing alternative programs that meet alumni interests and needs.

Mining for Gold
CURRENTS Article Profiles of 12 CASE Circle of Excellence 2003 winners. Member institution nominees were judged on the creativity of their alumni relations, communications, and development initiatives, including alumni publications, reunions, constituency giving, stewardship, and alumni relations programs. Profiled winners include Brigham Young University/University of Utah; Columbia College Chicago; Georgia Tech Alumni Association; Goucher College; Imperial College London; the Institute for Shipboard Education; Lehigh University Alumni Association; Monroe Community College Foundation; Pennsylvania State University; the University of Chicago; the University of Iowa Alumni Association; and the University of Miami.

Alumni Clubs and Chapters
Product In this book, 14 alumni relations professionals discuss the essential steps of building and maintaining a strong regional presence for any institution: recruiting, training, and rewarding volunteers; program planning; funding and marketing; and evaluating success.

Road Shows
CURRENTS Article Alumni relations and development professionals often create special events for out-of-town alumni that are designed to deliver a taste of campus. These “road shows” can vary from campaign events to lectures to black-tie affairs. The author describes a wide range of successful road shows institutions have created and provides detailed advice on finding venues, ensuring turnout, and other important steps.

A Roaring Success
CURRENTS Article Julie Stone, regional programming coordinator for the advancement office at San Jose State University, tells how she has planned successful events for alumni in distant cities. She determined which cities have sufficient numbers of alumni to make events possible; surveyed alumni in those regions about their interests; and budgeted carefully to cover costs and track expenses.

Model Examples
CURRENTS Article This article investigates the pros and cons of different structures available for alumni chapters to adopt.