Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 1, Wednesday, April 20

NOON-1:00 PM
Registration
Meet fellow professionals before the conference begins.

1:00-1:45
Welcome and Introductions
Be prepared to talk about your position, institution and career path.

1:45-2:30
Opening Remarks
Review institute program, specific themes and key objectives.

2:45-4:15
A New Education World Order: The Renaissance of Alumni Relations
Facing unprecedented challenges, our country's education institutions are struggling to adapt to a new landscape. What does this new normal mean for alumni relations leaders? How has this new environment produced a renaissance in the field of alumni relations? We'll explore emerging issues and trends in the education and nonprofit sectors, focusing on relevance and value. Learn how institutions and alumni relations leaders can engage constituents increasingly sought after by competing organizations.

5:00-6:15
Networking Reception
Mingle and get to know your fellow participants.

6:15
Conference Adjourns for the Day
Dinner on your own

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Day 2, Thursday, April 21

8:00-9:00 AM
Continental Breakfast/Roundtables

9:00-10:30
Beyond Integrated Advancement: Alumni Relations at the Head Table
Asserting the new education landscape has propelled our institutions beyond the integrated advancement debate. What are the new challenges for alumni relations and its leaders? What does it mean to be at the institution's head table? We'll explore how alumni relations professionals can be proactive in this new environment, and discuss the emerging trends in the field and how to prepare for these new challenges.

10:30 AM-NOON
Developing Your Leadership Toolkit: Skills and Abilities for Success
Over the past decade we've witnessed a generational transition in alumni relations leadership. Increasingly, our education institutions seek new and different alumni relations leadership whereby one's alumni status, athletic prowess or corporate histories are no longer primary hiring factors. We'll explore the tools needed to succeed in our new environment and advance in our field. Focus on developing both your operations and leadership toolkits—with the goal of securing a chief alumni relations role.

NOON-2:00 PM
Lunch, Listen and Share
Enjoy lunch with peers.

2:00-3:30
Bigger Isn't Always Better: Learning Success Strategies from Small Shops
Creativity, multiple roles and doing more with less are hallmarks of alumni relations professionals in small shops. We'll explore the unique skill-set needed for success in small or shrinking programs and how these leaders can teach and inspire future alumni relations leaders.

3:45-5:15
Case Study: The Call to Action—Advocacy and Relevance in Modern Alumni Relations
In addition to our diverse program responsibilities, alumni and alumni relations leaders are now asked to play a greater role in institutional advocacy, whether in the legislative lobbying arena for public institutions or admissions and enrollment growth efforts for private institutions. How do we navigate this complex environment? What are the risks? How do we ask our alumni to engage in these activities if we're not experts ourselves? This session includes prior reading ahead of the conference and uses a case study breakout session format.

5:15
Conference Adjourns for the Day
Dinner on your own

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Day 3, Friday, April 22

8:00-9:00 AM
Continental Breakfast/Roundtables

 9:00-10:30
Career Development: What's Needed to Take the Next Step in Education Advancement
Alumni relations leaders often aspire to serve their institutions in new and higher-level education advancement roles, including the chief advancement or development officer positions. What should you be doing to prepare for this next step? What are the specific skills and abilities needed to transition within or beyond alumni relations? Explore your toolkit and learn how to assess your marketability for increased education advancement opportunities.

10:45 AM-NOON
Bringing It All Together: SARP 2011 R.O.I. Back Home
Review institute goals and objectives, summarize session topics and discuss how each of us can develop tangible frameworks for infusing our environments with new knowledge and content.

Noon
Institute Adjourns

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