More than 50 advancement professionals from throughout the United States participated in a series of CASE Virtual Town Hall meetings last month, offering ideas for the Center for Community College Advancement.

Here are answers to some of the questions and requests for programs or services raised during the sessions:

How do you define alumni?
A recent CASE study of community colleges shows there's more than one answer to this question:

• Anyone who has taken one or more classes: 38.4 percent
• Anyone who has completed a certain number of hours or units: 36.8 percent
• Degree/certificate holders: 32.0 percent
• Other: 8.0 percent

Where can new development officers get training?
CASE is offering a conference in Minneapolis this September, "Workshop for Newcomers in Development," for those new to educational development

We need guidance with social media efforts.
Save the date for this upcoming CASE webinar, designed especially for community college advancement professionals: "Social Media Case Studies from a Community College," Nov. 8, 2011. (Registration not yet available.) Also, check out these upcoming events:

• Conference: "Social Media and Community"

• Preconference workshop: Social Media 101

How about information on planned giving?
Check out the following CASE resources:

• Community College Advancement: Planned Giving

• Conference: "Introduction to Planned Giving," Sept. 14-16, 2011

Anything for alumni relations at community colleges?
Yes, we have a couple of resources:

• Webinar: "Developing an alumni relations program at your community college: Why You Don't Have a Choice," Dec. 13, 2011. (Registration not yet available.)

• Online Speakers Series:"Building and Growing Your Community College Alumni Program" (available on-demand)

How do I develop a major gifts program?
Check out the following conference: "Major Gift Strategies"

What are data on enrollment trends at four-year and two-year schools?
The following report has information on this type of data: National Postsecondary Enrollment Trends (National Student Clearinghouse Research Center)

This article is from the August 2011 issue of the Community College Advancement News.