COVID-19 provided the push to take a more innovative approach to engaging both campus partners and alumni. The UNI Alumni Association needed to identify an alternative to in-person events, while maintaining their commitment to connecting and engaging alumni. The team had two primary goals: identify a way to connect and engage with alumni, and highlight the work of faculty and staff members.
The team developed two new social media programs.
The first is named Tuesday Talk, where the AVP of Alumni Relations interviewed a faculty or staff member on a variety topics. The alumni association created and published 19 videos as of Aug. 20. The topics included supporting loved ones with dementia during the pandemic, trauma-informed yoga therapy, psychological discussions on popular Netflix shows, and many others. Not only did these videos elevate experts across campus, they provided alumni important information, and allowed them to get to know campus staff and faculty members better.
The second program, called “Five Question Friday,” was focused on providing a unique opportunity to get to know administrators and faculty members, with the AVP of Alumni Relations selecting two faculty or staff members, and asking a variety of questions. In the same time period, 12 videos were recorded and posted. Most of these videos were lighthearted and fun, with the important exception of two videos following the murder of George Floyd.
