Now more than ever, alumni are looking at the value their institutions are providing for them today and ways in which they can serve and give back to support the university’s mission. A major opportunity to stay relevant and remain a resource for alumni is through career services and mentoring programs. This presentation will help you explore programs that meet and support alumni in their professional development journey.

Alumni relations work encourages alumni to engage with their alma mater for a lifetime. By creating meaningful engagement, alumni professionals can drive increased giving and participation rates. In this session, we will explore the role of alumni relations within institutional advancement and its overall impact. Join our discussion to learn how alumni relations professionals can effectively support fundraising and understand the crucial role they play in the giving cycle.

As newcomers, you may have heard or will hear the phrase "because we've always done it this way" in response to your questions about programs, events, processes, and activities at your institution. You have an opportunity to open the discussion for innovation and change. We will share tools you can use to assess a program or initiative, evaluate effectiveness, and define goals. Learn how to approach a change-resistant team, create a dialogue, potentially sunset a program, and creating new program buy-in.

Participate in this moderated conversation with leaders in Alumni Relations as they share their thoughts on the future of alumni relations, advice for new professionals, and thoughts on what it means to be a leader during turbulent times. Opportunities for Q&A will be provided so please bring your questions. The faculty leadership will then wrap-up the Institute with some closing observations and remarks and provide a “last call” for any remaining topics or questions you want to address before the Institute concludes.