The three CASE Commissions—Alumni Relations, Communications and Marketing, and Philanthropy—met on May 3-4, 2022, in Washington, D.C., for their biannual meeting. In these sessions, our volunteer commissioners unpacked trends, key issues, and big ideas in advancement. Here’s what they discussed.

A significant portion of the meeting focused on CASE’s new strategic plan, Championing Advancement: CASE 2022-2027, and more specifically on the emerging Career Journey Framework—a professional learning continuum for advancement professionals at every stage of their careers. During two plenary sessions, the three groups discussed how institutions and individuals might use the framework to advance their professional development goals, and how CASE might develop a comprehensive curriculum around each stage of the framework.

Volunteers also engaged in a conversation around the opportunities and challenges facing higher education in Hong Kong and China. Christopher Tremewan, Secretary General, and Sherman Cheng, Chief Financial Officer, of the Association of Pacific Rim Universities led the discussion.

Following the plenary sessions, each commission met to discuss discipline-specific topics.

Alumni relations: The Commission on Alumni Relations reviewed the CASE Competency Model and how it applies to the alumni engagement profession. They conducted an analysis of knowledge, skills, and abilities that professionals need to exhibit within each competency area to be successful, and acknowledged that specific competencies may need to be more or less prevalent throughout the different stages of a professional’s career.

Commissioners also discussed current challenges facing engagement professionals including the continued (and seemingly escalating) political and cultural divisions among alumni. What role should engagement professionals have in helping to create an environment where all voices and points of view can be heard and valued? Volunteers also explored the impact that national and regional data policy regulations have on how and when an institution can engage with its alumni, and the difficulty in attracting and retaining professionals, specifically professionals from diverse lived experiences.

Communications and marketing: The Commission on Communications and Marketing focused on how to elevate institutional leaders’ understanding of how important it is to include marketing and communications professionals in strategic discussions about an institution’s present and future. The group enthusiastically endorsed the idea of CASE developing and promulgating an instrument to assess and benchmark marketing and communications contributions to institutional health and vitality—such as a brand tracker. They also supported CASE launching programming to build stronger senior teams among institutional and marketing/communication leaders.

The group also discussed how the Great Resignation has affected marketing and communications teams in educational institutions, particularly in response to a recurring issue: how the skills that make for great marketing departments are eminently transportable to other institutions or other sectors.

Philanthropy: The Commission on Philanthropy reviewed of the CASE Competencies Model and discussed the key competencies needed to be successful in development. The group addressed the gaps in senior leadership—for instance, many in advancement get to a senior level by being great fundraisers but may need training in management and leadership skills. In providing the feedback on the Career Journey Framework, many commission members cautioned that not all advancement professionals aspire to the highest level of leadership, and we need to focus on keeping them challenged, engaged, and fulfilled. The Commission also held a robust and compelling discussion on mental health in the workplace, acknowledging this has become even more of a priority in light of the pandemic.

The next commissions meetings will be October 11-12, 2022, in Washington, D.C.