About Advancement

Advancement is a strategic, integrated method of managing relationships to increase understanding and support among an educational institution's key constituents, including alumni and friends, government policy makers, the media, members of the community and philanthropic entities of all types.

The primary core disciplines of educational advancement are alumni relations, communications, marketing and fundraising. Advancement professionals work on behalf of educational institutions to:

• Secure private financial support from potential donors committed to the mission of the institution
• Engage alumni in the life of the institution as volunteers, advocates and supporters
• Promote or market the institution to prospective students, their parents and others
• Communicate about the institution with those who have a stake in its success, including community members, business leaders, government officials, the press and others

CASE advances and supports educational institutions by providing knowledge, standards, advocacy and training to strengthen the combined efforts of alumni relations, communications, fundraising, marketing and allied professionals.

About the Disciplines

Alumni Relations
Alumni relations programs at educational institutions build and strengthen relations with students, former students, faculty, friends and others. Advancement professionals in alumni relations:

• Build life-long relationships with alumni in support of the institution
• Facilitate two-way communication between the institution and alumni
• Leverage a powerful alumni voice on behalf of the institution
• Maintain history and traditions and help secure a bright future for the institution

Communications and Marketing
Communications and marketing programs at educational institutions engage constituents in two-way conversation and promote the institution using a variety of strategies and tools. Advancement professionals in communications and marketing:

• Conduct strategic programs designed to engender understanding and support among key publics for the institution and its goals
• Manage institutional reputation and responses to issues that may affect it
• Coordinate communications and marketing efforts across the organization
• Provide specific communications and marketing services to offices throughout the institution

Fundraising
Fundraising programs at educational institutions secure private support in the form of annual gifts, major gifts, planned gifts and corporate and foundation gifts, often through strategically developed fundraising campaigns. Advancement professionals in fundraising:

• Secure private support that will help the institution achieve its goals
• Build and steward relationships with potential and current donors, including alumni, community members, corporations, foundations, trustees, faculty and staff, parents and current students and others
• Work across the institution to identify the need for private support and ensure that gifts are used according to the donors' intent
• Manage and analyze relevant data regarding donors, gifts and giving trends

Education Definitions

• Glossary of Higher Ed. Terms
  Montgomery College
• Hickman, Richard. CHEAT: Cambridge Handbook of Educational Abbreviations & Terms. Cambridge, UK: University of Cambridge Faculty of Education, 2013.
• US Higher Education Glossary
  University of South Florida

Key CASE Resources

• CASE Communities
  The CASE Communities are topical message boards where members can ask for advice, share documents, network with peers and leverage membership benefits.
• Fundraising Fundamentals
  Funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England, this resource was designed to help both institutional leaders and development directors understand and be successful in fundraising and serves as an introduction to advancement.
• Introduction to Integrated Advancement
  This on-demand online course from CASE is for professionals new to educational advancement and working in any advancement job function, including advancement services, alumni relations, fundraising, and communications and marketing. 
• Management Checklists
  Management checklists are intended to help advancement professionals conduct internal self-assessments of information and programs. They may be useful to both new and experienced managers and helpful in staff training and orientation.
• Principles of Practice
  CASE has developed or endorsed a variety of ethical standards and principles of practice intended to assist advancement professionals in fulfilling their role in a manner that will benefit their institution, their profession and the academic community as a whole.

General Advancement

• Barden, Dennis. "So you want to be the VP? A search firm exec shares what institutions want—and need—and how aspirants can prepare to be the fundraising chief," Currents 42, no. 1 (January/February 2016): 16-20. 
  Search firm executive Dennis Barden shares what institutions want—and need—and how aspirants can prepare to be the vice president of advancement.
• Barnett, Meredith. "New routes," Currents 47, no. 5 (September/October 2021).
  Professionals who have taken nontraditional routes to advancement share how they've navigated their career shifts.
• Collins, Mary Ellen. "Stick the landing: keeping the advancement vice presidency may be harder than attaining it," Currents 39, no. 1 (January 2013): 22-27.
  As it grows in stature and expectation, the vice president of development or advancement position entails more than fundraising. The vice president has to be an effective partner to the president, has to spend more time with trustees and has to be skilled at governance issues and diplomacy. This story explores how the chief development officer position has evolved and what it takes to be a development vice president or assistant vice president these days.
• Cunningham, Sue. "What’s in a name?" Inside higher ed (July 9, 2015).
  This essay by CASE president Sue Cunningham appeared in the "Call to Action" blog in Inside Higher Ed. She describes the history and purpose of CASE and provides a definition of the term "advancement."
• Gurd, Andy; Peirce, Susan; Morris, Sarah. "What I wish: three advancement professionals discuss what their colleagues need to understand about their jobs," Currents 38, no. 4 (April 2012): 31-35.
  Three professionals from different disciplines of advancement discuss what they'd like their colleagues to understand about their jobs. 
• Lippincott, John. "What we do and why we do it: ours is a noble profession—and a mystery to those outside advancement," Currents 40, no. 5 (May/June 2014): 8. 
  Past CASE president John Lippincott writes about how advancement officers can explain their profession to family and friends and how to encourage others, especially those from diverse backgrounds, to enter the field.
• Moltz, David. "College costs, customer service and leading CASE: outgoing CASE president John Lippincott discusses the opportunities and challenges facing the profession," Currents 40, no. 7 (September 2014): 28-33.
  John Lippincott served as CASE president from 2004 through 2015 and has worked in higher education for more than four decades. With the approach of his retirement in January 2015, Currents spoke to him about advancement's upcoming challenges and opportunities. 
• Road map to advancement [webinar]. Washington, DC: Council for Advancement & Support of Education.
  This CASE webinar product is a three-module online course designed for newcomers to advancement and early career professionals. With an Asia-Pacific lens, gain a fundamental understanding of advancement, plus become familiar with trends and tips in alumni relations, fundraising, relationship building, the importance of advancement services, communications, and more.
• Warwick, Jennifer. "A rare find: candidates for campus positions can come from unexpected places," Currents 30, no. 6 (July/August 2004): 13-14.
  Because of a greater demand for staff, managers often must hire mid-level advancement officers from outside academe and decide which skills and experiences best translate to advancement. 

Advancement Services

• Medlock, Vicky. "The brain trust: advancement services helps institutions use data strategically to meet fundraising goals," Currents 38, no. 5 (May/June 2012): 38-43.
  Historically, advancement services' responsibilities have been to keep donor and alumni records current, process gifts and send out receipts. Advancement services has taken on more duties in recent years as institutions change the way they collect, analyze, report and use data for strategic purposes.
• Salopek, Jennifer J. "Going fourth: what every fundraiser should know about advancement services," Currents 33, no. 9 (October 2007): 16-20, 22.
  Advancement services, known as the fourth leg of the advancement stool, is about more than gift processing. Advancement services staff funnel massive alumni and prospect data into information that development offices can use to cultivate and steward donors. The more that each operation knows how the other works, the more successful the institution will be in raising funds. Includes sidebar "What Is "A" Transaction?" by Don Paul Martin.

Alumni Relations

• Pulley, John. "The journey is the reward: alumni relations marks its centennial with a focus on the future," Currents 39, no. 1 (January 2013): 16-21.
  The alumni relations profession has undergone profound changes in the past 100 years. As the field celebrates the centennial of the Association of Alumni Secretaries—a predecessor of CASE—eight alumni relations leaders share their thoughts about the challenges and opportunities the profession faces at the dawn of its second century.
• Rees, Sue. "Foreign exchange: an inside view of alumni relations on both sides of the Atlantic," Currents 38, no. 8 (October 2012): 11-12. 
  In this article, Sue Rees, head of alumni relations at City University London, discusses what she learned during her opportunity to observe and work with alumni associations at six U.S. institutions and compares and contrasts the differences between alumni organization efforts in the United States and the U.K., which she concludes is mainly a difference in scale and scope.
• Scully, Maura King. "Destination: alumni relations: the changing view of alumni professionals within advancement," Currents 36, no. 3 (March 2010): 32-37.
  Historically, within advancement there has been a view that alumni relations is a good starting point–a place to cut your teeth before you move on to the "real" work of development or communications. Of course, that's not true, either now or in the past. Increasingly today, with the growing and sophisticated skill set alumni professionals need to get the job done, alumni relations has become a destination career rather than a stop along the way.

Communications & Marketing

• Landrum, Tom S. "Communication runs through it: an advancement vice president with roots in communications offers his perspective on the top job," Currents 38, no. 2 (February 2012): 24-27. 
  In this article, Tom S. Landrum, the senior vice president for external affairs at The University of Georgia, traces his career path in advancement from his first job in public relations more than 35 years ago to his appointment to the top advancement job in 2008 and discusses how his background in communications has affected his views on how development, alumni relations and communications work together.
• Maxwell, Alice. "The evolving role of the communications professional: communications duties are expanding to include change management and helping stakeholders become more comfortable in an era that is anything but," Currents 47, no. 4 (July/August 2021):  38-45.
  Communications professionals are increasingly finding themselves charged with leading change processes for new initiatives or projects. Here's a look inside change management and how it can help institutions thrive.
• Mayer, Caroline. "Big marketers on campus: more higher education marketing professionals are gaining a seat at the president's table, including many who have recently traded companies for campuses," Currents 40, no. 5 (May/June 2014): 20-25.
  A growing cadre of high-level marketing professionals is moving from the private sector to higher education. Many of these recent arrivals are assuming new cabinet-level positions, reflecting not only the growing acceptance of marketing in higher education but a rising emphasis on sophisticated market research as institutions strive to differentiate themselves in a tough environment—and at a time when the cost and the value of a college degree face unprecedented scrutiny.
• Moore, Rob; Zivin, Joselyn. "Moving in from the outside: a new emphasis on marketing is leading private-sector professionals to seek jobs in academe. Is it worth it?," Currents 25, no. 10 (November/December 1999): 13-14.
  A need for employees with marketing knowledge and market-based attitudes has encouraged many institutions to hire professionals with experience in the corporate sector. These recruits face several challenges, including 1) adjusting to the lateral decision-making and consensus building methods common in academe; 2) getting buy-in for a marketing approach, particularly from faculty; 3) securing a budget; 4) justifying expenses; 5) working longer hours for less pay. Nonetheless, for many, academe brings rewards not found in the private sector.

Fundraising

• Carter, Lorali. "New times two: a novice corporate and foundation relations manager reflects on her new career," Currents 31, no. 9 (October 2005): 13-14.
  Both new to education advancement and creating a new position in the University of Alaska system, a corporate and foundation relations officer describes the unusual career path that brought her to this point and the challenges she faces in getting herself and her office established.
• Crilly, Kevin. "Breaking with the law: having a background as a lawyer helped the transition into development," Currents 34, no. 6 (July/August 2008): 9-10.
  After working as a lawyer, this author finds that law and development have a lot in common. He examines how a law degree can help while working in advancement.
• Reid, Betheny L. "The perfect fit: does a marketing professional make a good fundraising leader?," Currents 33, no. 9 (October 2007): 11-12.
  Sometimes a person outside of the field can make the best leader. That's what happened when a marketing professional became the head of the foundation of a large community college system.
• Rock, Megan. "Home again: a development job in the nonprofit world engenders appreciation for education advancement," Currents 32, no. 1 (January 2006): 13-14.
  The writer of this article appreciates her work in higher education advancement much more after experiencing the difficulties of fund raising for a social services nonprofit.

United States/Canada

• Fain, Paul. "Mixed views on higher ed," Inside higher ed (May 11, 2017). 
  This article summarizes the findings of a survey conducted by New America. Americans see the value in getting a college degree, but they're not particularly happy with our nation's higher education system. Community colleges have more support than do other sectors.
• Harney, John O. "Exploring higher education business models (if such a thing exists)," New England journal of higher education (Oct. 8, 2013). 
  The global economic recession has caused students, parents and policymakers to reevaluate personal and societal investments in higher education–and has prompted the realization that traditional higher ed "business models" may be unsustainable. The author explores the debate on the costs of higher education.
• Kelly, Stacy G. "Private money for the public good: higher education philanthropy in Canada and the United States," Canadian journal for new scholars in education 1, no. 2 (February 2009).
  With the establishment of higher education institutions in the 17th century in both Canada and the United States, concerns over what should be the level of funding for higher education and who should primarily be responsible for providing it has been a longstanding public policy debate. The critical pivot point for each country has been the varying roles of the state and the individual in funding higher education. How these roles were defined in each country framed the rise of philanthropy in higher education. This paper will trace the role of philanthropy in the development of higher education in Canada and the United States.
• Stuart, Reginald. "4 reforms that could remake higher education: colleges and universities are testing bold programs to improve the value of a degree," Currents 41, no. 4 (May/June 2015): 38-42.
  Some institutions are responding to debates about the worth of higher education with a range of reforms. These include efforts to guarantee that a degree holds value, such as tying public funding to alumni employment outcomes, as well as efforts to ease the financial burden, including programs to push students across the finish line quicker.
• Top 10 higher education state policy issues for 2020. American Association of State Colleges and Universities, February 2020.
  This paper provides a review of higher education policy issues that state lawmakers are  most likely to discuss this year. Topics include the 2020 elections, the economy, state budgets and college affordability, economic and workforce development, immigration, free college, athletics, campus sexual assault, demographics, and free speech.
• Trends report 2021. Washington, DC: Chronicle of Higher Education, 2021.
  This report considers trends in the areas of public trust, research/academic life, student success, business models, the student experience and other issues. 

Asia Pacific

• Bhandari, Rajika; Lefébure, Alessia, editors. Asia: the next higher education superpower? Global education research reports, 9, New York: Institute of International Education, 2015. 196 p.
  Ninth in the Global Education Research Reports series, published by IIE and the AIFS Foundation, Asia: The Next Higher Education Superpower? critically examines the local and global trends driving higher education policies in Asia and their impact on the local and regional knowledge economies. Featuring an impressive group of leading scholars, practitioners and education policy experts these chapters look at how governments, universities, the private sector and international organizations are responding to recent trends and meeting the diverse challenges and opportunities across the region.
• Fischer, Karin. "China signals a growing unease with the influence of American universities," Chronicle of higher education (July 8, 2015).
  American universities are increasingly entering into partnerships with Chinese institutions. However, a new law proposed by the Chinese government to regulate foreign universities and nonprofit organizations could put those warming relations on ice. Under the draft legislation, overseas colleges would be required to register with the national police ministry and have an official Chinese sponsor for all their activities.
• Saravanan, M. "Structural constraints in Indian higher education," Inside higher ed (Aug. 9, 2015). 
  This article describes the higher education system in India and how the structural organization of the system affects its functions.
• UNESCO Office Bangkok and Regional Bureau for Education in Asia and the Pacific. The international mobility of students in Asia and the Pacific. Bangkok: UNESCO, 2013. 80 p.
  This paper summarises the content of seven papers that were presented at the Regional Seminar on the International Mobility of Students, in March 2011 at the Imperial Queen's Park Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand. The summary will be divided into several main themes: the domestic and external factors affecting international student flows; countries as receivers or senders of students; the government role vis-àvis university and individual decision-making in international student mobility; modes of provision in international education; and the consequences and implications of international student mobility.

Europe

• Higher education in facts and figures 2019. Universities UK. October 24, 2019. 
  A snapshot of statistics relating to universities’ research activity, student employability, and information on international students from the 2017–18 academic year.
• El Hassan, Karma. "Survey gives panoramic view of Arab higher education," Al-Fanar media (Aug. 10, 2016).
  The author based her survey on the European Universities Association's Trends in Higher Education Survey. She administered the survey in Summer 2015 and received responses from heads of 30 institutions in nine countries.
• "Higher education white paper: success as a knowledge economy," Times higher education (May 16, 2016).
  In May 2016, the UK government published its 2016 HE White Paper, entitled Success as a Knowledge Economy: Teaching Excellence, Social Mobility and Student Choice . But what does it mean for universities, colleges and higher education institutions? THE pulls together the latest new, analysis and white paper-related developments.
• Mayer, Caroline. "Into the storm: As the U.K. government begins Brexit negotiations, universities ponder an uncertain environment," Currents 43, no. 4 (July/August 2017): 
  Within hours of the June 2016 Brexit referendum in which 51.9 percent of voters in the United Kingdom opted to leave the European Union, many U.K. universities created special teams to address their most immediate concerns: student and staff recruitment and retention. University College London convened a Brexit planning group, chaired by its president and provost, with top representatives participating from offices such as communications, development, international, education and student affairs, the registrar and human resources, as well as the college's unions.
• Patterns and trends in UK higher education 2018, Universities UK (Sept. 2018). 
  This report reviews trends for students, staff and finances.

Latin America

• Diaz, Ignacio Sánchez. "Higher education reform debated in Chile: the current bill is a step backward for Chilean higher education. It is urgent for it to be significantly improved," Inside higher ed (Jan. 2, 2017).
  The author argues that the current proposal needs improvements in defining concepts such as education for the future, the public role of universities, equitable and appropriate treatment of diverse institutions, autonomy, system regulation, stimulus to regional universities, the relevance of technical and professional education and (finally) student and institutional financing.
• Ferreyra, Maria Marta. "At a crossroads: higher education in Latin America and the Caribbean," World bank blog (Sept. 8, 2017). 
  This blog post provides an overview of the World Bank report about the quality, variety and equity of higher education in Latin America and the Caribbean titled At a Crossroads: Higher Education in Latin America and the Caribbean.