Good onboarding welcomes new colleagues into a team—like a welcome mat for the organization. That philosophy helps the University of California, Davis, U.S., start its newcomers in advancement off on the right foot. In 2021, the development and alumni relations division there launched The Learning DO–Development Officer Boot Camp. It’s a comprehensive, centralized, nine-week academy for fundraisers.

The average tenure for an advancement professional today is just five years. To keep staff on board, our workplaces need to be flexible, empathetic, inclusive, and transparent. Here, two researchers share what they’ve discovered about human-centered talent management and the key steps to retain staff: align talent to mission and values; engage the whole person; and recognize colleagues’ impact.  

Four technical universities in the Netherlands pooled their international alumni efforts and ended up with a world-class network. Now in its 10th year, 4TU encompasses more than 30 alumni communities in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the Nordics, Spain, Switzerland, and the U.S. as it continues to extend its global reach.

For Erasmus University’s Rotterdam School of Management’s 50th anniversary celebration in 2021, #RSM24: Around the World in 24 Hours brought together alumni chapters worldwide on a single day.

The pandemic and the Great Resignation (on top of years of financial pressures and change) have created new levels of stress and mental health challenges for higher education staffs around the world. Here’s a snapshot of mental health in today’s advancement workplaces—including what institutions, leaders, and individuals can do to address burnout and support well-being.

With the Great Resignation, many professionals find themselves leading as middle managers for the first time. They got there because they excelled in previous roles; however, many have not had the appropriate training to help them reach their potential as team leaders. Several newer managers share how they’ve navigated the transition to leadership, along with their best advice for those new in such roles.

In August 2020, the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, launched ChangeMakers, a strategy to encourage UQ’s alumni across 190 countries to engage with the university and fellow alumni from anywhere in the world. The ChangeMakers alumni community hosts events, fosters mentorship relationships, and encourages volunteerism. More than 70 alumni have become ambassadors to help spread the word.

As advancement professionals, we must never stop learning. Our institutions require us to understand the external environment and be ready—and nimble—to adapt our strategies, communications, and relationships to ensure our institutions are carefully stewarded. These skills may be different depending on our specific discipline or our working environment, but rest assured that through CASE, you have access to professional expertise, instruction, and guidance that is rooted in the deep experience of practitioner-leaders.

During the last two years, institutions across the globe have advanced collaboration, innovation, and iteration in ways that may not have been possible before—getting from action to impact more quickly and effectively. We’re doing that at CASE with our new strategic plan. Here’s how.

Spurred by the pandemic, millions of people have quit or changed jobs in 2020 and 2021. How has the “Great Resignation” impacted higher education? It’s led many advancement professionals to consider work-life balance, workplace flexibility, pay, and stability. Now, institutions are realizing the pre-pandemic status quo needs a serious overhaul if they are going to stem the tide of people leaving the sector.