Amherst Connects
Networking for Students
Presentation to the Board of TrusteesMarch 26, 2010
The Value of Alumni Connections for Students
Students (and Alumni)
Career Exploration
Pre-med,Pre-law & Other Graduate Study
Jobs & Internships
Fellowships-National-Amherst
Study Abroad
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The Value of Alumni Connections for Members of the Amherst Community
• Career Opportunities– Summer & Interterm Internships– On-campus Recruiting– Job Postings
• Educational Programs– Career Choices Alumni Panels– Cookies with the Career Center– Luncheons with Seniors
• Face-to-Face Networking Receptions– On Campus: Homecoming Weekend– International: Italy (2), Korea, Paris, Prague and the UK – Interterm: Boston, Chicago and NYC
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There has been a dramatic increase in student searches.
M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F2008 2009 2010
0
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
12,000
14,000
Alumni Directory Searches by Students
Num
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f sea
rche
s
Peak Search Season
Re-launch of Alumni Directory &
Online Profiles
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Amherst ConnectsOnline Engagement and Networking
for Students and Alumni
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Using technology to engage alumni in the life of the College
• Amherst Connects – Opportunities for alumni to connect with the College,
each other and with students
• Engagement Metrics for FY09 – 30% of alumni (5,913) active in Amherst’s online
community– 70% of alumni engaged with the College
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Every alumnus/a has an Online Profile. Together the 20,000+ profiles make up the Alumni Directory.
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Alumni Profile Alumni Directory
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The Online Profile is the next generation of the Amherst Biographical Record
• First printed in 1883.
• Last printed in 1993.
• Benefits of Online Profile– Cost effective and timely updates
of data– Improved access and security– More robust searching
The Online Profile is the hub of our online initiatives.
Online Profile
Academics / Student
Life
Directory / Career
Network
Database
Web Content
• Alumni by major• Alumni by team • Alumni by activity• Graduate programs• Study Abroad• Housing on campus
• Amherst Magazine• Amherst Reads book club• Amherst Artists Network• Partner Class Program• Lives of Consequence Web
site• CCE Web site• Personal Web sites/blogs• Social Networking (Facebook,
LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, etc.)
• Search by name, class year• Search by other criteria
(geography, professional, academic, activities)
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Online Strategies for Engaging Alumni
Social Networking Across All Platforms
• “Push”: Engage alumni where they are and connect back to Amherst’s Web site
– Social Networks: – Strategic Electronic Communications
• “Pull”: Create connections and engagement based on interests and experiences
– Online Programming– “No Dead Ends”
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Alumni respond to targeted requests to update their profiles.
J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D2007 2008 2009
0
100
200
300
400
500
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Num
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f alu
mni
Mailing to all alumni introducing new Web site (CMS)
Bi-monthly emailsby class
•Re-launch of Alumni Directory & Online Profiles•Outreach to all alumni
An average of 240 alumni update their on-line profile each month.
4885 alumni updated their Online Profiles since January 2007 .
March 26, 201010
The Alumni Directory is an important tool for alumni.
M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F2008 2009 2010
0
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
12,000
14,000
Alumni Directory Searches by Alumni
Num
ber
of s
earc
hes
•Re-launch of Alumni Directory & Online Profiles•Communication to new graduates
An average of 6800 searches are conducted by alumni each month.
4962 alumni have conducted a search since 2007
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Fact Sheet for Online Alumni InitiativesTimelineJanuary 2007 New Content Management System (CMS) launchedJune 2009 Alumni Directory and Online Profiled redesigned to improve usabilityOctober 2009 Password reset process automated • Alumni who have logged into the Web site since January 2007 = 10,266• Alumni who have logged into the Web site FY09 = 5,913• Email addresses on record = 15,816 (75% of active alumni)
Online Profiles:• Updates to Online Profiles since January 2007 (not unique users) = 8,397• Alumni who have updated their Online Profiles since January 2007 = 4,885• Alumni who have filled out Career Network section of Online Profile = 1,957• Alumni who have posted photographs = 975• Alumni who have filled out ‘About Me’ or ‘Interests’ = 220• Alumni who have added links to ‘Look for me on’ = 363
Alumni Directory: • Searches by alumni since May 2008 (not unique users) = 152,568 (representing 4962 alumni)• Searches by students since May 2008 (not unique users) = 88,730 (representing 1286 students)
Online Giving (% of Annual Fund gifts made online):• FY09 – 29%; FY08 – 23%; FY07 – 19%
Membership on Social Networking Sites (includes alumni, parents, students)• Facebook (College page - 3,236 fans; Alumni page – 1,766 fans)• LinkedIn (2,674 members)• Twitter (851 followers; 256 following)
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Alumni Engagement by Category FY09(7/1/08 – 6/30/09)
*Engagement measures participation against all alumni of record (20,914). The Alumni Fund measures participation against solicitable alumni (19,132).
Category DescriptionNumber
of alumniPercent of alumni
Giving* Alumni who have made gifts to the College. 11,589 56.5%
Online
Alumni who have logged into the Web site or requested e-mail forwarding.
5,913 28.9%
Feedback/Feature
Alumni who have voted, provided feedback or been featured in publications or online.
4,545 22.2%
Events Alumni who have attended or participated in events both on and off campus.
3,687 18.0%
Alumni/Student
Alumni who have participated in a wide range of activities with current students (career network, internships, partner class program, panels, etc.)
2,600 12.7%
Society of the Alumni Leadership
Alumni who have participated in traditional class and College volunteer roles and committees.
1,840 9.0%
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Default Permissions for the Online Profile• For Alumni:
– Personal & Family tab hidden from students (e-mail is available on Main page)– Personal & Family tab available to alumni, faculty and staff– Demographic and Family info hidden from all roles– Academic, Activities, Professional and Photo available to alumni, students,
faculty and staff • For Students:
– Main page available to students, alumni, faculty and staff– Photo available to students, faculty and staff– Personal & Family tab and Photo hidden from alumni (e-mail is available on Main
page)– Academic, Activities, Professional hidden from alumni, students, faculty and staff– Students can only update their Main page
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