This study proposes a new giving behavior model for higher education institutions (HEI), featuring alumni connectedness as a primary predictor. This contrasts with previous studies that measured variables that showed an inconsistent influence as predictors of alumni's desire to contribute. Alumni connectedness, built from socio-psychological…

The alumni group Davidsonians for Freedom of Thought and Discourse (DFTD) was founded in 2018 to monitor the state of free expression, diversity of viewpoints, and ideological balance at Davidson College. DFTD was also founded to undertake research to help clarify whether perceived problems in these key areas are real. Fall 2021 survey of major…

Institutions of higher learning are dependent on financial giving from alumni, individuals, companies, foundations, and organizations whose gifts help strengthen the core of the university. Donations improve academic programs, fund research, enhance student life, provide better facilities, and assist with initiatives of the institution.…

This research extends recent efforts that have introduced and empirically tested a conceptual model of brand community in the context of higher education. This emerging literature has indicated that brand community provides a framework that can inform and guide marketing investments in ways that lead to affinity and stronger loyalty to the brand…

Alumni relations programs are a foundational component to institutional advancement and are often the unit that regularly communicates news and information about the institution to its alumni. Alumni relations professionals can strategically position a higher education institution among its alumni by including and emphasizing information that is…

Advice is offered for making college alumni reunions fun and memorable, illustrated with anecdotes from various institutions. Suggestions include exciting opening activities, focusing on the particular habits or characteristics of a class, appealing to a variety of tastes, emphasizing class identity, savoring favorite campus traditions, and…

In 1926 a comprehensive attitudes inventory was administered to 3,515 students at Syracuse University, in which students expressed their reasons for coming to and staying at Syracuse, evaluated several aspects of the campus environment, and expressed attitudes, beliefs, and practices on social and religious questions. An updated edition of this…

An interview with Philip Kotler, the Harold T. Martin Professor of Marketing at Northwestern University, is presented. Three approaches to marketing are identified: product-oriented, hard-sell, and building satisfaction in a long-term clientele. (MLW)

Researchers use data from the Alumni Outcomes Survey to examine alumni satisfaction with the instructional climate and student affairs services, and determine how each influences reported growth and satisfaction with college. Results indicate that both student affairs services and the instructional climate interact to offer the greatest benefits,…

This paper presents a speech by the President of the Mississippi University for Women (MUW), on the history of MUW and her secrets of success as an educator and administrator. The speech traces the history of MUW, founded in 1884 as the first public college for women in the United States. It lists the accomplishments of distinguished alumni,…

Increasingly, colleges and universities are establishing retirement communities on or near campus to attract active and generous alumni. The communities provide opportunities for continuing education and intergenerational contact. The working relationships between institutions and retirement communities are varied. Suggestions are made for…

It is argued that if colleges and universities want involved alumni, they must begin during the student years. Activities and approaches to take during each of the four college years to help establish a mutually supportive relationship are outlined, and illustrated with examples from a variety of institutions. (MSE)

Covering the period from the beginnings of Fisk University through World War II, this narrative reviews the social and academic history of the institution. The problems of private universities, compounded by being black, are highlighted as are several events such as the student revolts of 1924-25, the appointment of the university's first black…

The history of the Mississippi University for Women (MUW) from 1884 to 1984 is described. MUW, the first state-supported college for women is now coeducational, but adheres to its original mission of providing educational opportunity for women. Educational, administrative, and architectural developments are traced, with attention to leaders who…

The Greek system is seen as an important element in securing the loyalty of alumni at Lafayette College. Many new students say they chose Colby College because of its decision to abolish fraternities and sororities, and because the college provides an environment that is open and accessible to all. (MLW)