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Talkin' 'bout your association
Bill, the association's mission is to "connect, inform and serve the University's diverse alumni and friends through strong leadership, dynamic programs and effective communication." If you were to grade the organization on fulfilling that mission, what would it receive?
Well, I think we've come a long way. And I believe the organization and its leadership deserve a strong 'B+' for their most recent accomplishments. Now, you must know that I grade hard! I always believe there is room for improvement, and I am committed to helping us get an 'A' on our next quiz!
In your estimation, is the organization going in the right direction for alumni and the University?
Yes, I believe it is. Over the last three years, the board and staff have done a lot of work to refine the mission, expand the focus and get down on paper a measurable plan. I sense alumni are beginning to see the benefits of the work. Ohio Today magazine is just one example of the progress we are making in enhancing overall alumni communication and outreach.
Another exciting occurrence is just around the corner. In a few months, a new association Web page will come online. There, alumni will be able to learn what's happening on campus, in their community and around the world. Down the road, alumni will be able to find old roommates and catch up with each other through e-groups and an Ohio University-tailored portal. And soon folks are going to be able to purchase Bobcat clothing online.
From a program and outreach standpoint, how do you feel the association is doing?
We're improving, however, the road ahead is a little foggy. As you know, the majority of our alumni are baby boomers and GenXers. Something to the tune of 50 percent to 60 percent of our alumni graduated in the last 30 years. That's a lot of people!
We realize that programming and outreach must be timely, "lifestage-driven" and able to compete with Jimmy's soccer game, community activities and, frankly, schedules that are just too darn busy. The board and staff realize we have some hard work ahead to figure out how to effectively involve alumni. We have been putting a lot of time into the overall quality of our alumni programs and their effectiveness.
Alumni today want Ohio University-sponsored programs on a myriad of subjects and in a format that is easy to take advantage of, timely and easily digestible. Down the road, we hope to offer programs based on college discipline and professional focus, programs that are designed using data on where and how our alumni live that we haven't had before now.
Bill, when I took this job three years ago, one of the things I heard the board say over and over was, "We want to be one of the top 20 alumni associations in the country in terms of serving alumni." Do you think we are reaching this goal?
We are, and it's more than simply having 100 people vs. 30 people show up at an event and thinking our work is done. If we want to work toward our vision of ensuring every graduate is a participant in the life of Ohio University, we need to keep hustling!
Out of the 160,000 Ohio University alumni in the world, not all of them are connected -- or at least connected in a way that is meaningful to the alum. Obviously, we realize connection can come in a variety of formats. For some, it's giving. For others, it may be getting involved with student recruitment or reading this magazine. But far too many alumni are not connected at all.
What makes the work of the board and staff most challenging is that we won't consider our job to be finished until we have connected with every graduate. That gives us a reason to go to work for Ohio University every day! And with that one important thought in mind, I truly can say I have one of the best jobs in the world.
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