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ERIC Number: EJ927347
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2009-Sep
Pages: 7
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0748-478X
EISSN: N/A
Island Hopping
Bennett, Gayle
CURRENTS, v35 n7 p28-34 Sep 2009
At some institutions, it may feel as though faculty live on one island and advancement staff on another. The islands form part of an archipelago, and they exchange ambassadors and send emissaries occasionally, but interactions are limited. It may even seem as though the two groups speak different languages, deal in different currencies, and abide by different cultural norms. The result is that these faculty and advancement staff interact with a certain diplomatic aloofness, not realizing how much stronger they could make the institution if they formed meaningful partnerships. Often, relationships are eventually brokered when advancement leaders ask popular professors to host alumni travel programs. The draw for faculty members is obvious: They get to visit far-off lands and share their expertise with a select group of rapt alumni. This is a wonderful partnership, but, unfortunately, at some institutions--particularly in the United States--that's where the collaboration between advancement and academia ends. This article discusses how including faculty in various aspects of alumni programming can attract more alumni to events and provide the alumni association with another means to communicate the exciting research and academic offerings of alma mater. However, creating a larger role for faculty in the alumni association doesn't magically happen. Alumni professionals must open new lines of communication, forge new relationships, and educate faculty on the importance of advancement to the institution. Fortunately, alumni leaders have a lot of experience handling these tasks.
Council for Advancement and Support of Education. 1307 New York Avenue NW Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20005. Tel: 202-328-2273; e-mail: memberservicecenter@case.org; Web site: http://www.case.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A