Although academic seminars offered on homecoming weekend have always been popular at Colorado College, the centerpiece of the alumni continuing education program is a course on "Freedom and Authority." Registrants for the two-hour class receive reading materials through the mail, a faculty member leads small-group discussion of the…

The University of Arizona's experience with a small-scale fund-raising project to establish a memorial scholarship illustrates that the development office's efforts in guiding a motivated group of donors can pay off. Planning elements included establishing a team, delegating tasks, handling mail and telephone calls, generating enthusiasm, and…

Provides advice on how to instill the giving habit in recent graduates and how to encourage them to take an active part in alumni issues. Development officers need to keep track of recent alumni, use telephone and electronic mail rather than letters to contact young alumni, and develop special programs to encourage giving by recent graduates. (MDM)

College and university fund-raising programs should have a written policy to make donor thank-yous part of office routine. Reviewing existing donor files can help codify existing policy and practice. Larger offices may need policies for different gift types and sizes. Innovative ways of recognizing donors, such as special events, gifts, and…

Ways in which college alumni officers are using emerging technology to enhance regional programming and distance communication are described, including World Wide Web sites, electronic mail, and satellite and video technologies. Suggestions are made for getting started: defining goals, doing research, offering inexpensive connections, and…

Parents can offer a college time, loyalty, and money. Leading roles currently played by parents in campus programs include recruiter, career counselor, political supporter, and fundraiser. Keeping track of parents, organizing and orienting them as volunteers, funding the programs, and assessing the efforts' effectiveness are important elements.…

The efforts to develop a long-range plan for the Wisconsin Alumni Association are described. Steps to take to set up a long-range plan for alumni associations include: needs assessment, volunteer committee to advise staff, situation analysis, alumni census, mission statement, goals, implementing the plan, and evaluation. (MLW)

After years of having one of Boston's strongest adult education programs, Northeastern University's University College suffered an enrollment drop in the fall of 1983. Some of the steps taken to improve enrollment included: marketing research, fine-tuning the program, and promotion experiments. Some marketing tips are provided. (MLW)

The Cornell University Office of Publications' experiences in the process of computerization are discussed, including rationale, choice of equipment, and decisions concerning the services to be offered, and the lessons learned are offered to others. (MSE)

Advice is offered for making the children of alumni welcome at campus events and reunions, illustrated with the experiences of several colleges. Suggestions include cooperating with the campus legal office concerning risk and liability of child care, using community facilities that cater to children, starting small and expanding with success, and…

To recruit from the multicultural and lucrative international student market, colleges and universities are advised to develop a strong marketing plan; develop publications tailored to this population; and make a personal visit to targeted countries. (MSE)

Fund-raising auctions and related dinners produced by a private school, a community college, and a state university alumni association are described. Profiles include details of location, budget, proceeds, and reasons the events were successful. (MSE)

Advice is offered for developing and strengthening college alumni special interest groups. These include setting clear guidelines; striving for membership quantity and enthusiasm; focusing on a mission; developing strong and creative leaders; sharing responsibility among staff; setting reasonable objectives; and finding financial support. (MSE)

Colleges and universities can use electronic services such as bulletin boards and electronic mail to both reach out to and keep in touch with alumni. Such services are already being used with some success. Many institutions will find that the technology is already in place on campus. (MSE)

A guide to planning college and university anniversary celebrations that attract the attention of both friends and strangers recommends creating substantive programs related to current public interest; faculty involvement; broad-based and varied programing; media participation; attention to both past and future; and adequate budget. (MSE)