Alumni – Warwick’s
Greatest Asset?
Warwick Network
Monday 12 April 2010
Claudie Combelas (DARO)
Simon Hall (International Office)
Catherine Thomson (SARO)
Session Overview
• Introductions (5 minutes)
• Objectives (5 minutes)
• Setting the scene (15 minutes)
• Group exercise (15 minutes)
• Feedback and discussion
(25 minutes)
• Future plans and close (5 minutes)
Session Objectives
1. To set out the alumni context
2. To outline current alumni initiatives at
Warwick
3. To consider alumni engagement as
relating to student recruitment
4. To discuss ideas for future collaboration
across the institution
Setting the Scene
 The bigger picture
 UK
 US
 Warwick
 Strategy
 Transparency
 The student experience
 Alumni as resource
What our alumni are
saying…
• I would actively recommend
• I would recommend if asked
• I would neither recommend
nor discourage
• I would discourage if asked
1%
• I would actively discourage
0%
41%
48%
10%
Source: ISB Autumn 2009
> 58% of alumni are not active
ambassadors of Warwick after
graduation.
Alumni Volunteer Power
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Events (hosting, helping)
Alumni groups
Giving talks at graduation
International Ambassadors
Discounts / deals / excellent service
Time
Advocacy, careers, expertise
Maintain and pass on traditions and history
Alumni and student recruitment
Priority information needs
for applicants
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Course content
Teaching quality
Employability
Good place to be?
Social facilities
Source: ISB Autumn 2009
Alumni represent a significant resource to
to potential applicants in providing this
information – telling a real story beyond
the prospectus, website and other
recruitment interventions.
But how does this relate
to what alumni want?
Alumni want:
• A stronger connection with the University
• Greater connection with other alumni
• More opportunities for lifelong learning
and careers support
• Improved technological access
• A wide variety of volunteer opportunities
So how can / should the
two groups be linked?
“Loyalty to [the University] starts with the
freshman class. Five administrators speak to
them and the first speaker is the alumni
association volunteer who speaks to them
about lifelong involvement. It’s an easy way
to begin the relationship.”
“We’ve invested in student programming
particularly focussed on treating first year
students as first year alumni. That way we
have them forever.”
Private US University, 2009
Our strengths and current
activity
 Strong sense of community on campus
 Motivated, engaged student population
 Existing provision of professional and
networking support for alumni
 Alumni weekend launched in June 2009
 Known appetite for ambassadorial
involvement within alumni community
and known examples of international
alumni support of student recruitment
Warwick Mix
Internal
Promotional
• Market Intelligence
• Target Setting
• Budget Planning
• University wide
communications
• Incoming visits
• Admissions facilitation
• Regional expertise
• Schools, Colleges
• Sponsors
• Exhibitions
• Web presence
• Alumni
• Ambassadors
• Website
• British Council
• Website
• Regular country visits
Conversion
• Overseas offices
• Agents
• Offer holder events
• Predeparture
activities
• Calling Campaigns
• Live chat campaigns
• Website
Case Study: Russia
•
British Council and Video Conferencing for Russian Alumni
– The British Council in Moscow has agreed to allow Warwick Alumni to use the
BC premises to hold their activities.
– BC can provide video conferencing facilities to UK University partners to hold
web discussions/seminars for prospective students.
– Alumni Activity Corpus Fund: The rationale behind this discussion is to allow
the group to offset some of the costs involved in activities like inviting
external speakers, catering etc. This may not happen at the initial stages of
the group’s formation, but is a possibility that can be explored once the group
is a bit more mature and members find value and benefit in the
meetings/sessions/gatherings/activities for web portal etc.
– A simple questionnaire could be circulated to Graduates and Alumni to
capture their willingness to contribute to this fund;
Case Study: Philippines
• Alumni representing the University at a recruitment event
– Clarizza L Doloroso | Senior Director | Tax Services, Ernst and Young Philippine
– Graduate of LLM International Economic Law 1999 – 2000
– Arnel Banas, the Deputy Secretary for Administrative and Financial Services of the
Philippine Senate,
– Emmanuel Bonoan, the Chief Operating Officer of KPMG-Philippines,
– Spoke with almost 100 students (sometimes 5 students at a time) during the 2.5 hours
session and answered all sorts of questions to the best of our knowledge and based on
our own experiences studying in Warwick and living in the UK.
– The prospectuses, postcards, and other literature, particularly, the costings, were very
helpful (only 5 universities had materials to distribute). The gifts were a hit (we were
the only school giving away key chains, pens and phone charms, and with our own
banner and table cloth!)
– Thanks to you for supporting us.
Case Study: Philippines
Noted overseas alumni
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Gonzalo Soltero – Mexican Writer
Utoni Nujoma – Namibian Politician (Son of the former President of Namibia)
Leila Sansour – Founder & CEO of Open Bethlehem
James Franklin – Australian Philosopher
Ness Wadia – Indian Entrepreneur & Businessman, heir to Bombay Dyeing
and Co owner of the Indian Premier Cricket League
Sir David Li Kwok-Po – Hong Kong based Banker and Politician. CEO of Bank of
East Asia
Aw Ta-Shi (known as Tash Aw)- Malaysian Writer
Luciano Floridi – One of Italys most influential thinkers in Philosophy
Chan Yuen-Han – noted Hong Kong female trade unionist
Chip Tsao (known as To Kit) Hong Kong based columnist, broadcaster and writer
Warwick Welcome Service
 The official ‘student face’ of
Warwick’s recruitment activities
 In operation for over 15 years.
 Pool of approx 120 students
 Recruitment and selection of
around 80 new WWS each spring
 Increased training and resources
 Monitoring and references
 Senior WWS
Current activity (general)
 Increased use of students in:
 The production of recruitment
material (eg prospectus, Open Day
guides)
 Focus groups (eg content of
presentations, prospectus project)
 Events (Senior WWS, Aimhigher
Associates Scheme, school visits)
Group Exercise
1. What are the obstacles to alumni ‘actively
recommending’ Warwick? Consider the
similarities / differences between UK and
international students.
2. What can academic departments do
towards increasing the number of active,
trusted alumni ambassadors?
3. What can the central administration do
towards increasing the number of active,
trusted alumni ambassadors? Consider the
‘student lifecycle’ approach.
Future plans
 Development of an international ambassador stream
within WWS
 Piloting of a ‘back to school’ initiative with current WWS
 Consultation with WWS on retaining their engagement
after graduation for possible ambassadorial activity
 Alumni Engagement Task Group
 Extending links with DARO to develop a database of
willing ambassadors from trained pool of graduating
students.
 Consultation with DARO and across the University on
specific streams of alumni activity to develop
awareness, opportunities and central support resource.
How can DARO help you make the
most of alumni contacts
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Data provision and repository
Information sharing
Central digital alumni portal
Alumni engagement expertise (setting up groups, newsletters, giving)
Identification of prospects
Event expertise
Stewardship advice
Volunteer recruitment
International Ambassadors
Demand for PG and CPD
Session Objectives
1. To set out the alumni context
2. To outline current alumni initiatives at
Warwick
3. To consider alumni engagement as
relating to student recruitment
4. To discuss ideas for future collaboration
across the institution
Thank you for attending.
The ambassador mix
Enquiry
and
application
Academic
and
student
experience
Graduation
Alumni ambassador?
“ It is the job of everyone at Warwick (not just DARO) to
culturally embed the importance of and need for alumni
relations, from moment students arrive on campus, during
their time here and after they leave.”
DARO presentation to Council