DAA Board Handbook
Table of Contents
I.
DAA Mission ................................................................................................................ 3
II. “DAA: Who We Are”................................................................................................... 4
III. Overview of Board Member Responsibilities .............................................................. 5
IV. Brief History of DAA ................................................................................................... 6
V. Board Organization and Membership........................................................................... 7
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B.
C.
D.
E.
Organization Chart of Duke Administration ........................................ 7
Organization of DAA Staff ................................................................... 8
Roles and Responsibilities of the Board ............................................... 8
Job Descriptions of Board Offices and Other Members .................... 10
List of Board Members ....................................................................... 12
VI. DAA Strategy ............................................................................................................. 13
A.
B.
C.
D.
Strategic Plan Document- Executive Summary ................................. 13
DAA Accomplishments, 2012-13 ...................................................... 14
DAA Goals 2013/14 ........................................................................... 16
DAA Strategic Plans & Strategies ...................................................... 18
VII. DAA Programs .......................................................................................................... 20
A. Description of DAA Programs ........................................................... 20
B. DAA Statistics .................................................................................... 26
C. One-Duke Regional Model ................................................................. 28
VIII. DAA Budgeting ....................................................................................................... 30
A. Financial Management ....................................................................... 30
B. Annual Budget .................................................................................... 31
C. DAA Revenues and Expenses ............................................................ 31
IX. Board Operations ........................................................................................................ 32
A. Calendar of Events, 2013-14 .............................................................. 32
B. DAA Committees, 2013-14 ................................................................ 33
X. Expectations of Board Members ................................................................................ 35
A. One-to-Many Philosophy ................................................................... 35
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B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
H.
I.
J.
Meetings.............................................................................................. 35
Committees ......................................................................................... 36
Regional Coordination ........................................................................ 36
Representation ..................................................................................... 36
Recruitment ......................................................................................... 37
Awards & Recognition ....................................................................... 37
Giving ................................................................................................. 37
Alumni Engagement ............................................................................ 38
Professional School Representation .................................................... 38
XI. Board By-Laws ........................................................................................................... 39
A.
B.
C.
D.
By-Laws .............................................................................................. 39
Expense Reimburssement ................................................................... 39
Board Nomination Form ..................................................................... 39
Award Nomination Form.................................................................... 39
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DAA Board Handbook
As you begin and then continue your service on the DAA Board, you will have questions
from time-to-time about the best way to perform the many duties that are expected of you
in this crucial role. This handbook has been created as a resource guide to optimize your
experience and effectiveness. As a living document, it can be tailored to meet the
growing needs of our Board members as we strive to improve the relationship with our
alumni while advancing the goals of our beloved alma mater. If there are additional
resources that you need to perform your duties, please let a member of the Executive
Committee know so that the issue can be addressed.
I.
DAA Mission
The Duke Alumni Association is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to
engage, connect, and celebrate alumni and friends of Duke University. The DAA serves
and represents more than 150,000 alumni and past students of the university, as well as
thousands of parents and friends. The President and Past President of the DAA serve as
members of Duke’s Board of Trustees. The DAA is governed by its members and
operated by the university-employed staff of the Office of Alumni Affairs, which is
located in Forlines House at 614 Chapel Drive. The staff coordinates nearly 6,000 alumni
volunteers, who conduct admissions interviews, plan regional events, and help carry out
DAA programs and activities.
Each year, the DAA provides a range of programs and opportunities designed to foster
connections among alumni and deepen alumni affiliation with the university. These
activities include:
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Signature on-campus programs such as Homecoming and Reunions
Educational, social, and cultural events organized by DAA alumni networks in
more than 80 cities in the U.S. and abroad
Affinity- and industry-focused alumni groups that enhance personal and
professional networks
Programs that connect alumni with students to provide expertise and career
guidance
Volunteer opportunities that provide service to Duke and the DAA, including
alumni admissions interviews, regional network leadership and Duke Alums
Engage community-service programs
Travel programs that connect alumni to Duke expertise around the world
Communication vehicles such as the award-winning Duke Magazine, email
newsletters and updates, websites, and social media
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II.
“DAA: Who We Are”
Poem by Hardy Vieux, ’93, Past President of the DAA Board
We are some 140,000 alumni strong.
We are local. We are global.
We are young.
We age, but we never grow old.
We are brown. We are white. We are black.
We are straight. We are gay.
We are big city. We are small city. We are Bull City.
When in doubt, we favor inclusion over exclusion.
We change; our values and traditions, however, do not.
We like goals.
We love results.
We make mistakes.
We learn from those mistakes.
We laugh out loud. Often.
We hug.
We love a good Homecoming or reunion party.
We believe in making a difference.
We believe in the importance of family.
We do not meet for the sake of meeting.
We embrace 30-minute phone conferences. Not 31 minutes.
We value your time. We respect your opinions.
We need your talents, your energy, your ideas.
We are a first-class magazine.
We know our university’s president is wicked cool.
We value our students, teachers, administrators, staff, and employees.
We nurture leaders of consequence.
We thirst for knowledge.
We have an insatiable appetite for excellence.
We listen.
We create opportunities to expand our minds.
We are a trusted advisor.
We are a convener.
We believe in doing our part to improve our university and our local communities.
We stand for service, for partnerships, for reflection.
We listen.
We love what we do.
We engage.
We connect.
We celebrate.
We are your Alumni Association.
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III.
Overview of Board Member Responsibilities
The primary role of the DAA Board Member is to advance the work of the Duke
Alumni Association in the following ways:
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Attend board meetings and work with DAA staff as requested
Serve as an ambassador for DAA and Duke
Gather and share best practices among alumni leaders
Communicate to and report from regions and alumni
Serve as a resource to connect alumni with DAA programs
Recruit and develop volunteer leaders
Attend regional events and take a leadership role regionally, coordinating with
staff to plan programming
Uphold Duke’s brand standards for consistency of programming
Assist with fundraising identification and a spirit of Duke support
Act as the “eyes and ears” of the DAA by clipping local articles and news
stories involving alumni and parents
Provide a local personal touch by sending handwritten notes to alumni as they
reach personal and professional milestones
Represent all alumni
See Chapter X “Expectations of Board Members” for details.
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IV.
Brief History of DAA
While Duke traces its origins to 1838 in rural Randolph County, the Trinity College
Alumni Association was founded with 41 alumni in 1858 by President Braxton Craven.
In the 1890s, when the proposal to relocate Trinity College to Durham was announced,
many alumni opposed the plan. The Alumni Association, however, listened to the
arguments for relocation and concurred that the move was in the best interests of the
college. In 1891, a year before the move, Trinity’s charter was amended to require that
one-third of its trustees be alumni. This tenet remains a requirement of the by-laws today;
more than two-thirds of the members of Duke’s Board of Trustees are alumni.
Trinity College opened in Durham in 1892 largely because of the generosity of
Washington Duke, who offered three gifts of $100,000 each for endowment, one of
which was contingent upon the college admitting women “on equal footing with men”:
an offer that was quickly accepted; Trinity College had had women graduates in
Randolph County starting in 1878.
Within a decade of the move to Durham, both men and women enrolled in sharply
increasing numbers from the North, the South, the Indian Territory (now Oklahoma) and
abroad (especially Japan). Today’s Duke Alumni Association represents more than
150,000 members from all 50 states and more than seventy countries.
As the pool of alumni has grown and evolved, so has the role of the Alumni Association.
From an organization originally intended to foster friendships and maintain an ongoing
affiliation between alumni and the university, the Alumni Association has grown in scope
and depth to provide scholarships, learning and travel opportunities, career services,
regional programming, student activities, and many university and community services.
These additional roles are an expression of ongoing reviews by the Association’s
leadership and alumni. They illustrate DAA’s ability to recognize and adapt to changing
needs while striving to provide greater value for alumni constituents in order to advance
the goals of the university.
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V.
Board Organization and Membership
A. Organization Chart of Duke Administration
For biographies of Duke administrators, see:
http://about.duke.edu/leadership
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B. Organization of DAA Staff
For more information: http://www.dukealumni.com/aboutdaa/daa-staff
The Office of Alumni Affairs reports to the Vice President for Alumni
Affairs and Development, who in turn reports to the President and is part
of Duke’s executive leadership team. The Vice President for Alumni
Affairs also oversees Duke’s development functions and the Duke Annual
Fund.
C. Roles and Responsibilities of the Board
The roles and responsibilities of the Duke Alumni Association (DAA)
Board of Directors are to actively support the mission of the association –
engaging, connecting, and celebrating alumni and friends of Duke
University. Such responsibilities generally entail the following:
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1. Guiding the Office of Alumni Affairs. The Office of Alumni
Affairs manages day-to-day alumni programming and represents
former students and friends as part of the University’s decisionmaking processes. It is the role of the DAA Board of Directors to
provide guidance and input to Alumni Affairs and other University
officials with respect to how alumni involvement may be increased
and their collective talents and resources leveraged.
2. Representing Constituency. The DAA Board of Directors
comprises present students and alumni from each of the
University’s undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools, as
well as many of its affinity groups and constituencies. Thus, it is
important that members serve the interests of those populating the
segment they represent and share their perspectives.
3. Serving as Formal and Informal Representatives of the University.
With living alumni numbering more than 150,000, the DAA and its
Board members serve as the collective “voice” of persons who
have attended or in other ways supported the university. This role
takes place both formally and informally through interaction with
students, faculty, administrators, and external parties.
4. Providing Professional Expertise and Individual Talents. Duke
alumni and friends are talented and have collectively accumulated
a broad range of experiences. Members are expected to lend their
expertise toward advancing the goals of Alumni Affairs, the DAA,
and the University in general.
5. Supporting the DAA and Other University Programs.. Members of
the Board of Directors are typically drawn from graduates of the
University who have been actively involved and supported alumni
programs in a variety of forms. Members are expected to sustain or
increase their commitment to such initiatives. These include but
are not limited to the following:
·Alumni Admissions
· Career Services/Networking
· Regional
· Reunions
· Affinity
· Education and Travel/Forever Learning
· Development
6. Meetings. The DAA Board meets three times each year- Fall,
Winter and Spring- to correspond with the academic year.
7. Involvement. While meeting attendance is an initial step (Board
members are expected to attend all three meetings), active
participation is what is truly sought. The strength of the Board is
its rich diversity; Board members are encouraged to actively
participate in board meetings and regional activities.
8. Continuity and Renewal. To ensure continuity and that incoming
members serve effectively from the outset, it is advised that each
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person representing a specific school or interest group spend time
with their outgoing representative in order to become better
acquainted with the issues facing the DAA and their implications.
At-large members who represent specific schools of the university
and the Duke Magazine Editorial Board serve for terms as
specified by their respective associations. Other at-large and
faculty members serve a two-year term. Student representing their
individual classes serve a one-year term. Board members serve no
more than three consecutive terms. In special circumstances, Board
members may become honorary Board members upon expiration
of their terms. By creating a stream of new members, the Board
insures a fresh perspective each year, a vital component in its effort
to challenge itself to better serve alumni.
9. Giving. The Board fully recognizes that not all alumni have the
financial capacity to donate substantial sums. Instead, what is
viewed as important by the DAA Board is the consistency by
which members contribute. As a body, the Board should be
committed to Annual Fund giving and timely payment of DAA
membership dues.
D. Job Descriptions of Board Offices and Other Members
For more information: http://www.dukealumni.com/aboutdaa/policies/strategic-plan
1. President. The President is responsible for communicating the
DAA mission, strategic goals, and committee objectives to
members of the DAA Board of Directors and other alumni
volunteers, DAA staff, administration, faculty, and students as well
as inspiring and motivating alumni to understand the benefits of
involvement with the DAA and the University. The President
presides over all meetings of the DAA Board. The President
directs the duties of the other officers and serves as an ex-officio
member of all standing committees of the Duke Alumni
Association. The President additionally chairs the Executive
Committee and serves as a voting member of the Nominating
Committee. The President serves a two-year term. In the first year
of the term of office, he/she is an observing member of the Duke
Board of Trustees and in the second year of the term, he/she is a
voting member.
2. President-Elect. The President-elect is next in line as head of the
DAA Board. He/she performs duties assigned by the President.
The President-elect is responsible for developing a vision and set
of goals for his/her upcoming term. The President can designate
the President-elect to preside and perform the duties of the
President if he or she is absent. Additionally, the President-elect
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3.
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serves as a member of the Executive Committee and the
Nominating Committee. The President-elect is an observing nonvoting member of the Duke Board of Trustees during his/her
President-elect year. Given the two-year term for the President, the
President-elect serves only during the second year of the
President’s term.
Past President. The Past President is the former President of the
DAA and, as such, performs duties assigned by the President of the
Board. Additionally, the Past President serves as a member of the
DAA Board and the Executive Committee for the year following
his/her term. The Past President serves as the chair of the
Nominating Committee for the two years following his/her
presidency. The Past President serves a term of one year beyond
their term as President. Given the two-year term for the President,
the Past President serves only during the first year of the
President’s term (with the exception of the continued service of
one more year heading the Nominating Committee).
Secretary/Treasurer. The Secretary/Treasurer is responsible for
recording all minutes of the Board, the Executive Committee, and
requires minutes to be recorded of all committees of the Board. He
or she is also responsible for reporting on the status of all funds of
the association on a regular basis to the Board. The Treasurer will
develop a budget for the upcoming fiscal year including requests
for future funding requirements. Additionally, the
Secretary/Treasurer is the Executive Director of Alumni Affairs.
As the Executive Director of Alumni Affairs, the
Secretary/Treasurer is employed by Duke.
Vice President(s). The Vice Presidents perform duties assigned by
the President, and serve on the Executive Committee. Vice
Presidents serve as chairs for DAA Board committees. DAA Board
committees are to be determined and established by the President
and the members of the Executive Committee. The President can
designate a Vice President to preside and perform the duties of the
President if he or she is absent. Vice Presidents are nominated as a
slate by the President on an annual basis and are elected by the
Board for one-year terms. These terms may be renewed up to two
years, based upon the President’s recommendation.
Board Members. At-large and faculty members each serve a twoyear term. At-large members who represent specific schools of the
university and the Duke Magazine Editorial Board serve for terms
as specified by their respective associations, and are nominated by
their respective schools and/or Editorial Board. Students
representing their individual classes serve a one-year term. At
Large Board members serve no more than three consecutive terms.
In special circumstances, Board members maybe become honorary
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Board members upon expiration of their terms. At-Large Board
members are selected by the Nominating Committee.
7. Nominating Committee. The Nominating Committee consists of
five current or past members of the Board including the immediate
Past President, President, President-elect (in alternating years) and
Secretary/Treasurer. The remaining members shall be appointed by
the immediate Past President or the President if the immediate Past
President declines or is unable to serve. The Committee will be
chaired by the immediate Past President, or if the immediate Past
President declines or is unable to serve.
E. List of Board Members
For more information: http://dukealumni.com/about-daa/board-directors
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VI.
DAA Strategy
A. Strategic Plan Document- Executive Summary
The Duke Alumni Association’s strategic plan for 2010-2015 provides a map
for the future of the organization, setting forth its goals, guiding and building
its programs, and defining metrics to assess its performance over the next
five years. Through the leadership of the DAA Board, university staff, and
alumni volunteers, the plan lays out guidelines and strategies that shape
Office of Alumni Affairs operations and budgets to achieve its delineated
objectives.
In the 2005-2010 strategic plan, the following Values of the Duke Alumni
Association were established. We believe in:
 Duke: its past, its present, and its future
 Connecting Duke alumni and friends with one another
 Involving Duke alumni and friends in the life of the university through a
variety of activities and programs with broad-based appeal, including
educational events, volunteer opportunities, print and electronic
communications, meetings and gatherings, support networks, mentoring,
and career advice
 Educating students about the benefits and rewards of membership in the
Duke Alumni Association
 Offering students and alumni opportunities for service and leadership
 A staff that embodies excellence, integrity, leadership, teamwork,
creativity, openness, collaboration, professionalism, and fiscal
responsibility
 Encouraging, utilizing, appreciating, and recognizing volunteers
 Promoting a deep appreciation for the range of human differences,
cultures, and potential
 Boldness of endeavor; strength of purpose; suppleness of innovation;
resilience of youth; wisdom of experience
 A shared passion for Duke that transcends boundaries, real and
perceived, engenders a cohesiveness of spirit, and helps form lifelong
friendships
The 2010-2015 plan sets forth seven goals and lists the strategies to attain
them. The plan emphasizes identifying alumni, determining their interests,
and creating or expanding DAA programs for them that target the various
stages of their lives. Tactical approaches to and analyses of print and
electronic communications are recommended to measure results and
determine successes.
The 2010-2015 strategic plan sets these overarching goals:
1. Engage Duke’s evolving and shifting alumni constituencies by a
clearer understanding of its demographic makeup and interests.
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2. Foster high-quality, distinctive, educational and service
opportunities that benefit all alumni and strengthen their ties to the
university.
3. Make connections between alumni and students a cornerstone of
the DAA by creating more opportunities for interaction.
4. Enhance a mature and thriving volunteer program to identify, train,
encourage, and recognize good leaders.
5. Communicate a clear, consistent, and distinctive Duke message that
aligns with the university’s goals and values and builds alumni ties to
the DAA and to Duke.
6. Celebrate Duke milestones, accomplishments, and traditions
through alumni events and awards programs.
7. Develop the resources and funding sources to meet the DAA’s
strategic goals.
Other portions of the document include an overview of what has been
accomplished since the 2005-2010 strategic plan was instituted, a matrix of
data to be measured in the future, a calendar of the planning process, and an
appendix of specific action items for each goal.
B. DAA Accomplishments, 2012-13
The success of the Alumni Association derives from the hard work of a
dedicated staff and engaged volunteer corps that is eager to promote the
values and mission set forth in the Duke Alumni Association’s Strategic
Plan. The pages and operating plans that follow highlight the successes of the
2012-13 year and outline plans for 2013-14.
DAA Infrastructure, Staffing and Alumni Engagement
 Initiated work with schools across the university to implement a unified,
simplified way of tracking engagement of alumni on campus, where they
live and online. With the transition to DADD complete, implementing a
more robust practice of campus-wide engagement tracking will be
critical to establishing the effectiveness of our programs and measuring
success.
 Implemented a new uniform post-event survey that focuses on outcomes
of the event, such as whether attending the event spurred new
connections or created deeper appreciation for Duke today. Over time
these indicators will offer a powerful tool for assessing the tangible
impact of DAA events and programs, as well as identify specific events
that can be modified to create greater impact.
 Hired a COO for the DAA as recommended
 Revamped the organizational structure of the DAA. Working to increase
staff stability through more focused workload and more competitive
salaries.
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Reworked the budget to base expenses on programs and events to
increase understanding and impact of DAA programs on alumni and
students. Engaged staff in the budgetary process and increased
understanding of relevance of expenses to programs and staffing.
Alumni Communications
 Engaged more than 100,000 alumni through content in the now five
issues (as of FY 13) of Duke Magazine, which continues to be the most
effective communications vehicle in Duke’s portfolio. The most recent
readership surveys indicate that alumni identify Duke Magazine as their
most-consulted source of non-sports information about Duke and spend
on average just under 40 minutes reading each issue. More than 85% of
alumni agree or strongly agree that Duke Magazine is a trustworthy
source of information and that it enhances their connection with Duke.
Surveys are also finding consistently that more than half the readership
takes some kind of positive action as a direct result of reading the
magazine.
 Provided ongoing coverage of campaign themes, including a cover
feature article on the campaign launch that provided tangible examples
of innovative programs that were created by philanthropy. Produced
major articles on innovation and entrepreneurship, Duke’s global
education and research, environmental research, and advances in Duke’s
alternative medical care.
 Leveraged recognition of Duke Magazine as the flagship communication
vehicle for alumni by partnering with Trinity College and Fuqua School
of Business to create school-specific editions of the magazine. A
Sanford edition will debut in 2013-14.
 Increased the open rate of the Duke Blue Connections monthly enewsletter to 26.3 percent from 24.6, creating 34,000 more opens and
19,000 more clicks.
 Doubled the audience for the Duke Alumni Association on social media
through more assertive marketing on Facebook and establishing a more
regular schedule of social media interactions. Increased activity with the
26,000-member Duke alumni community on LinkedIn, initiating
conversations and drawing attention to Duke and DAA resources for
career networking.
DAA Alumni Network
 Secured campus approval for the development of a new alumni network.
This network will replace the outdated directory and DukeConnect tools
with a more nimble, audience-friendly interface. When implemented, the
network will provide the ability to know more about our alumni, connect
them better with the university, each other and students, and provide
timely information about opportunities tailored to their interests. It will
also serve as a platform to support new and innovative programming in
line with the goals of the strategic plan.
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Events, Programs and Volunteer Engagement
 Engaged more than 22,698 alumni through events and programs of the
Duke Alumni Association. More than 8,200 alumni participated in at
least one DAA event in their region, while nearly 10,000 returned to
campus to take part in on-campus programming. Organized the efforts of
more than 10,000 volunteers. (792 alumni participated as volunteers for
their regional Duke networks and 4,768 alumni volunteered as
admissions interviewers in 2012-13.)
 Increased pool of alumni admissions interviewers to keep pace with the
steady growth of the applicant pool; in 2012-13, alumni admissions
volunteers performed 15,752 interviews, approximately half of all
applicants.
 Mobilized volunteers to drive strong turnout at Duke Forward events in
Atlanta, New York, San Francisco, Washington and London. Most of
these events set attendance records for their regions. Continue to
collaborate with Development staff to leverage the momentum of these
events by expanding the range of opportunities for alumni to get
involved with Duke and shoring up leadership and programming in the
regions. The Duke Forward event and Volunteer Leadership Conference
in London have served as springboards for creating more volunteer
infrastructure in Europe.
 Continued to grow the profile of our signature events and programs.
 Attendance at Reunions has increased 50 percent since 2000. Attendance
at Homecoming has more than doubled since 2008-09.
 Developed the Alumni Faculty Fellows program to showcase top faculty
and raise the profile of educational opportunities for alumni on campus
and in regions.
 In an effort to raise DAA’s profile with young alumni, shifted the
distribution of graduation gifts to the Bryan Center Plaza and elevated
visibility of DAA branding on the gifts. Handed out alumni cards and
checklists for new alumni at the same time to maintain contact with a
greater percentage of new graduates. Distributed 1,900 gifts to students,
depleting our quantities for the first time ever despite significantly
increasing the quantities ordered.
C. DAA Goals 2013/14
The Duke Alumni Association’s mission is to engage and connect alumni
with the university and each other and to celebrate their achievements and
pride in Duke. The DAA pursues this mission primarily through core
programs--including signature events such as Homecoming and Reunions,
educational and travel opportunities, regional and affinity-based alumni
networks, communications such as Duke Magazine, and services to assist
alumni with the admissions process. The annual goals always begin with
maintaining and enhancing the success of these programs. In addition, the
DAA has identified four key priorities to accomplish in the next year:
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Position the DAA as the go-to source for alumni to connect with each
other online.
 Design and implement a new online network to better link alumni with
each other and engage them more deeply in the life of the university.
 Improve online tools available to volunteers to identify, communicate
with and mobilize targeted groups of alumni.
 Develop strategies to have at least 30% of alumni log in and update
profile information in the new network in the first year.
Increase the effectiveness of large- and mid-sized regional networks at
engaging broad numbers of alumni where they live.
 Further develop the OneDuke regional model to enhance coordination
among schools in creating a cohesive, robust schedule of programs and
opportunities.
 Capitalize on the energy created by Duke Forward events by sustaining
involvement of Duke Forward attendees. Increase the overall numbers of
engaged alumni in every city where Duke Forward events have taken
place.
 Define appropriate models of engagement and leadership for smaller
regions.
 Refocus DAA Alumni Board to amplify the work of regional volunteers
and help share best practices among regions.
Build recognition of DAA among students by enhancing programs that
connect students and alumni.
 Review and improve programs that connect students and alumni face-toface and electronically.
 Revamp DAA programs aimed at creating career connections between
alumni and students with an emphasis on fluid, ongoing engagement
rather than one-time events.
 Replace DukeConnect and increase the number of alumni and students
participating in online career mentoring in new network.
Provide a unified gateway for alumni to access Duke’s intellectual
resources.
 Expand engagement with faculty to enhance DAA’s educational
programming on and off campus.
 Further define programs that bring the richness of the classroom
experience to alumni.
 Create more synergies among educational programs and Duke Magazine
to improve awareness and interest in the work of Duke faculty, students
and alumni.
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D. DAA Strategic Plans & Strategies
1. Engage Duke’s evolving and shifting alumni constituencies by
attaining a clearer understanding of the demographic makeup and interests
of alumni.
 Use demographic information and measure trends to better communicate
with and engage alumni.
 Use surveys and analytics to develop an understanding of alumni
expectations from Duke and the DAA.
 Develop strategies for targeted marketing and messaging based on age,
involvement, and life-stage.
 Use affinity efforts as a means of understanding groups, how they
overlap, and how they’re changing.
 Work with Duke’s Development and SAP staff to enhance Duke’s CRM
to support these efforts
2. Foster high-quality, distinctive, educational and service opportunities
that benefit all alumni and strengthen their ties to the university.
 Establish the DAA as the university’s gateway for educational
opportunities for all alumni—on campus, in local communities, online,
and worldwide.
 Educate alumni about the university’s academic endeavors and its
mission.
 Involve Duke faculty as well as outside partners in meaningful programs
that reflect the interests of alumni.
 Make use of the expertise and experience of alumni to provide learning
opportunities for the Duke community—on campus, in local
communities, and online.
 Promote the DAA’s growing emphasis on civic engagement.
3. Make connections between alumni and students a cornerstone of the
DAA by creating more opportunities for interaction.
 Create more opportunities for alumni and students to connect on
campus.
 Develop new opportunities for alumni and students to connect in the
regions during the summer and while they are away from campus.
 Facilitate online connections between alumni and students.
 Strengthen ties to other campus entities in order to explore new
opportunities that connect alumni with students.
4. Enhance a mature and thriving volunteer program that provides
training, stewardship, and recognition for volunteers, and which also
identifies and encourages leaders throughout the community.
 Develop and implement a framework for volunteerism that provides
both stewardship and assistance with volunteer career paths.
 Develop strategies and programs to engage students as future volunteer
leaders.
 Encourage and support volunteer leadership in existing and future
regional programs.
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5. Communicate a clear, consistent, and distinctive message that aligns
with the university’s goals and values and builds alumni ties to the DAA
and to Duke.
 Educate alumni about the DAA’s mission, and clearly communicate the
variety of ways alumni can connect with Duke and with each other.
 Educate alumni about the priorities, values, and accomplishments of the
university and of its faculty, students, and alumni.
 Through print and digital communications and alumni events, foster
excitement about and pride in Duke, and expand participation in DAA
activities.
 Maintain a visual identity that is distinct and recognizable, and that is
closely aligned with the visual identity of the university.
 Use alumni volunteers as ambassadors for Duke and the DAA.
6. Celebrate Duke milestones, accomplishments, and traditions through
alumni events and awards programs..
 Provide venues and settings for alumni to socialize and connect in
meaningful ways—on campus, in local communities, and online.
 Sustain a vibrant reunions program that encourages alumni to return to
campus, connect with one another, maintain ties to Duke, and provide
ongoing financial support for the university.
 Engage alumni in the accomplishments of faculty, students, other
alumni, and volunteers through awards programs that recognize
excellence in service, deed, scholarship, and teaching.
 Provide fields in the new Network profile that recognize alumni
engagement and volunteerism
7. Develop the resources and funding sources to meet the DAA’s strategic
goals.
 Manage annual spending by continuing to make strategic decisions
about the relative value of new and ongoing programs and other
expenditures.
 Make strategic, cost-sensitive decisions about spending on
communication, technology, events, and programming.
 Explore new funding sources.
 Explore partnerships with Duke entities and external vendors.
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VII.
DAA Programs
A. Description of DAA Programs
DAA programs and responsible staff are organized under Campus
Engagement, Regional Engagement, Reunions and Special Events, Alumni
Admissions, Communications and Marketing, and Digital Services and
Strategy, as follows:
1. CAMPUS ENGAGEMENT
Staff: Inga Peterson, Beth Ray-Schroeder, Megan Forlines, Grace Kohut, Felitia
Smith
a. Alumni Education
Staff contact: Beth Ray-Schroeder (interim)
More information: http://www.dukealumni.com/forever-learning
DAA works to create educational offerings that extend Duke’s rich academic
resources to all alumni, no matter their location. Key programs include:
1) Duke Alumni Faculty Fellows: Created in 2012 to promote faculty-alumni
interaction, the fellowships are awarded to a handful of Duke professors who
serve as key participants in DAA’s educational programming. Their activities
might include traveling to cities to host talks with alumni, coordinating book
discussions through our DukeReads program, or leading alumni visits to places
of historical or cultural importance. The fellowships carry a small stipend and
last for an academic year. (More information: http://dukealumni.com/foreverlearning/regional-programs)
2) DukeReads, a virtual book club in which Duke faculty and other experts
select and comment on books that appeal to alumni readers. (More information:
http://www.dukealumni.com/forever-learning/dukereads)
3) Duke Marine Lab Weekends/ Discovering Duke Lemur Center: Stafforganized weekends organized twice annually to spotlight Duke’s unique
campus facilities and provide an educational thematic focus with Duke experts.
(www.dukemarinelab.com)
4) Duke in Depth/Duke Women’s Weekend: an annual conference on a topic
coordinated with university partners, whereby biennially, the target constituents
are alumnae. Such conferences have included: Duke in Depth: Bloomsbury and A
World Together and Women’s Weekends: Money, Sex and Power, Winning
Women, and the forthcoming Find Your Moxie.
(www.dukewomensweekend.com)
b. Alumni Travel
Staff contact: Beth Ray-Schroeder
More information: http://dukealumni.com/forever-learning/dukealumnitravel
The travel program sponsors educational travel programs on all continents that
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afford participants the opportunity to see the world with fellow alumni and
interact with Duke faculty with expertise on the destination. When possible,
alumni travelers meet with students and alumni in destination cities, or visit
Duke’s global sites. The program offers trips organized by outside vendors, as
well as staff-organized weekends created to showcase unique Duke entities, like
Nasher Museum of Art, Duke Lemur Center, Sarah P. Duke Gardens, Family
Health Ministries, and the Freeman Center for Jewish Life.
c. Career and Affinity Networking
Staff contact: Megan Forlines
More information: http://www.dukealumni.com/career-network
DAA offers a number of programs geared at enhancing alumni career
development, including networking and skill-building events organized in
partnership with the Duke Career Center; career-focused events in regions; and
online resources such as DukeConnect, a virtual networking database that
allows alumni and students to search for contacts in their fields. DAA also
facilitates industry-based career-building groups such as the Duke
Entertainment, Media and Arts Network (DEMAN) and a new network of
alumni working on Capitol Hill.
DAA organizes the Duke University Alumni Group on LinkedIn, which has
more than 22,000 members, and curates content for Duke’s LinkedIn university
page.
DAA also coordinates the activity of more than two dozen alumni affinity
groups, which connect around shared interests, such as faith, ethnicity or
common activities. Examples include the Duke University Hispanic/Latino
Alumni Association (DUHLAA), Duke LGBT Network, the Duke University
Black Alumni Connection (DUBAC), and the Duke Global Entrepreneurship
Network (DukeGEN). Activities of affinity groups are typically volunteer-led,
although DAA provides support in communicating with and organizing
members. (More information: http://www.dukealumni.com/alumnicommunities/affinity-groups)
d. Students and Young Alumni
Staff contact: Grace Kohut
More information: http://www.dukealumni.com/alumni-communities/youngalumni
Students and recent graduates are a critical audience for DAA programming.
DAA maintains close working relationships with campus offices, including
Student Affairs, campus advising centers, the Multicultural Center and others, to
develop programming on- and off-campus that allows students to explore career
possibilities and begin to plan for life after Duke. DAA also works to ensure that
events such as Reunions and Homecoming cater to the interests of students and
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recent graduates. A few of the programs that focus most specifically on students
and young alumni include:
1) Forever Duke Block Party: Held on the first day of classes each year, this
party welcomes students back to campus and introduces them to Forlines
House, establishing visibility for DAA and its services.
2) The Freshman Directory, the “pic book” published and distributed to new
freshmen at the start of each year.
3) Class gifts, distributed to graduating seniors and graduate students during
commencement week.
4) Duke Reader Project, a collaborative project with Duke’s Thompson Writing
Program that allows students to receive feedback on class assignments from
alumni volunteers with expertise in their field of study. (More information:
http://www.dukealumni.com/get-involved/volunteer/reader-project)
5) Forever Duke Dinners, in which a visiting alum is matched with a small group
of students for casual discussion over dinner.
2. REGIONAL ENGAGEMENT
Staff: Jim Warren (interim), Chris O’Neill, Kate Kemery, David Schmidt, Angela Karl,
Betty Jones
a. Duke Regional Networks (formerly clubs)
Staff: Jim Warren, Chris O’Neill, Kate Kemery, David Schmidt, Erica Gavin
(New York), Elizabeth Jackson (Washington)
More information: http://www.dukealumni.com/alumni-communities/regionalprograms
DAA helps organize and support the activities of regional networks of Duke
alumni in 80-plus cities across the U.S. and around the world. These networks
depend on alumni volunteers to create diverse programming that will bring
alumni and friends of Duke together to share expertise, learn, make new
connections and celebrate all things Duke. DAA organizes several signature
programs that are implemented in regions across the country. In major regions,
these events should appear on the annual calendar:
a. Duke Alums Engage: DAA’s alumni community-service project
organized events in 40 North American cities in 2013, involving
hundreds of alumni volunteers and dozens of community partners.
(Contact: Angela Karl; More information:
http://www.dukealumni.com/alumni-communities/regionalprogramming/duke-alums-engage)
b. Forever Duke Send-Off Parties: Typically take place in the summer
before students leave for campus. These casual gatherings give
students an opportunity to meet new classmates and hear advice from
alumni. (More information: http://www.dukealumni.com/alumnicommunities/regional-programming/send-parties)
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c. Welcome Parties: Typically held in the fall, these parties serve to
introduce alumni to all that Duke has to offer in their new hometown.
(More information: http://www.dukealumni.com/alumnicommunities/regional-programming/welcome-parties)
d. Forever Learning/Educational Events: In coordination with DAA’s
alumni education program, regions host talks by alumni and faculty,
including the Alumni Faculty Fellows.
e. Affinity Networks: Several cities have organized affinity networks
such as Women’s Forum. These alumnae networks, which offer
programming and networking catered to the interests of Duke women.
Women’s Forum and other affinity networks offer events that cater to
particular interests; however, these events should be open to all
members of the community. (Contact: Angela Karl; More
information: http://www.dukealumni.com/alumnicommunities/womens-programming)
3. REUNIONS AND SPECIAL EVENTS
Staff: Lisa Dilts, DeDe Olson Andrea Hinton, Sharon Elliott
More information: http://www.dukealumni.com/reunions-homecoming
DAA’s special-events planning team coordinates all aspects of DAA signature oncampus events, including spring class Reunions, the annual fall Homecoming
celebration, the beginning-of-the-year Forever Duke Block Party, DEMAN
Weekend and other occasions that welcome alumni back to campus.
4. ALUMNI ADMISSIONS
Staff: Carole LeVine, Charlotte Timberlake
More information: http://www.dukealumni.com/get-involved/volunteer/alumniadmissions
DAA’s alumni admissions program has two main components. First, it offers
information about Duke’s admissions process and acts as a liaison for prospective
students with an alumni parent or grandparent. Second, it coordinates interviews of
more than 15,000 applicants to Duke, which are conducted by alumni volunteers in the
cities where the applicants live. Some 5,000 alumni help organize the interviewing
process through regional Alumni Admissions Advisory Councils (AAACs),
constituting Duke’s largest alumni volunteer effort.
5. AWARDS AND SCHOLARSHIPS
Staff: Carole LeVine, Tricia Holder, Grace Kohut (for ADUTA)
More information: http://www.dukealumni.com/about-daa/awards-scholarships
DAA administers two merit scholarship programs that offer a Duke education to
outstanding students. The Alumni Endowed Undergraduate Scholarship is a full-
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tuition scholarship that recognizes the academic and personal achievements of children
or grandchildren of Duke alumni accepted for undergraduate admission to Duke.
Alumni in the Carolinas have also funded the Trinity Scholarships to honor Duke's
origins as Trinity College in Randolph County, North Carolina. They are awarded on a
rotating basis to attract some of the most gifted students residing within specific
geographic areas of the Carolinas.
DAA also manages an annual awards program to recognize the outstanding
achievements and service of Duke alumni. The following awards are given each fall:
a. Distinguished Alumni Award: The highest honor Duke gives to its alumni,
the award honors outstanding career and personal achievement, exemplary
service to society and a lifetime record of service to Duke.
b. Charles A. Dukes Award for Outstanding Volunteer Service: Honors
alumni who have devoted themselves to extraordinary long-term service to
Duke and made significant contributions to advancing Duke’s mission.
c. Forever Duke Award: Honors DAA’s hard-working volunteers for
laudable service to Duke and the alumni community.
d. Alumni Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching Award (ADUTA): DAA
sponsors this award for students to recognize professors for outstanding
teaching.
6. MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS
Staff: Michael Penn, Christina Holder; Duke Magazine: Robert Bliwise, Adrienne
Martin, Bridget Booher, Elizabeth Van Brocklin, Delecia Hatcher; Digital Services:
Brett Walters, Nicole Silvanic, Natalie Nobles
DAA’s regular communications with alumni include:
a. Duke Magazine: Published five times a year and mailed to more than 125,000
people, Duke Magazine is the university's flagship vehicle for telling stories
about the vibrant Duke community. Through award-winning journalism, the
magazine provides an engaging and informative inside look at Duke’s everchanging place in the world. (http://dukemagazine.duke.edu)
b. Duke Blue Connections: DAA’s monthly e-newsletter, which keeps alumni
connected to Duke news and DAA programs throughout the year.
c. DukeAlumni on social media: DAA maintains active accounts on Twitter
(@DukeAlumni), Facebook, LinkedIn and other social media platforms.
d. Duke Today: DAA also contributes alumni-related news and updates on Duke’s
main news site, Duke Today (http://today.duke.edu) and other Duke news
sources.
7. MEMBERSHIP AND BENEFITS
Staff contact: Michael Penn, Jennifer Torres
More information: http://www.dukealumni.com/get-involved/support-daa/memberbenefits
All alumni are automatically members of DAA, and as such, they are entitled to
benefits such as a @dukealumni.com email forwarding service, access to campus
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library resources, on-campus parking, free visits to campus gyms and the Nasher
Museum of Art, a Duke affinity credit card, discounts on auto, home and life
insurance, and discounts at Duke Stores and the Gothic Bookshop.
a. Duke Alumni Card: The Duke Alumni Card is the key to attending most DAA
events and accessing many on-campus benefits. Swiping an alum’s card lets us
know that he or she attended and helps us to ensure the satisfaction of our
alumni with our programs. We encourage all alumni to carry their card with
them, both to help us capture their engagement and as a sign of Duke pride.
b. Lifetime and contributing memberships: DAA solicits financial support from
members in the form of annual voluntary contributions. Contributing members
receive discounts on DAA programming and other perks. We also offer
lifetime memberships to those who wish to make a one-time contribution that
entitles them to lifetime access to DAA programs and services. Lifetime
memberships are often purchased as graduation presents for new graduates.
8. DIGITAL SERVICES AND STRATEGY
Staff: Brett Walters, Nicole Silvanic, Natalie Nobles;
Commications/Marketing: Michael Penn, Christina Holder
DukeAlumni.com
Staff contact: Brett Walters
More information: http://www.dukealumni.com/
DAA’s Digital Services and Strategy team maintains DAA’s main website and
oversees the online face of DAA’s regional networks.
Alumni Directory/Alumni Network Project
Staff contact: Brett Walters
More information: http://www.dukealumni.com/directory
DAA maintains an online Alumni Directory where alumni can find classmates to
reconnect socially or advance their professional interests. DAA is in the process of
designing and implementing a new alumni network that will replace the current
directory. The new network will interact seamlessly with social-media networks
where many alumni already participate, making it easier to find and contact
classmates and identify alumni who may be able to assist in finding a job, settling into
a new city or reconnecting with old friends.
9. OPERATIONS AND ADMINISTRATION
Staff: Scott Greenwood, Claudia Attarian, Tricia Holder, Jennifer Torres, Mark
Wienants
Staff listed above provide a range of operational services, including budget
administration, scheduling, planning and office support. They also receive visitors at
Forlines House and handle all manner of requests and questions from alumni.
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B. DAA Statistics
DAA statistics aim to keep track of our alumni in a number of categories
including race, ethnicity, geographic locations and concentrations, decade of
graduation and school and college attended. There were a total of 153,971 active
Duke alumni in 2013. This means that the DAA has active addresses or e-mails
for these alumni. Within the United States, our alumni are geographically
concentrated with 55% in the south, 20.2% in the northeast, 15% in the west and
9.2% in the mid-west. Cities with the greatest number of Duke alumni are New
York and Washington D.C. with more than 10,000 alumni, followed by Durham,
San Francisco, Raleigh, Boston and Atlanta.
The median class year of our alumni is 1994 and the average age is 48.5 years.
However, 36% of our alumni graduated in 2000 or later.
DAA also tracks the level of our alumni’s engagement with Duke, which is
perhaps the most useful statistic we have for DAA programming purposes. Those
statistics reveal that 15.56% of our alumni (23,964) were engaged with the
university in some manner in 2013. Of our alumni, 6% were engaged on-campus,
6.4% in volunteer activities and 12.35% in the regions. These statistics translate to
more than 8,200 alumni participating in at least one DAA event in their region
and nearly 10,000 returning to campus to take part in on-campus programming
last year.
DAA has had to increase the pool of alumni admissions interviewers to keep pace
with the steady growth of the applicant pool. In 2012-13, 4,768 alumni perfomed
15,752 interviews, approximately half of all applicants.
Attendance at Reunions has increased 50% since 2000, while attendance at
Homecoming has more than doubled since 2008-09.
Not surprisingly, as the following charts reflect, our undergraduates are more
engaged with the university than their relative population size otherwise reflects.
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Engaged Alumni 2013
Undergraduate 62%
Professional 32%
Graduate 6%
When we consider levels of engagement within our largest regions, we see
that the average level of engagment is 15.56 %, with most regions exceeding
the average.
% of alumni engaged
25
20
15
10
5
0
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The most effective communications vehicle in Duke’s portfolio continues to
be Duke Magazine, which engages more than 100,000 alumni through
content in five issues annually. More than 85% of alumni agree or strongly
agree that Duke Magazine is a trustwothy source of information and that it
enhances their connection with Duke.
C. One-Duke Regional Model
Duke and DAA have long had a successful presence in cities away from
Durham. The unique geographic nature of Duke's alumni body (80% live
outside the state of North Carolina; 60% live in approximately 20 cities)
makes it essential to bring programming to alumni, as they simply are not
able to return to campus on a regular basis. Successes of the last few years
include over 450 annual events around the world, and over 10,000
participants annually in regional programs.
The One Duke model is DAA’s new approach for creating a comprehensive,
collaborative, cohesive Duke presence in the regions where most alumni live.
Implemented in 2011, the model reorganized DAA’s traditional alumni
“clubs” into regional networks. Local volunteers continue to lead the way in
organizing and hosting programs for alumni in the region. DAA staff work
with regional leadership to ensure that top-tier regions offer a diverse
calendar of events, including DAA’s priority programs. DAA also
coordinates with alumni-relations officers across campus to ensure any
Duke-related event in the region--whether hosted by a professional school,
affinity group or another campus office--falls under the One Duke umbrella.
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One Duke Regions
As part of the One Duke organization, DAA has identified nine Tier One
regions where the highest concentrations of alumni live:
 Atlanta
 Boston
 Charlotte
 Chicago
 New York
 Northern California
 Southern Califormnia
 Philadelphia
 Washington
Tier One regions are expected to maintain an active annual calendar of
educational, social and networking events for local alumni, including these
priority DAA programs:
 Alumni Admissions (AAAC)
 Forever Duke Send-off party
 Forever Duke Welcome party
 Events featuring campus and/or alumni speakers
 Duke Alums Engage community-service event
 Women’s Forum
Other Regions
Over time, DAA staff will work to implement the One Duke model in midsized and smaller regions. (The One Duke model has been put in place in
Dallas and Tampa, for example.) In smaller regions, DAA is working to
develop tools to help alumni organize activities and support the desire of
their local Duke community to engage, connect and celebrate.
What’s Changed from the Club Model
 Regional leadership: 2-3 alumni serve as chairs for each region,
replacing the role of club presidents. Regional chairs are responsible for
serving as primary contacts for DAA and other Duke staff and ensure
coordination among teams. Regional chairs are supported by committee
chairs, who help determine and implement local programming. Examples
of committee chairs are the region’s AAAC chair, DAE leaders, affinity
group leaders (such as DukeGEN leaders), Fuqua or Law School club
presidents, etc.
 Branding: DAA communication no longer uses the term “club” in
reference to local alumni groups; please use “regions” or “regional
networks.” Individual regions are referred to as Duke New York, Duke
Northern California, Duke Atlanta and so on.
29
 Financial support: Regions no longer collect local dues. Those who pay
DAA annual dues maintain local benefits (reduced rates for dues-payers,
priority access and seating, etc.). DAA will help fund local programming
to compensate for the loss of local dues. Regions that execute priority
programming (see above) will be eligible for funding. Regions are
responsible for financial accounting and for sharing with DAA all
attendance numbers.
 Campus coordination: DAA has established listservs for the One Duke
regions to share updates and event plans among campus colleagues. DAA
works with campus units to play a central role as the “convener” of all
Duke-related alumni events in the region.
 Role of DAA Board: Board members serve as promoters of regional
programming and as a resource for regional leaders to share and translate
best practices, identify prospects for volunteer leadership and drive
participation in local programming. Board members may also be called
upon to take an active role in programs, such as introducing speakers,
providing DAA updates, serving as hosts when DAA staff cannot be
present and assisting with on-site support and logistics.
VIII. DAA Budgeting
For accounting and budgeting purposes, the Duke Alumni Association is
actually two separate organizations: Duke Alumni Affairs and the Duke
Alumni Association, Inc. (DAA, Inc.). Duke Alumni Affairs is the university
arm of alumni relations, while DAA, Inc. encompasses “business” operations
that generate taxable income in the form of advertising sales and trip fees
such as Duke Magazine and DAA’s travel program. DAA, Inc. also receives
revenue from marketing partnerships such as the Duke affinity credit card.
There is no operational distinction between the two entities; staff and
programs are managed as one unit.
A. Financial Management
The DAA Board of Directors is an advisory board that does not have
fiduciary responsibility for DAA budgets. The DAA budget is managed by
the Chief Operating Officer in conjunction with the Associate Vice President
for Alumni Affairs. The entire DAA budget is reviewed and approved
through Duke’s Central Administration Management Center (CAMC).
DAA, Inc. is managed by a separate board, which reviews the DAA, Inc.
financial operations. The DAA, Inc. board includes both University officials
as well as DAA Alumni Board members.
For both organizations, Duke Alumni Affairs and DAA, Inc., monthly
reconciliations occur internally, quarterly reviews are completed and
30
submitted to the CAMC for review, and periodic account reviews occur as
necessary.
B. Annual Budget
The annual budget is prepared for submission in February and generally
reviewed by the CAMC in February. The annual budget is based on the Duke
University Strategic Plan, the Duke Forward Campaign priorities, the DAA
Strategic Plan and individual program plans. The budget is a reflection of the
strategic priorities of the Duke Alumni Association. Final approval of the
budget occurs at the May meeting of the Duke University Board of Trustees.
Duke’s fiscal year runs July 1st to June 30th.
C. DAA Revenues and Expenses
Based on a review of data from the past several years, a typical combined
budget for Duke Alumni Affairs and DAA, Inc. would be approximately $5.8
million - $4.2 million for Duke Alumni Affairs and $1.6 million for DAA,
Inc. Revenues and expenses are generally apportioned as follows:
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IX.
Board Operations
A. Calendar of Events, 2013-14
Please mark your calendar with these dates
2013
July 21-22
August 20
August 21
August 26
August 26
September 26-28
September 27-29
October 4
October 4
Meeting
October 4-6
October 11-15
October 25-26
November 1-2
November 2
DAA Executive Committee Retreat
Move-in Day (Event at the DAA for legacy families)
Convocation
Fall Semester Begins
Forever Duke Block Party (6-8 pm First Day of classes party)
DAA Executive Committee Meeting
Homecoming Weekend
Founders’ Day, Board of Trustees Meeting
DAA Advisory Council and Former DAA Board Presidents
50th Anniversary of Black Student Finale Weekend
Undergraduate Fall Break
Duke Parents’ and Family Weekend
DEMAN Weekend/Duke Magazine Edit Board meeting
Duke Forward – Chicago, IL
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November 8-9
November 23
November 26
December 6
December 15
DAA Fall Board Meeting and New Member Orientation
Duke Forward – Los Angeles, CA
Graduate Classes End
Undergraduate Classes End
Final Examinations End
2014
January 5-7
January 8
January 24-25
February 7-8
March 7-16
April 11-13
April 16
April 23
May 2-3
May 3
May 9-11
Undergraduate Winter Forum
Spring Semester Begins
DAA Executive Committee Meeting
DAA Winter Board Meeting
Undergraduate Spring Break
Reunions 2014
Graduate Classes End
Undergraduate Classes End
DAA Spring Board Meeting (Washington, DC)
Final Examinations End
Commencement and Board of Trustee Weekend
B. DAA Committees, 2013-14
1. Structure
http://dukealumni.com/sites/default/files/docs/bod_minutes/DAA2
013CommitteeChart.xls
2. Assignments
http://dukealumni.com/sites/default/files/docs/bod_minutes/Comm
itteeList2013-14.xlsx
3. Work Plans
http://dukealumni.com/sites/default/files/docs/bod_minutes/DAAA
ll-in-oneSnackmat.pdf
4. Board Meeting Agendas and Minutes
http://www.dukealumni.com/daaboard
5. Committee Meeting Agendas and Minutes
http://www.dukealumni.com/daaboard
33
34
X.
Expectations of Board Members
A. One-to-Many Philosophy
The One-to-Many concept is a model for increasing the reach and
effectiveness of the DAA by utilizing members of the DAA Board in more
active roles to assist the DAA in achieving its goals. This new paradigm for
board service will shift the talent, energy and efforts of our members away
from their predominantly advisory roles to be more externally focused as
follows:
1. Act as an ambassador for DAA and Duke, bringing updates and
messaging from campus back to alumni in the regions and providing
Duke and DAA with feedback from alumni.
2. Work closely with DAA staff to reach DAA goals as requested, by
promoting, leading or assisting with programs, for example.
3. Communicate and uphold Duke’s brand standards for consistency in
programming by serving on regional councils and assisting with local
events and programming.
4. Represent DAA staff, as requested, when they are unable to attend a
local event.
5. Work with affinity groups to increase engagement of underserved
populations.
6. Share best practices by highlighting successful events and programs in
region with other alumni leaders.
7. Act as a resource to connect alumni with DAA programs.
B. Meetings
Much of the Board’s discussion and work takes place during two-day
meetings occurring three times per year. Meetings are typically scheduled for
Fridays and Saturdays – once in the Fall, Winter, and Spring – and often
coincide with football games, basketball games, or other university events.
Although professional, personal, or family commitments may periodically
conflict, members are expected to make a concerted effort toward attending
meetings. Board Meetings will continue to serve as strategic sessions that
develop innovative programming and promote key initiatives, but the
sessions will be enhanced by sharing best practices and by feedback/reports
from the regions as indicated below:
1. Members are expected to attend all Board meetings.
2. Best practices will be shared by highlighting successful events and
programs in region with fellow members.
3. Specific feedback that can inform DAA’s direction on new and current
programming, e.g., what worked, what didn’t and alumni input will be
reported and discussed.
4. While attending meetings is an initial step, active participation is what
is truly sought and not only in the context of Board meetings, but also
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throughout the year. Board members are encouraged to ask questions,
share their thoughts, accept assignments, volunteer to lead tasks and
solicit participation by other Board members.
C. Committees
Board members will continue to serve on committees that will meet during
Board meeting weekends; there may be assignments and calls in-between
meetings as needed as listed below:
1. The Executive Committee will continue to assign members to
committees as needed. These committees will meet during Board
meeting weekends in breakout sessions. Board members are expected
to actively engage in committee work and respect the opinions of all
other committee members.
2. Committee members may be asked to participate in conference calls
in-between meetings and to complete assignments to advance the
committee’s work between the calls and Board meetings.
D. Regional Coordination
DAA Board members will attend events and provide regional leadership,
coordinating with DAA staff to organize projects in the regions, to promote
the goals of the DAA as follows:
1. DAA Board members will volunteer with regional boards and
coordinate their efforts with DAA staff to develop and implement
innovative programming that will be of interest to local alumni.
2. DAA Board members will attend and/or volunteer to lead key
programs in their regions, working closely with the regional
leadership.
E. Representation
DAA Board members will represent all alumni constituents in their region in
the following ways:
1. Crafting programs in coordination with DAA staff and regional
leadership that appeal to a broad range of alumni interests.
2. Avoiding advocacy programming that may be polarizing.
3. Listening to suggestions from alumni.
4. Reaching out to and welcoming all alumni (diversity of ages, schools
and ethnicities) at events.
5. Connecting alumni with available volunteer opportunities.
6. Sharing best practices from other regions and acting as a liaison with
DAA Board members in other regions.
7. Involve all schools and classes in planning and attendance of events.
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F. Recruitment
As the “eyes and ears” for DAA, Board members interface with many
alumni in the regions allowing them to identify potential volunteers, which
provide Duke with critical local personnel to implement programming with
several implications as listed below:
1. Matching alumni strengths to Duke’s needs.
2. Leveraging DAA’s variety of programming to allow volunteers to
collect a range of experience.
3. Highlighting new volunteers to DAA staff through the introduction of
an “up and coming volunteer list” that lists achievements.
4. Introducing volunteers to DAA staff through emails, conference calls
and in-person as possible.
5. Connecting alumni with available volunteer opportunities.
6. Cultivating volunteers by making oneself available to advise, inform
and serve as a resource.
7. Sharing of best practices or connecting volunteers with other alumni
who may have a particular skill set that would be beneficial.
8. Inviting interested alumni to get more involved with specific
programs.
G. Awards & Recognition
The primary currency used in volunteer organizations is the power of
awarding and recognizing those whose contributions are crucial to the
success of the organization. There are many ways that this can be done,
including the ones listed below.
1. Publicly praise achievement at events and in emails.
2. Send handwritten notes to recognize extraordinary efforts.
3. Implement various engagement contests in region to encourage
participation and generate friendly competition.
4. Nominate local alumni volunteers for DAA Awards, DAA Board
membership and leadership positions.
5. Nominate local volunteers for local awards (to be established).
H. Giving
The Board recognizes that not all alumni have the financial capacity to
donate substantial sums. Instead, what is viewed as important by the DAA is
the consistency by which its Board members contribute to the Annual Fund
and by their timely payment of DAA membership dues. Members can
further support the university in a number of other ways:
1. Notify Development of potential donors and/or arrange an
introduction.
2. Volunteer for the Annual Fund in their reunion year.
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3. Encourage classmates, friends and family to support the university.
I. Alumni Engagement
Engaging alumni is the key to building a successful network of volunteers
who share their talents, energy and enthusiasm with Duke, enriching the
alumni experience for all alumni. The keys to engaging alumni are measured
in many ways and can be enhanced as follows:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Identify topics that ignite passion in alumni (sports, education,
philanthropy, community service, networking, etc).
Empower alumni to own an area of expertise, engendering pride and
deepening connections to the topic and Duke.
Encourage volunteers to bring the power of their own networks to
Duke through Affinity Groups, family, classmates and colleagues.
Celebrate the achievements and milestone of alumni locally (recognize
personal and career achievements, send a handwritten note when a
child is admitted to Duke, welcome first-generation Dukies, send
personal notes when there is a birthday, marriage, birth, illness, death,
etc).
Make personal appeals to encourage attendance at first-time programs,
including phone calls, emails and social media.
Reach out to alumni from all schools and classes-cast a wide net.
J. Professional School Representation
1. Chosen by each professional alumni council, the representative serves
as a liaison between the professional school and DAA
2. Reports to the DAA, current innovations, changes, updates that would
be important for the DAA community
3. Reports to their professional alumni council important updates from
the DAA
4. Collaborates with other DAA representatives on projects supporting
the University or the community at large
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XI.
Board By-Laws
A. By-Laws
The Duke Alumni Association (the “DAA”) is governed by By-laws, which
are amended from time to time by the DAA Board of Directors. The Bylaws contain detailed provisions on the governance of the DAA, including
the composition of the DAA Board. Importantly, the By-laws provide that
the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors has the full power and
authority to transact the business and affairs of the DAA between meetings
of the Board of Directors. A complete copy of the By-laws is available at
http://www.dukealumni.com/about-daa/policies/strategic-plan.
B. Expense Reimburssement
The DAA allocates funds to assist with travel expenses for DAA Board
members to ensure that participation on the DAA Board is representative of
the alumni body. The Travel Reimbursement Policy may provide DAA
Board members with the opportunity to have reimbursed their travel
(transportation only) to any official meeting of the DAA Board of
Directors.The complete policy is available at
http://www.dukealumni.com/sites/default/files/docs/about_the_daa/board/Tr
avelPolicy2.pdf.
C. Board Nomination Form
DAA Board members are encouraged to nominate other Duke alumni to
serve on the DAA Board. The nomination form can be found at
http://dukealumni.com/about-daa/board-directors/nomination-form.
D. Award Nomination Form
DAA Board members are encouraged to nominate other Duke alumni for the
various awards given out annually by the DAA. A description of each award
and the nomination form can be found at
http://www.dukealumni.com/about-daa/awards-scholarships/awards.
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