We all, to some degree, focus our efforts on the alumni who we think are most likely to yield results. We have limited time and resources, and that makes the best use of them. Right?
It doesn’t.
Here’s why.
Your Entrepreneurship Program Might be an Overcomplicated Solution to a Simple Problem
“Let’s start an entrepreneurship program!”
Entrepreneurship is the latest buzzword in higher education, and it’s attracting big donors and lots of press. But there’s a part of the story that isn’t getting enough buzz: according to a report by the Small Business Administration, millennials are on track to be the least entrepreneurial generation in history.
The biggest reason they aren’t starting those startups? Financial insecurity. With more alumni shouldering more debt, it’s too risky to take the leap. Higher ed’s new entrepreneurship programs have the same problem that millennials face in every other aspect of their lives. Financial insecurity prevents millennials from doing everything from giving back to their alma maters to buying houses and getting married.
In 2018, Patch Your Leaks Before Building New Programs
When your ship is sinking, is it better to try to patch the leaks, or to build another boat?
In higher ed, whether we realize it or not, our first instinct is often to build another boat. When our existing programming stops drawing crowds, we look for new programming to bring them back. What we should do instead is ask ourselves, "Why did this stop working?" and then try to fix it.
Three Engagement Breakthroughs for 2018
Since joining Switchboard last year, I’ve seen the reaffirmation of three critical principles that drive successful alumni engagement. These golden rules apply to every type of alumni community—schools and universities, other non-profits, and corporate alumni networks alike. I’ve worked in alumni relations professionally since 1989, have blogged about alumni relations for 11 years, and have consulted on it for about 50 organizations in a dozen countries.
And through it all, these basic tenets have held true.
They’re the kind of things that sound obvious when you hear them. Mentioning these guidelines generates vigorous and sincere agreement from consulting clients, but scanning the profession, I see many organizations that ignore them in practice.
Announcing Switchboard's New Higher Education Innovation Fellows Program
We talk a lot in higher ed about how to better serve our students, alumni, and other constituents. But we seldom focus on how to better help the professionals who serve them.
That’s why Switchboard is launching the Higher Education Innovation Fellowship program.
The Higher Education Innovation Fellowship (HEIF) is a year-long program where fellows will learn from leaders across disciplines (e.g. technology, behavioral economics, nonprofits, and higher education) and practice innovation in higher education.
The fellowship includes six months of curriculum, nine days of innovation workshops at Switchboard HQ in lovely Portland, Oregon, and a six-month applied campus innovation project where fellows will put one of their ideas into action with the one-on-one guidance of a coach.
This program is designed for ambitious emerging leaders in higher education who want to learn best practices to scale innovation at their institutions. Professionals from all experience levels are welcome to apply. With a focus on constituent-facing leaders, the fellowship is designed for professionals who serve current students, alumni, parents, and friends of their institution.
We know that improvement and innovation in higher ed requires that institutions invest in the people who serve students and alumni. Higher ed is the key to economic mobility for many students and families we serve; they deserve us at our best. We’ve designed the fellowship to that end.
Reorganizing Advancement Is Not (Itself) Enough to Drive Success
Over the last few years, I have helped a number of organizations review the way they deploy their advancement teams. I also led the reorganization of a newly combined alumni relations and annual giving team at a leading private university.
Through these experiences I’ve noticed a couple of frequent expectations among the leaders driving the reorganization process. One expectation is that the newly arranged team will be more efficient. The other is that they’ll be more effective.
Below are some thoughts on both these ambitions. And I close with a comment on one key factor that all organizations require, even if they’re not changing their reporting lines.