Institutions around the world are realizing the power of alumni engagement. Alumni, with their vast network, experiences, and resources, can be instrumental in the overall advancement of their alma mater. But, for all this to happen, some kind of effective medium or channel should bring alumni scattered across the globe under one roof and instill a sense of community to function as an entity. This is where an alumni association comes in.
What is an Alumni Association?
An alumni association is an organization formed by the graduates or former students of a particular school, college, or university. It is primarily formed to maintain communication between the institution and its alumni and to foster a sense of belonging to an alumni community that strives for the betterment of the involved stakeholders.
Alumni associations also organize regular alumni events to improve alumni connections, provide networking opportunities, raise funds, and offer scholarships. Many of these associations are either autonomous or come under the purview of an institution or strike a balance between the both.
Educational institutions must have an alumni office for all-round, immersive alumni engagement. An institution needs to know the basics of an alumni association, and you are at the right place to learn about it. So, here’s a comprehensive guide on alumni associations.
Types of Alumni Associations
Based on the interests and priorities of both the institution and alumni, associations are categorized into three types:
- Institution’s Alumni Office
- Independent (Registered) Alumni Association
- Hybrid Alumni Association
1. Institution’s Alumni Office
This alumni association is established, run and driven by the institution’s alumni office. This type of alumni associations are primarily aligned with the goals and objectives of the institution. These associations strive for institutional advancement by regularly engaging alumni through various activities. On the institution’s behalf, the association conducts regular reunions/homecomings to ensure the alumni are in touch with the alma mater. Institution-established associations also mobilize alumni to establish location-specific alumni communities called chapters and drive engagement through it.
Structure
This type of alumni association has the faculty and the alumni as its management. The alumni office takes care of all the activities. The institution’s faculty act as designated points of contacts for each department. The structure is as follows:
- Alumni Office
- Faculty Coordinators
- Office Bearers/Executive Committee
Alumni Office
This is the managing body of the alumni association. It is a small committee consisting of the Dean/Director of Alumni Affairs, who oversees the association’s essential activities and manages key relationships and official communication. The Assistant Alumni Coordinator helps the dean execute the institute’s vision and coordinate programs. The Office Assistant handles administrative tasks and oversees the association’s day-to-day operations.
Faculty Coordinators
This body’s primary purpose is to ensure proper communication between the alumni office and the institution’s various departments. Various HoDs are roped in as POCs for respective branches to provide department-specific input to the association.
2. Independent (Registered) Alumni Association
As the name suggests, these alumni associations are established, run and managed by the alumni of an institution. These independent and registered alumni associations have their own goals, objectives and agendas. Institutions are only nominally associated with these organizations, and often, the funds raised and donations received are used for the benefit of the alumni.
But, some of these associations collaborate with the alma mater when needed. The alumni engagement activities, such as events and reunions, are often independently organized with little to no help from the alma mater.
Structure
The structure of an alumni-oriented association typically has 2 to 3 functioning bodies. Unlike the one mentioned above, only alumni are roped into these committees. The structure is as follows:
- Governing Body
- Executive Committee
Governing Body
The members of this body are elected by the alumni community every 2-3 years. This committee has the authority to plan, execute, and run the association with input from alumni dignitaries in the executive committee. The following are the roles and responsibilities of the governing body:
- President: The alumni president sets or executes the vision of the alumni association. They represent the alumni association in significant institutional events and preside over the association meetings.
- Vice President: The VP assists the president, oversees many aspects of the association and acts as temporary head when the president is unavailable.
- Secretary: Communication and correspondence fall under the purview of the secretary. They must maintain precise records and send notices and agendas to the institution and the members.
- Treasurer: The treasurer drafts the association’s budget, supervises the spending and oversees the inflow of funds through donations and fundraisers.
- Executive Member(s): These honorary positions are generally filled by alumni to give suggestions and to participate in decision-making.
Executive Committee
The executive committee consists of active members from the alumni community (members). This body carries out specific tasks by branching into subcommittees. These panels can be standing & ad hoc. Events, fundraising, membership and scholarship subgroups are permanent.
Whereas the ad hoc subcommittees include mentorship and career services, to name a few. The executive committee has a strength of 25-30 alumni who work under the supervision of the governing body.
3. Hybrid Alumni Association
This type of association strikes a balance between the priorities of both alumni and the institution. Hence, these are managed by the alumni and the alma mater. Either established by the institution or alumni, this association accommodates both the stakeholders equally in its structure and functionality.
Structure
Hybrid associations have a proper hierarchy where the roles and responsibilities are clearly defined and demarcated at each level for the efficient functioning of the association. Here’s a brief about how it is structured:
- Office Bearers
- Alumni Committee
Office Bearers
This committee consists of both alumni and executives of the institution. The principal/director of the institution will be the patron of the association, and the alumni will exercise roles like president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer.
Alumni Committee
It consists primarily of volunteers from the members of the association. The committee acts as a bridge between the members and the office bearers and often joins discussions in implementing the initiatives. It also collectively represents the opinions of the members in internal and general body meetings.
Winding It Up!
Alumni associations have become necessary for institutions to engage their alumni. By understanding the structure and the roles involved, you can also build one for your institution. The above structure and roles can be tweaked to suit your institution’s preferences. Building and maintaining an alumni association is a tough, time-consuming job, but it will surely be rewarding in the future!
Vaave helps institutions and corporate entities across the globe in realizing the power of alumni and offers strategies for engaging them. We provide a full-fledged alumni management ecosystem that helps you to leverage alumni to its fullest.
Drop in your details at hello@vaave.com & +91 91006 88850, we will get in touch with you at the drop of a hat!