1.
Strategic
Analysis
Bradley
University
Alumni
Association
Emily
Birge
Michael
Costello
Eric
Gottschalk
Melissa
Hegg
Alex
Kapustka
Tim
Osborn

2. 2
Table
of
Contents
Project
Purpose
...........................................................................................................................................................................
3
History
of
the
BUAA
..................................................................................................................................................................
5
Methodology
.................................................................................................................................................................................
6
Environmental
and
Industry
Analysis
...........................................................................................................................
17
Business/Industry
Description
.........................................................................................................................
17
General
Environment
............................................................................................................................................
17
Industry
Environment
..........................................................................................................................................
23
Organizational
Analysis
........................................................................................................................................................
30
Survey
Results
..........................................................................................................................................................................
37
Discussion
of
Survey
Results
..............................................................................................................................................
86
Board
Evaluation
.....................................................................................................................................................................
89
2010-­‐2015
Strategic
Plan
....................................................................................................................................................
92
2015-­‐2020
Strategic
Plan
....................................................................................................................................................
94
Strategic
Plan
Description
and
Rationale
.....................................................................................................................
96
Strategic
Plan
Recommendations
.................................................................................................................................
103
Appendices
..............................................................................................................................................................................
108
Appendix
A
..............................................................................................................................................................
108
Appendix
B
..............................................................................................................................................................
111
Appendix
C
..............................................................................................................................................................
112
Appendix
D
..............................................................................................................................................................
114

3. 3
Project
Purpose
Nature
of
the
Problem
The
major
issue
for
the
Bradley
University
Alumni
Association
(BUAA)
is
the
lack
of
participation.
This
problem
appears
to
be
related
to
three
specific
areas—future
alumni’s
awareness
of
the
association,
engagement
of
recent
alumni,
and
networking
between
future,
newer,
and
older
alumni.
1. The
future
alumni,
or
current
students,
often
are
unaware
of
the
BUAA.
The
social
media
presence
is
small
and
is
not
engaging
enough
students.
Events
hosted
by
the
BUAA
for
current
students
are
poorly
advertised
and
result
in
low
attendance.
2. The
BUAA
contacts
recent
alumni
shortly
after
graduating,
asking
for
donations
and
involvement
in
events.
The
recent
alumni
also
do
not
see
the
benefits
of
joining
the
association.
Most
likely
because
of
the
immediate
request
for
donations
and
preconceived
notions
of
the
association,
membership
is
low.
The
BUAA
needs
to
change
the
perceptions
to
increase
membership.
3. Communication
is
also
an
issue
in
networking
between
future,
newer,
and
older
alumni.
The
newsletters
contain
news
of
networking
events,
but
these
are
usually
deleted
before
being
read.
To
increase
attendance,
the
BUAA
is
exploring
new
types
of
social
media.
Without
new
methods
of
communications,
newer
and
older
alumni
do
not
know
how
to
register
for
the
events
and
future
alumni
do
not
attend.
Project
Scope
and
Deliverables
The
purpose
of
the
BUAA
is
to
connect
current
students
and
alumni
in
order
to
foster
lifelong
loyalty
to
Bradley
University.
Our
purpose
is
to
provide
guidance
related
to
the
current
strategy
employed
by
the
BUAA.
We
will
revisit
the
2010-­‐2015
strategic
plan
and
make
relevant
recommendations.
To
meet
this
end,
we
will
analyze
the
vision
statements
described
in
the
BUAA
2010-­‐2015
strategic
plan
for
relevance
and
effectiveness.
After
the
analysis,
we
will
modify
the
strategy
and
update
the
2015-­‐2020
strategic
plan
to
match
the
new
strategy.
Our
ultimate
goal
is
to
generate
a
proactive
strategy
to
engage
alumni
and
create
mutually
rewarding
opportunities
for
lifelong
engagement,
service,
and
support.
In
order
to
achieve
our
goal,
we
will
provide
an
in-­‐depth
analysis
on
the
current
strategy,
including
our
proposed
changes
to
the
strategy,
results
from
our
alumni
surveys,
and
similar
schools’
approaches.
We
will
be
providing
a
student-­‐run,
cross-­‐functional
analysis
over
the
effectiveness
of
the
BUAA
through
market
research,
trend
analysis,
and
personal
experiences.
While
developing
a
new
strategy,
we
will
align
our
goals
with
the
goals
of
the
Bradley
University
Board
of
Trustees.
We
will
strive
to
generate
more
awareness
and
attendance
at
sporting
and
on-­‐campus
alumni
events.
By
doing
so,
we
will
bridge
the
generation
gap
between
newer
and
older
alumni.

4. 4
Importance
to
the
Client
This
project
is
important
to
our
client,
because
the
BUAA
needs
to
increase
involvement.
We
will
be
working
to
find
innovative
solutions
to
this
problem.
Once
the
issue
of
membership
is
addressed,
the
BUAA
will
have
a
larger
base
of
future,
newer,
and
older
alumni
to
increase
networking
capabilities.
The
BUAA
has
many
benefits
and
events
to
help
students
and
alumni
connect—as
well
as
leadership
banquets—but
due
to
poor
advertising,
people
are
not
aware
of
these
offerings
and
are
not
attending
these
events.
The
association
will
be
able
to
improve
performance
by
increasing
awareness
and,
in
return,
increasing
membership
of
the
alumni
association.
In
the
strategic
plan
from
2015-­‐2020,
we
will
include
an
in-­‐depth
analysis
of
the
association
by
incorporating
an
industrial
and
environment
analysis.
This
comprehensive
analysis
will
help
us
to
analyze
the
current
membership
problem
and
deliver
solutions.

5. 5
History
of
the
BUAA
The
Bradley
University
National
Alumni
Association
was
founded
in
1901
with
the
purpose
of
building
and
maintaining
stronger
relationships
between
the
university
and
graduates.
However,
it
was
not
until
1950
with
the
creation
of
the
Alumni
Office
that
the
association
began
to
flourish.
In
order
to
establish
strong
ties
between
alumni
and
the
university,
the
alumni
association
organized
chapters
in
major
cities,
began
publishing
an
alumni
magazine,
and
established
awards
given
by
the
institution.
In
1999,
the
board
of
directors
made
significant
changes
in
the
structure
to
align
the
association’s
goals
with
the
university’s
goals.
Following
the
structure
change,
the
alumni
association
sponsored
student
retention
programs.
The
name
was
changed
to
the
Bradley
University
Alumni
Association
(BUAA)
to
reflect
the
new
structure
and
global
presence.
The
online
presence
of
the
association
has
also
grown
to
help
establish
new
ties
with
younger
alumni
and
allow
for
distant
alumni
to
reconnect.
Today,
the
BUAA
occupies
the
Hayden-­‐Clark
Alumni
Center,
which
stands
behind
Bradley
Hall.

6. 6
Methodology
Week
of
January
27,
2014
This
week,
our
group
had
our
initial
meeting.
Students
were
divided
by
major
and
given
specific
instructions
on
the
composition
of
each
team,
which
ensured
that
every
group
was
diverse.
Then
the
students
were
responsible
for
forming
groups
with
the
correct
composition.
Our
team
had
one
marketing
major,
Tim
Osborn,
two
management
majors,
Melissa
Hegg
and
Emily
Birge,
two
accounting
majors,
Mike
Costello
and
Alex
Kapustka,
and
one
MIS
major,
Eric
Gottschalk.
Once
we
were
divided
into
teams,
we
had
our
initial
orientation
to
the
senior
project
in
class
with
Dr.
Buchko
on
Wednesday,
January
29.
At
that
time,
we
reviewed
the
policies
and
procedures
for
the
project.
After
class,
our
team
met
to
exchange
contact
information
and
schedules
to
establish
regular
meeting
times.
At
this
time,
we
were
presented
with
a
selection
of
potential
clients.
After
a
group
discussion,
our
group
selected
the
Bradley
University
Alumni
Association
(BUAA)
as
our
client
for
the
project.
Following
selection,
we
began
discussing
how
to
approach
the
project.
We
selected
Alex
as
our
project
manager,
who
contacted
the
client
to
establish
a
date
and
time
for
our
initial
client
meeting.
Week
of
February
3,
2014
In
order
to
gain
an
understanding
of
the
client
and
determine
the
purpose
of
the
project,
Alex
arranged
a
meeting
time
Amy
Turk,
President-­‐Elect
of
the
BUAA,
Tory
Jennetten,
Director
of
Alumni
Relations,
and
three
other
members
on
Friday,
February
7.
Before
the
meeting,
our
team
met
to
determine
relevant
questions
for
the
discussion.
In
order
to
gain
understanding
of
the
client
and
scope
of
the
project,
we
asked
about
the
following
topics:
the
purpose
of
the
project,
goals
of
the
project,
current
general
strategy,
successes
and
failures
of
the
BUAA,
strengths
and
weakness
of
BUAA,
comparable
schools
to
benchmark,
and
types
of
events
offered
by
the
BUAA.
We
received
various
responses
from
Ms.
Turk
and
Ms.
Jennetten,
which
can
be
seen
in
attached
meeting
minutes
(See
Appendix
A).
Additionally,
we
were
asked
to
appear
before
the
BUAA
Board
of
Directors
on
February
21,
to
which
we
agreed.
Week
of
February
10,
2014
On
Monday,
February
10,
our
team
met
to
discuss
the
initial
client
meeting,
and
the
time
was
primarily
used
to
update
team
members
who
were
unable
to
attend.
On
Wednesday,
February
12,we
met
again
to
discuss
the
project
purpose
section,
and
Alex
was
designated
the
task
leader.
On
Saturday,
February
15,
Alex
met
with
Mike
to
write
the
project
purpose,
which
included
the
nature
of
the
problem,
project
scope,
and
deliverables.
Based
on
discussion
and
information
from
client
meetings,
Alex
and
Mike
determined
that
nature
of
the
problem
related
to
three
areas—current
student
unawareness
of
the
BUAA,
engagement
of
recent
alumni,
and
networking
between
future,
newer,
and
older
alumni.
Alex
and
Mike
also
determined
that
the
final
deliverable
would
be
a
proposed
2015-­‐2020

7. 7
strategic
plan
to
present
to
the
BUAA
Board
of
Directors.
We
determined
that
our
team
would
provide
an
analysis
on
the
current
strategic
plan,
develop
a
survey
for
alumni,
and
use
our
knowledge
to
make
recommendations.
Melissa,
the
project
editor,
edited
the
project
purpose
draft
on
February
16.
Week
of
February
17,
2014
On
Monday,
February
17,
our
team
met
to
discuss
the
project
purpose,
and
we
agreed
that
the
draft
was
appropriate
and
within
scope
of
the
project.
On
Tuesday,
February
18,
Alex
met
with
Ms.
Jennetten
to
provide
a
status
update
on
the
project.
At
the
meeting,
the
primary
topics
were
the
project
purpose
and
upcoming
board
meeting.
On
Wednesday,
February
19,
our
team
had
class,
and
we
listened
to
a
presentation
on
the
Environmental
and
Industry
Analysis
(EIA),
which
was
followed
by
a
discussion.
After
class,
our
team
met
to
discuss
the
approach
to
the
EIA
before
moving
forward.
We
determined
which
section
of
the
EIA
outline
applied
to
the
BUAA,
as
the
alumni
association
industry
is
unique
compared
to
most
clients’
industries.
Our
group
decided
to
allocate
five
to
six
sections
of
the
EIA
to
each
team
member
based
on
major
and
interests.
Each
member
was
required
to
write
a
sentence
by
February
24
to
compose
an
outline
for
the
EIA.
On
Friday,
February
21,
our
team
met
with
the
BUAA
Board
of
Directors
to
inform
the
board
of
the
project
purpose
and
expected
deliverables.
(See
meeting
minutes
in
Appendix
B.)
At
the
meeting,
the
board
asked
us
to
expand
the
purpose
to
include
an
analysis
of
the
board
structure,
to
which
we
agreed.
Following
the
meeting,
Alex
edited
the
project
purpose
and
adjusted
the
project
scope.
He
drafted
a
letter
of
engagement
based
on
these
changes,
which
was
signed
by
the
client.
Week
of
February
24,
2014
After
meeting
with
the
board,
we
determined
the
research
objectives
and
began
to
conduct
internet
searches
on
other
alumni
associations,
looking
specifically
for
recent
studies.
From
that
research,
we
developed
an
in-­‐depth
interview
to
obtain
our
qualitative
research.
We
interviewed
17
respondents
between
the
ages
of
21
and
65,
asking
questions
about
their
thoughts,
opinions,
and
attitudes
toward
Bradley
University
and
the
BUAA.
We
then
analyzed
the
responses
and
searched
for
commonalities
and
unique
insights.
On
Wednesday,
February
26,
our
team
met
with
Dr.
Buchko
to
hand
in
and
discuss
the
EIA
outline.
Previously,
each
member
of
the
team
wrote
their
assigned
portions
of
the
outline.
Dr.
Buchko
provided
guidance
on
keeping,
expanding,
or
deleting
certain
sections.
With
a
revised
EIA
outline,
the
team
settled
on
28
issues
that
were
relevant
to
the
BUAA.
The
team
set
a
deadline
of
March
14
for
each
member
to
write
an
analysis
on
their
assigned
section
of
the
EIA.
Below
is
description
of
how
members
proceeded:
In
order
to
find
outside
data
related
to
alumni
associations,
Alex
conducted
web
searches
to
find
companies
that
worked
with
alumni
associations.
After
finding
the
Napa
Group
online,
he
used
publically
available
resources
found
on
the
Napa
Group
website
to
determine
constraints
that
keep
alumni
from
being
involved
with
alumni
associations.
This

8. 8
source
was
primarily
used
to
support
the
argument
that
alumni
associations
and
other
professional
organizations
have
high
switching
costs,
alumni
have
low
propensity
to
substitute,
and
have
relatively
low
performance
compared
to
other
professional
organizations.
In
order
to
write
the
economic
portion
of
the
EIA,
Mike
performed
Google
searches
on
other
alumni
associations
to
make
comparisons
to
associations
at
schools
of
similar
size.
He
drew
conclusions
on
the
directions
of
regional
economies
and
the
current
impact
of
alumni
associations.
He
also
used
his
knowledge
of
alumni
associations
and
input
from
recently
graduated
family
members
to
give
recommendations.
This
was
primarily
used
to
support
the
sections
of
probable
future
directions
of
the
local
economy,
customer
purchasing
power,
income
differences/distribution,
shift
in
relative
demand
for
different
categories
of
goods
and
services,
and
labor
markets/unemployment
rates.
Eric
searched
for
the
best
social
media
technologies
currently
used
by
businesses
and
alumni
associations.
He
researched
common
social
media
technologies
and
websites,
using
sources
such
as
The
New
York
Times
and
Forbes.
Eric
also
used
his
knowledge
of
information
systems
to
draw
conclusions
about
new
technologies
recommended
for
communication.
Emily
used
online
resources,
such
as
library
databases
and
comparable
schools’
homepages,
to
collect
information
on
other
alumni
associations.
She
then
compiled
the
data
and
analyzed
the
information
relevant
to
assigned
sections
of
the
EIA.
Melissa
conducted
internet
searches
to
collect
information
on
donor
leverage
and
social
issues
relevant
to
alumni
associations.
She
used
a
variety
of
statistical
data
from
sources—
such
as
the
Society
for
Human
Resource
Management,
USA
Today,
Washington
Post,
and
Population
Reference
Bureau—to
perform
an
analysis
and
predict
how
these
will
impact
alumni
associations.
She
also
began
compiling
and
editing
the
EIA.
Tim
researched
trends
in
alumni
associations.
He
also
conducted
research
about
specific
alumni
associations
to
uncover
trends
based
on
other
associations’
objectives
and
events.
He
compiled
the
secondary
data
for
the
EIA
and
the
survey.
Week
of
March
3,
2014
On
Wednesday,
March
5,
our
team
discussed
the
approach
to
the
organizational
analysis.
After
class,
we
met
and
determined
which
sections
of
the
organizational
analysis
provided
by
Dr.
Buchko
were
relevant
to
the
BUAA.
In
order
to
perform
the
organizational
analysis,
we
divided
the
various
sections
by
major
and
interest.
Each
team
member
had
five
to
six
different
sections.
To
generate
an
outline
for
the
organizational
analysis,
each
member
was
told
to
write
a
sentence
for
their
assigned
sections
by
March
14.
We
also
decided
on
a
deadline
of
March
26
for
the
organizational
analysis
draft
to
be
sent
to
the
project
editor.
Tim
used
the
secondary
and
qualitative
research
to
develop
a
survey.
The
purpose
of
the
survey
was
to
gain
quantitative
research
to
run
tests
and
analyses.
The
purpose
was
to

9. 9
explain
why
the
BUAA
has
seen
a
decrease
in
activity
by
younger
graduates,
as
well
as
generate
ideas
to
counteract
this
decrease.
When
developing
the
questionnaire,
he
attempted
to
determine
precisely
what
information
the
BUAA
required
to
make
improvements.
He
determined
that
the
main
objectives
were
evaluating
the
current
practices
and
activities
of
the
BUAA,
determining
what
motivates
alumni
to
become
involved
in
the
BUAA,
and
discovering
the
causes
for
the
lack
of
activity
in
certain
age
groups.
In
regards
to
the
design
of
the
survey,
Tim
decided
to
have
an
initial
series
of
questions
that
captured
part
of
the
respondents’
attitudes
toward
Bradley
University,
the
BUAA,
and
other
areas
that
might
affect
loyalty
to
the
university.
Respondents
were
given
a
Likert
scale
and
had
to
choose
a
value
from
“0”
to
“10,”
“0”
meaning
“strongly
disagree”
and
“10”
meaning
“strongly
agree”.
A
description
of
the
BUAA
and
the
association’s
purpose
were
given,
followed
by
another
series
of
questions
related
to
specific
aspects
of
the
BUAA.
Again,
a
Likert
scale
was
given
and
respondents
were
asked
to
rank
their
opinion
from
“strongly
disagree”
to
“strongly
agree”
with
the
questions
that
followed.
Finally,
a
third
section
employing
a
Likert
scale
from
“0”
to
“10”
was
used,
this
time
asking
respondents
to
rate
opinions
about
current
and
potential
opportunities
related
to
involvement
with
the
BUAA.
In
this
section,
“0”
was
used
to
signify
“very
unappealing”
and
“10”
was
used
to
signify
“very
appealing.”
Week
of
March
10,
2014
Our
group
took
a
critical
look
at
the
wording,
format,
and
length
of
the
survey.
Several
revisions
were
made
and
analyzed,
before
a
final
version
was
submitted
to
the
BUAA
to
be
sent
out
through
email.
Week
of
March
17,
2014
This
week
was
Bradley
University’s
spring
break.
During
this
time,
Alex
entered
the
survey
into
Qualtrics,
and
Melissa
finished
editing
the
EIA.
A
copy
of
the
survey
is
placed
below,
and
an
explanation
of
each
question
follows.
This survey is being conducted as a part of a consultative project for the Bradley University Alumni Association. The information
obtained from this survey will be used to inform and direct the future decisions of the Bradley University Alumni Association. This
survey is designed to understand current alumni opinions and attitudes about the Bradley University Alumni Association, and factors
affecting this organization. Your response is greatly appreciated and will have a valuable impact on the future of the Bradley
University Alumni Association
For the purposes of this study, we will use the term BUAA to refer to the Bradley University Alumni Association.
Please read the following statements and rate your agreement with each using an 11-point scale where “0” means strongly disagree
and “10” means strongly agree.
Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

10. 10
I consider myself very loyal to Bradley University ………………….………………………….. ⓪
①
②
③
④
⑤
⑥
⑦
⑧
⑨
⑩
I consider the education I received from Bradley University to be highly valuable …………. ⓪
①
②
③
④
⑤
⑥
⑦
⑧
⑨
⑩
I consider myself to be proud of the educational caliber of Bradley University ……………... ⓪
①
②
③
④
⑤
⑥
⑦
⑧
⑨
⑩
I feel a sense of significance as a Bradley University alum..….............................................. ⓪
①
②
③
④
⑤
⑥
⑦
⑧
⑨
⑩
I consider myself to be very involved with the BUAA…………………………………………… ⓪
①
②
③
④
⑤
⑥
⑦
⑧
⑨
⑩
I consider myself to be very involved another non-mandatory professional organization or affinity
group…………………………………………………………………………………………………. ⓪
①
②
③
④
⑤
⑥
⑦
⑧
⑨
⑩
I consider my life post-graduation to be successful……………………………………………. ⓪
①
②
③
④
⑤
⑥
⑦
⑧
⑨
⑩
I consider quality of education one of Bradley’s greatest assets……………………………… ⓪
①
②
③
④
⑤
⑥
⑦
⑧
⑨
⑩
I consider campus life one of Bradley’s greatest assets…………….………………………… ⓪
①
②
③
④
⑤
⑥
⑦
⑧
⑨
⑩
I consider myself to be satisfied with my education from Bradley……………………………. ⓪
①
②
③
④
⑤
⑥
⑦
⑧
⑨
⑩
I consider myself to be very connected to Bradley as an alum……………………………….. ⓪
①
②
③
④
⑤
⑥
⑦
⑧
⑨
⑩
I consider a college education to be something that sets me apart in the world................... ⓪
①
②
③
④
⑤
⑥
⑦
⑧
⑨
⑩
I consider a college education simply a necessity for employment..……….…..……………. ⓪
①
②
③
④
⑤
⑥
⑦
⑧
⑨
⑩
The BUAA exists to help alumni stay connected to Bradley University, as well as connect alumni with one another. The
BUAA offers various services and annual events to accomplish these tasks. The BUAA also attempts to maintain up-to-
date information about graduates.
Please consider the description of the BUAA when reading the following statements. Rate your agreement with each
using an 11-point scale where “0” means strongly disagree and “10” means strongly agree.
Strongly
Strongly
Disagree
Agree
I would consider myself very knowledgeable about the BUAA……………………………….. ⓪
①
②
③
④
⑤
⑥
⑦
⑧
⑨
⑩
I am actively involved with the BUAA…………………….………….…………………………… ⓪
①
②
③
④
⑤
⑥
⑦
⑧
⑨
⑩
I learned about the BUAA during my time at Bradley………………………………………….. ⓪
①
②
③
④
⑤
⑥
⑦
⑧
⑨
⑩
During my time at Bradley, I looked forward to my involvement in the BUAA………………. ⓪
①
②
③
④
⑤
⑥
⑦
⑧
⑨
⑩
I am kept well-informed about the campus as an alum......................................................... ⓪
①
②
③
④
⑤
⑥
⑦
⑧
⑨
⑩
I am well-informed about the events and services offered by the BUAA…………………….. ⓪
①
②
③
④
⑤
⑥
⑦
⑧
⑨
⑩
I regularly attend events offered by the BUAA……………………………………..……………. ⓪
①
②
③
④
⑤
⑥
⑦
⑧
⑨
⑩
I am aware of the alumni webpage………………………………………………………………. ⓪
①
②
③
④
⑤
⑥
⑦
⑧
⑨
⑩
I visit the alumni webpage regularly…………………….......................................................... ⓪
①
②
③
④
⑤
⑥
⑦
⑧
⑨
⑩
I am aware of the BUConnect online service…………………………………………………….. ⓪
①
②
③
④
⑤
⑥
⑦
⑧
⑨
⑩
I use the BUConnect online service………………..……………………………………..……… ⓪
①
②
③
④
⑤
⑥
⑦
⑧
⑨
⑩
I feel valued by the BUAA as an alum..…………………………………………………..……… ⓪
①
②
③
④
⑤
⑥
⑦
⑧
⑨
⑩
I believe that participation in the BUAA is a valuable use of my time……..………………….. ⓪
①
②
③
④
⑤
⑥
⑦
⑧
⑨
⑩
I regularly donate to the BUAA……………………………………………….……………………. ⓪
①
②
③
④
⑤
⑥
⑦
⑧
⑨
⑩
I have been frustrated at some point in the past by phone calls related to giving to Bradley as a
graduate…………………………….……………………………………………….……………… ⓪
①
②
③
④
⑤
⑥
⑦
⑧
⑨
⑩
How appealing are each of the following to you? For the purposes of this question, “appealing” means that you would
desire to participate and strongly consider investing the time required to do so. Rate your likelihood with each using an
11-point scale where “0” is very unappealing and “10” is very appealing.
Very Very
Unappealing Appealing
Professional mentoring opportunity between a current student and you as an
alum…………………………………………………………………………………………………… ⓪
①
②
③
④
⑤
⑥
⑦
⑧
⑨
⑩
Sporting events……………………………………………………….………….…………………… ⓪
①
②
③
④
⑤
⑥
⑦
⑧
⑨
⑩
Professional networking opportunities……………………………………..……………………… ⓪
①
②
③
④
⑤
⑥
⑦
⑧
⑨
⑩
Alumni singles groups………………………………………………………………………………… ⓪
①
②
③
④
⑤
⑥
⑦
⑧
⑨
⑩
Free classes and seminars that will make me more competitive in my career…….………….. ⓪
①
②
③
④
⑤
⑥
⑦
⑧
⑨
⑩
Free classes and seminars about current issues and other topics that interest me ………….. ⓪
①
②
③
④
⑤
⑥
⑦
⑧
⑨
⑩
BUAA social media pages such as Facebook and Twitter…………….………………………… ⓪
①
②
③
④
⑤
⑥
⑦
⑧
⑨
⑩
Opportunities to casually spend time with other alumni and their families....…………………. ⓪
①
②
③
④
⑤
⑥
⑦
⑧
⑨
⑩
Opportunities to casually spend time with other alumni, without families…………..…………. ⓪
①
②
③
④
⑤
⑥
⑦
⑧
⑨
⑩
Opportunities to volunteer in the Peoria area with other alumni.……………….………………. ⓪
①
②
③
④
⑤
⑥
⑦
⑧
⑨
⑩
Opportunities through the BUAA to do pro-bono work with a team of other alumni to gain career-related experience and assist local
nonprofits......………………………………………………………………………………………… ⓪
①
②
③
④
⑤
⑥
⑦
⑧
⑨
⑩
These final questions are only for categorical purposes. We assure you that your individual responses will not be shared.
What is your gender: r Male r Female
Which category best captures your age? r 20 and below r 21 to 25 r 26 to 30 r 31 to 35
r 36 to 40 r 41 to 45 r 46 to 50 r 51 to 55 r 56 to 60 r 61 to 65
r 65 to 70 r 70 and above

11. 11
Which category best captures your household income? r Less than $25,000 r $25,000 to $49,999
r $50,000 to $74,999 r $75,000 to $99,999 r $100,000 to $149,999 r $150,000 or more
Do you receive your undergraduate degree from Bradley University? r Yes r No
Did you receive your graduate degree from Bradley University? r Yes r No
Would you recommend Bradley University to a prospective student? r Yes r No
What college did you graduate from? r Slane College of Communication and Fine Arts
r College of Education and Health Science r Caterpillar College of Engineering and Technology
r College of Liberal Arts and Sciences r Foster College of Business
Thank you for your participation.
If you have any additional comments regarding the BUAA please feel free to write them below.
Survey
question
1.1
asked
respondents
to
rate
agreement
with
the
statement
“I
consider
myself
very
loyal
to
Bradley
University.”
This
was
scored
on
an
11-­‐point
Likert
scale
from
0
(Strongly
Disagree)
to
10
(Strongly
Agree).
Our
group
believes
that
brand
loyalty
is
a
contributing
factor
in
activity
in
active
participation
with
the
BUAA.
We
asked
this
question
to
gain
a
profile
of
graduates’
loyalty
to
Bradley.
The
intention
was
to
correlate
the
overall
level
of
loyalty
with
various
factors
identified
within
the
survey
to
determine
which
factors
most
closely
determined
loyalty.
Survey
question
1.2
asked
respondents
to
rate
agreement
with
the
statement
“I
consider
the
education
I
received
from
Bradley
University
to
be
highly
valuable.”
This
was
scored
on
an
11-­‐point
Likert
scale
from
0
(Strongly
Disagree)
to
10
(Strongly
Agree).
We
felt
that
perceived
value
would
result
in
higher
brand
loyalty,
and
thus,
a
higher
likelihood
of
participation
in
the
BUAA.
The
intention
was
to
correlate
the
perceived
value
of
education
with
various
factors
identified
within
the
survey—such
as
loyalty—to
see
how
the
perceived
value
affected
participation.
Survey
question
1.3
asked
respondents
to
rate
agreement
with
the
statement
“I
consider
myself
to
be
proud
of
the
educational
caliber
of
Bradley
University.”
This
was
scored
on
an
11-­‐point
Likert
scale
from
0
(Strongly
Disagree)
to
10
(Strongly
Agree).
We
felt
that
pride
in
the
education
received
would
result
in
higher
brand
loyalty,
and
thus,
a
higher
likelihood
of
participation.
The
intention
was
to
correlate
the
pride
in
the
education
received
with
various
factors
identified
within
the
survey—such
as
brand
loyalty—to
see
how
pride
affected
participation.
Survey
question
1.4
asked
respondents
to
rate
agreement
with
the
statement
“I
feel
a
sense
of
significance
as
a
Bradley
University
alum.”
This
was
scored
on
an
11-­‐point
Likert
scale
from
0
(Strongly
Disagree)
to
10
(Strongly
Agree).
We
believed
that
feeling
a
sense
of
significance
as
a
Bradley
alum
would
create
a
desire
to
be
involved
following
graduation.
The
intention
was
to
correlate
the
sense
of
significance
with
various
factors
identified
in
the
survey—such
as
level
of
involvement—to
see
how
the
feeling
of
significance
affected
participation.
Survey
question
1.5
asked
respondents
to
rate
agreement
with
the
statement
“I
consider
myself
to
be
very
involved
with
the
BUAA.”
This
was
scored
on
an
11-­‐point
Likert
scale

12. 12
from
0
(Strongly
Disagree)
to
10
(Strongly
Agree).
This
was
used
to
gain
an
understanding
of
which
factors
drive
those
who
would
consider
themselves
actively
involved
with
the
BUAA.
The
intention
was
to
correlate
involvement
with
the
BUAA
with
various
factors
identified
in
the
survey,
such
as
brand
loyalty,
age,
etc.
Survey
question
1.6
asked
respondents
to
rate
agreement
with
the
statement
“I
consider
myself
to
be
very
involved
with
another
non-­‐mandatory
professional
organization
or
affinity
group.”
This
was
scored
on
an
11-­‐point
Likert
scale
from
0
(Strongly
Disagree)
to
10
(Strongly
Agree).
We
believed
that
involvement
in
other
organizations
would
decrease
involvement
with
the
BUAA.
The
intention
was
to
correlate
involvement
in
other
organizations
with
other
factors
measuring
level
of
involvement
with
the
BUAA.
Survey
question
1.7
asked
respondents
to
rate
agreement
with
the
statement
“I
consider
my
life
post-­‐graduation
to
be
successful.”
This
was
scored
on
an
11-­‐point
Likert
scale
from
0
(Strongly
Disagree)
to
10
(Strongly
Agree).
We
believed
that
successful
alumni
would
have
increased
loyalty
and
involvement,
while
less
successful
alumni
would
have
decreased
loyalty
and
involvement.
The
intention
was
to
correlate
success
with
loyalty,
as
well
as
other
factors
identified
in
the
survey.
Survey
question
1.8
asked
respondents
to
rate
agreement
with
the
statement
“I
consider
quality
of
education
one
of
Bradley’s
most
important
assets.”
This
was
scored
on
an
11-­‐
point
Likert
scale
from
0
(Strongly
Disagree)
to
10
(Strongly
Agree).
We
included
this
question
because
we
believed
it
would
give
insight
into
what
types
of
activities
the
BUAA
might
consider
for
graduates.
Survey
question
1.9
asked
respondents
to
rate
agreement
with
the
statement
“I
consider
campus
life
one
of
Bradley’s
greatest
assets.”
This
was
scored
on
an
11-­‐point
Likert
scale
from
0
(Strongly
Disagree)
to
10
(Strongly
Agree).
We
included
this
question
because
we
believed
it
would
give
insight
into
what
types
of
activities
the
BUAA
might
consider
for
graduates.
Survey
question
1.10
asked
respondents
to
rate
agreement
with
the
statement
“I
consider
myself
to
be
satisfied
with
my
education
from
Bradley.”
This
was
scored
on
an
11-­‐point
Likert
scale
from
0
(Strongly
Disagree)
to
10
(Strongly
Agree).
We
believed
those
who
were
more
satisfied
with
their
educational
experiences
would
be
more
loyal,
and
thus,
more
likely
to
be
involved
after
graduation.
The
intention
was
to
correlate
satisfaction
with
education
with
various
factors
identified
within
the
survey—such
as
loyalty—to
see
how
satisfaction
affected
participation.
Survey
question
1.11
asked
respondents
to
rate
agreement
with
the
statement
“I
consider
myself
to
be
very
connected
to
Bradley
as
an
alum.”
This
was
scored
on
an
11-­‐point
Likert
scale
from
0
(Strongly
Disagree)
to
10
(Strongly
Agree).
This
question
was
included
to
rate
the
overall
success
of
the
BUAA’s
efforts.
The
question
also
allowed
our
group
to
run
correlation
tests
against
loyalty
and
other
factors
identified
within
the
survey.

13. 13
Survey
question
1.12
asked
respondents
to
rate
agreement
with
the
statement
“I
consider
a
college
education
to
be
something
that
sets
me
apart
in
the
world.”
This
was
scored
on
an
11-­‐point
Likert
scale
from
0
(Strongly
Disagree)
to
10
(Strongly
Agree).
This
question
was
included
to
examine
the
possible
differences
in
perception
between
alumni
of
different
demographic
groups.
Survey
question
1.13
asked
respondents
to
rate
agreement
with
the
statement
“I
consider
a
college
education
simply
a
necessity
for
employment.”
This
was
scored
on
an
11-­‐point
Likert
scale
from
0
(Strongly
Disagree)
to
10
(Strongly
Agree).
This
question
was
included
to
examine
the
possible
differences
in
perception
between
alumni
of
different
demographic
groups.
Survey
question
2.1
asked
respondents
to
rate
agreement
with
the
statement
“I
would
consider
myself
very
knowledgeable
about
the
BUAA.”
This
was
scored
on
an
11-­‐point
Likert
scale
from
0
(Strongly
Disagree)
to
10
(Strongly
Agree).
This
question
was
included
to
rate
how
knowledgeable
graduates
are
in
regards
to
the
BUAA,
assuming
that
knowledge
is
the
first
step
to
participation
in
the
BUAA.
Survey
question
2.2
asked
respondents
to
rate
agreement
with
the
statement
“I
am
actively
involved
with
the
BUAA.”
This
was
scored
on
an
11-­‐point
Likert
scale
from
0
(Strongly
Disagree)
to
10
(Strongly
Agree).
The
question
was
used
to
gain
an
understanding
of
what
factors
drive
the
alumni
who
are
actively
involved
with
the
BUAA.
The
intention
was
to
correlate
involvement
with
the
BUAA
against
various
factors
identified
in
the
survey.
Survey
question
2.3
asked
respondents
to
rate
agreement
with
the
statement
“I
learned
about
the
BUAA
during
my
time
at
Bradley.”
This
was
scored
on
an
11-­‐point
Likert
scale
from
0
(Strongly
Disagree)
to
10
(Strongly
Agree).
This
was
included
to
determine
the
BUAA’s
success
of
marketing
to
students
before
graduation.
Survey
question
2.4
asked
respondents
to
rate
agreement
with
the
statement
“During
my
time
at
Bradley,
I
looked
forward
to
my
involvement
in
the
BUAA.”
This
was
scored
on
an
11-­‐point
Likert
scale
from
0
(Strongly
Disagree)
to
10
(Strongly
Agree).
This
question
was
included
to
determine
level
of
interest
in
the
BUAA
prior
to
graduation.
Survey
question
2.5
asked
respondents
to
rate
agreement
with
the
statement
“I
am
kept
well-­‐informed
about
the
campus
as
an
alum.”
This
was
scored
on
an
11-­‐point
Likert
scale
from
0
(Strongly
Disagree)
to
10
(Strongly
Agree).
This
question
was
included
to
determine
the
success
of
the
BUAA’s
efforts
to
keep
graduates
connected
to
and
informed
about
the
campus.
Survey
question
2.6
asked
respondents
to
rate
agreement
with
the
statement
“I
am
well-­‐
informed
about
the
events
and
services
offered
by
the
BUAA.”
This
was
scored
on
an
11-­‐
point
Likert
scale
from
1
(Strongly
Disagree)
to
10
(Strongly
Agree).
This
question
was
included
to
determine
the
success
of
the
BUAA’s
efforts
to
make
services
and
events
known
to
graduates.

14. 14
Survey
question
2.7
asked
respondents
to
rate
agreement
with
the
statement
“I
regularly
attend
events
offered
by
the
BUAA.”
This
was
scored
on
an
11-­‐point
Likert
scale
from
0
(Strongly
Disagree)
to
10
(Strongly
Agree).
This
was
to
be
used
to
gain
an
understanding
of
factors
that
drive
alumni
to
attend
events.
The
intention
was
to
correlate
event
attendance
against
various
factors
identified
in
the
survey.
Survey
question
2.8
asked
respondents
to
rate
agreement
with
the
statement
“I
am
aware
of
the
alumni
webpage.”
This
was
scored
on
an
11-­‐point
Likert
scale
from
0
(Strongly
Disagree)
to
10
(Strongly
Agree).
This
question
was
included
to
determine
awareness
of
the
BUAA
webpage.
Survey
question
2.9
asked
respondents
to
rate
agreement
with
the
statement
“I
visit
the
alumni
webpage
regularly.”
This
was
scored
on
an
11-­‐point
Likert
scale
from
0
(Strongly
Disagree)
to
10
(Strongly
Agree).
This
question
was
included
to
determine
if
the
alumni
webpage
is
effective
in
reaching
alumni.
Survey
question
2.10
asked
respondents
to
rate
agreement
with
the
statement
“I
am
aware
of
the
BUConnect
online
service.”
This
was
scored
on
an
11-­‐point
Likert
scale
from
0
(Strongly
Disagree)
to
10
(Strongly
Agree).
This
question
was
included
to
determine
alumni
awareness
of
the
BUConnect
service.
Survey
question
2.11
asked
respondents
to
rate
agreement
with
the
statement
“I
use
the
BUConnect
online
service.”
This
was
scored
on
an
11-­‐point
Likert
scale
from
0
(Strongly
Disagree)
to
10
(Strongly
Agree).
This
question
was
included
to
determine
alumni’s
levels
of
usage
of
the
service.
Survey
question
2.12
asked
respondents
to
rate
agreement
with
the
statement
“I
feel
valued
by
the
BUAA
as
an
alum.”
This
was
scored
on
an
11-­‐point
Likert
scale
from
0
(Strongly
Disagree)
to
10
(Strongly
Agree).
This
question
was
included
to
determine
attitudes
about
the
BUAA,
as
well
as
correlate
the
feeling
of
value
with
involvement
to
determine
if
a
relationship
exists.
Survey
question
2.13
asked
respondents
to
rate
agreement
with
the
statement
“I
believe
that
participation
in
the
BUAA
is
a
valuable
use
of
my
time.”
This
was
scored
on
an
11-­‐point
Likert
scale
from
0
(Strongly
Disagree)
to
10
(Strongly
Agree).
This
question
was
included
to
determine
attitudes
about
the
BUAA,
as
well
as
analyze
the
BUAA’s
efforts
to
communicate
the
value
of
participation
to
graduates.
Survey
question
2.14
asked
respondents
to
rate
agreement
with
the
statement
“I
regularly
donate
to
the
BUAA.”
This
was
scored
on
an
11-­‐point
Likert
scale
from
0
(Strongly
Disagree)
to
10
(Strongly
Agree).
This
question
was
included
to
correlate
donation
with
other
factors
identified
within
the
survey,
which
can
determine
what
influences
an
alum
to
donate.
Survey
question
2.15
asked
respondents
to
rate
agreement
with
the
statement
“I
have
been

15. 15
frustrated
at
some
point
in
the
past
by
phone
calls
related
to
giving
to
Bradley
as
a
graduate.”
This
was
scored
on
an
11-­‐point
Likert
scale
from
0
(Strongly
Disagree)
to
10
(Strongly
Agree).
This
question
was
included
to
determine
the
amount
of
alumni
who
have
been
frustrated
by
calls.
We
also
intended
to
correlate
this
with
participation
and
donation,
in
order
to
determine
if
a
relationship
exists.
Week
of
March
24,
2014
On
Tuesday
March
25,
the
survey
was
sent
out
to
five
thousand
alumni
with
a
completion
date
of
April
1.
Our
team
previously
set
a
deadline
of
Wednesday,
March
26
for
the
organizational
analysis.
Below
is
a
description
of
how
each
member
proceeded:
Alex
used
internal
documents
provided
by
Ms.
Jennetten
to
determine
the
structure
of
the
board
of
directors.
The
documents
were
also
used
to
analyze
the
committee
structure
and
goals
of
the
association.
Based
on
conversations
with
Ms.
Jennetten,
he
was
able
to
evaluate
the
relative
effectiveness
of
each
committee.
Mike
used
internal
documents,
BUAA
by-­‐laws
and
the
BUAA
committee
descriptions—
provided
by
Ms.
Jennetten—to
analyze
management
and
staff-­‐level
personnel
of
the
BUAA.
He
also
had
in-­‐depth
conversations
with
Ms.
Jennetten
on
employee
morale
and
skill,
specialized
skills,
and
experience
to
gain
a
greater
understanding
before
making
recommendations.
The
information
provided
by
Ms.
Jennetten
helped
clarify
where
the
BUAA
needs
to
make
improvements.
Eric
used
the
by-­‐laws,
committee
descriptions
document,
and
SWOT
analysis
to
write
his
portions
of
the
organizational
analysis.
Eric
also
used
his
knowledge
and
past
experiences
to
judge
the
methods
of
running
meetings
used
by
the
BUAA.
The
meeting
analysis
is
based
on
descriptions
provided
in
internal
documents
and
personal
experiences
at
a
meeting
of
the
board
of
directions.
Tim
used
information
given
by
the
BUAA
to
understand
the
various
aspects
of
marketing
in
order
to
develop
his
portion
of
the
organizational
analysis.
Based
on
interviews,
discussions,
and
the
resources
provided
by
the
BUAA,
he
assessed
the
firm’s
ability
to
market
offerings,
analyzed
the
effects
of
current
efforts,
and
provided
suggestions
for
leveraging
current
assets
and
addressing
shortcomings.
He
discovered
that
the
BUAA
has
several
assets
available,
but
the
resources
are
not
being
used
properly,
which
has
resulted
in
negative
outcomes.
After
the
survey
was
entered
into
Qualtrics,
the
BUAA
assisted
our
group’s
research
by
emailing
the
survey
to
a
pool
of
5,000
graduates
on
March
24.
Week
of
March
31,
2014
On
Wednesday
April
2,
our
team
met
to
begin
discussing
the
deliverables,
primarily
focused
on
the
creation
of
2015-­‐2020
strategic
plan.
To
begin,
one
team
member
wrote
the
current
mission
statement,
and
our
team
worked
together
to
identify
good
elements
of
the

16. 16
mission.
Elements
that
were
currently
working
well
were
saved,
and
the
rest
was
deleted.
Next,
our
group
discussed
the
primary
purpose
of
the
BUAA.
Keeping
that
purpose
in
mind,
we
brainstormed
to
modify
the
mission
statement.
The
end
result
was
a
more
concise—but
otherwise
similar—version
of
the
mission.
We
repeated
this
process
for
each
of
the
three
current
vision
statements;
we
identified
the
main
point
of
each
vision
statement
and
created
a
reworked,
concise
version.
Our
team
met
again
on
Saturday,
April
5
to
further
discuss
the
statements.
We
drafted
final
proposed
versions
of
the
mission
and
vision
statements.
Upon
completion
of
the
statements,
our
team
focused
on
the
strategic
initiative
under
each
section,
choosing
three
initiatives
to
fall
under
each
statement.
During
these
discussions,
we
determined
that
each
vision
statement
should
be
paired
with
a
committee
to
ensure
that
a
committee
was
responsible
for
executing
each
vision.
On
Sunday,
April
6,
our
group
met
to
finalize
all
previously
discussed
deliverables.
A
reminder
email
for
the
survey
was
sent
on
March
31.
We
received
280
responses
before
the
survey
was
pulled
on
April
1.
Finally,
Tim
used
Statistical
Package
for
the
Social
Sciences
(SPSS)
to
run
and
analyze
the
data
we
obtained
from
the
surveys.
He
used
SPSS,
because
the
program
provided
the
most
efficient
means
of
analysis
and
chart
generation.
Week
of
April
7,
2014
Our
team
met
briefly
to
reaffirm
deadlines
and
priorities
for
the
week.
Deliverable
sections
were
assigned
to
each
team
member
and
given
the
due
date
of
Thursday,
April
10.
On
Wednesday,
April
9,
our
team
met
to
discuss
further
refine
our
strategic
recommendations.
We
brainstormed
actionable
items
that
the
BUAA
can
use
to
develop
more
content
that
alumni
will
enjoy.
This
content
was
tailored
based
on
survey
responses,
focusing
on
continuing
education
and
networking.
During
the
meeting,
we
refined
and
incorporated
these
ideas
into
the
visions
statement
recommendations.
In
order
to
gain
further
understanding
about
board
operations
and
opinions,
Alex
conducted
various
phone
interviews
with
multiple
board
and
staff
members,
who
will
remain
anonymous.
Alex
asked
questions
to
understand
the
perception
these
members
have
of
the
board,
which
helped
him
evaluate
the
current
board
structure.
Week
of
April
14,
2014
A
draft
of
the
report
was
turned
into
both
Dr.
Buchko
and
Ms.
Jennetten.
Alex
and
Melissa
edited
based
on
their
recommendations.
Alex
turned
in
the
final
draft
to
Dr.
Buchko.
Week
of
April
21,
2014
Alex
picked
up
the
edited
draft
from
Dr.
Buchko,
and
our
group
made
changes
based
on
his
recommendations.
Tim
generated
graphs,
and
Mike
wrote
paragraphs
explaining
the
meaning
of
the
graphs.
Emily
wrote
about
board
evaluations.
Alex
and
Melissa
edited
based
on
Dr.
Buchko’s
recommendations,
and
Alex
bound
the
final
copy
of
the
report.

17. 17
Environmental
and
Industry
Analysis
Business/Industry
Description
The
Bradley
University
Alumni
Association
(BUAA)
serves
as
a
connection
between
alumni
and
students
and
promotes
lifelong
engagement
with
Bradley
University.
The
association’s
customers
are
primarily
Bradley
alumni,
but
current
students
are
customers
as
well.
The
BUAA’s
services
include
events
such
as
guest
speakers,
webinars,
and
banquets.
Major
competitors
are
other
organizations—such
as
professional
associations
and
volunteer
groups—that
compete
for
alumni’s
time
and
money.
General
Environment
Economic
Probable
Future
Directions
of
the
Local
Economy
The
probable
future
direction
of
the
regional
economy
may
impact
alumni
relations.
The
relationships
between
regional
employers
and
Bradley
students
determine
alumni
involvement.
The
economies
of
regional
hotspots
in
the
Midwest—St.
Louis,
Chicago,
and
southern
Wisconsin—can
affect
the
job
placement
of
young
Bradley
alumni.
It
can
also
create
physical
distance
between
Bradley
students
and
the
university.
If
employers
are
creating
high-­‐paying
jobs
for
Bradley
students,
then
it
helps
transition
alumni
to
long-­‐term
regional
residents.
The
post-­‐graduate
employment
statistics
of
Bradley
graduates
are
closely
related
to
the
largest
regional
and
local
employers.
Since
the
Midwest
is
known
for
manufacturing,
the
shift
towards
the
technological
industry
may
be
hurting
business
success.
Illinois
is
also
one
of
the
top
three
states
that
people
moved
out
of
in
2013.1
These
moves
are
due
to
the
climate
and
economic
hard
times
in
the
industrial
sector.
In
addition,
the
baby
boomers
are
starting
to
retire
and
relocate
to
warmer
climates
away
from
the
Midwest.
Older
and
younger
alumni
are
moving
farther
away
from
Bradley
and
losing
the
close
connection
to
Bradley,
which
is
leading
to
fewer
donations.
The
rise
in
technology
is
lowering
the
need
for
workers
in
manufacturing,
which
is
directly
affecting
employment
the
Midwest.
As
a
result,
companies
are
outsourcing
and
making
strategic
moves
to
other
locations
outside
the
Midwest.
This
will
cause
lowered
involvement
in
Bradley’s
alumni
association.
Capital
Availability
For
purposes
of
this
analysis,
capital
availability
refers
to
the
funds
available
to
support
alumni
activities
and
alumni
engagement.
The
methods
used
by
alumni
associations
to
reach
students
are
changing;
in
the
past
newsletters
or
magazines
were
used
in
mass
alumni
mailings,
and
various
alumni
chapters
hosted
local
events.
While
events
are
still
1
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/2013/02/07/the-­‐states-­‐people-­‐are-­‐fleeing-­‐in-­‐2013/

18. 18
important,
changes
in
costs
and
the
pressure
on
university
budgets
has
made
it
increasingly
difficult
to
generate
the
necessary
level
of
funding
support
for
alumni
relations.
In
the
future,
there
will
be
increasing
pressure
on
university
funding
and
on
the
ability
of
new
students
to
support
alumni
activities.
In
addition,
new
methods
of
alumni
engagement
such
as
social
media
will
continue
to
drive
costs.
This
will
place
increased
demand
on
costs.2
Alumni
associations
will
need
to
consider
developing
new
funding
and
development
models
and/or
methods
of
reducing
costs
in
order
to
meet
the
shortfall
in
available
capital.
Customer
Purchasing
Power
Customer
purchasing
power
is
the
value
of
money
in
terms
of
the
amount
of
good
or
service
that
the
money
can
buy.
A
donation
made
today
will
likely
be
of
less
value
in
the
future
because
of
inflation.
“The
buying
power
of
Americans
continues
to
be
weaker
than
it
was
when
the
recession
hit
four
years
ago”
and
this
is
shown
by
an
“inflation-­‐adjusted
median
household
income
falling
4.4%
since
2009.”3
Alumni’s
disposable
income
is
not
worth
as
much
now
as
it
was
in
the
past.
This
leaves
little
room
for
donations,
because
the
dollar
is
worth
less.
In
the
future,
there
will
be
added
pressure
on
the
alumni
associations
to
raise
larger
amounts
of
donations
to
fund
activities,
such
as
banquets
or
leadership
retreats.
Alumni
associations
will
have
to
find
different
marketing
opportunities,
improve
communications,
and
improve
school
spirit
so
there
is
an
incentive
to
donate
despite
declining
customer
purchasing
power.
Income
Differences/Distribution
Income
distribution
disparity
refers
to
the
fact
that
there
are
gaps
between
different
income
brackets
in
the
US,
which
affects
the
rise
in
the
overall
economy.
Alumni
associations
need
to
stay
in
contact
with
successful
alumni
who
have
disposable
income,
rather
than
asking
alumni
who
are
not
as
successful
after
college.
Alumni
with
larger
amounts
of
disposable
income
are
more
willing
to
give
larger
donations
to
their
alma
maters.
In
the
future,
alumni
associations
need
to
network
with
more
established
alumni
in
order
to
reach
alumni
with
disposable
income
who
are
also
willing
to
donate.
The
associations
should
not
contact
alumni
who
are
not
established
in
their
careers,
like
unemployed
alumni
who
have
graduated
less
than
a
year
ago.
This
connection
will
result
in
more
successful
alumni
who
can
give
back
to
the
university.
When
alumni
associations
contact
alumni,
the
alumni
will
be
more
willing
to
donate
time
and
money.
Ultimately,
this
will
develop
a
stronger
sense
of
pride
within
the
universities’
students
and
alumni.
Shifts
in
Relative
Demand
for
Different
Categories
of
Goods
and
Services
Alumni
associations
are
competing
with
fraternities,
sororities,
organizations
on
campus,
sporting
teams,
scholarship
funds,
professional
groups,
and
other
alumni
groups
for
2
http://www.napagroup.com/pdf/Alumni%20Association%20Funding%20Survey.pdf
3
http://seattletimes.com/html/businesstechnology/2021661028_incomerecessionxml.html

19. 19
donations.
There
are
many
other
groups
on
and
off
campus
that
can
take
alumni’s
time
and
money
from
alumni
associations.
In
the
future,
colleges
and
universities
need
to
initiate
and
keep
strong
bonds
with
alumni
while
the
alumni
are
still
in
school.
This
can
be
done
by
emphasizing
to
alumni
the
importance
of
giving
back
to
their
communities
and
schools.
It
will
result
in
alumni
being
taken
off
the
call
list
and
giving
money
to
organizations
not
fully
associated
with
the
school
endowment
fund.
Labor
Markets
and
Unemployment
Rates
The
unemployment
rate
is
the
percentage
of
the
workforce
that
is
unemployed
but
searching
for
a
job.
In
relation
to
alumni
associations,
the
significance
of
the
unemployment
rate
lies
in
the
portion
of
that
percentage
that
consists
of
alumni.
Alumni
are
losing
their
jobs,
and
alumni
associations
are
not
always
aware
of
the
employment
status
of
each
individual
alumnus.
National
employment
rates
affect
alumni
from
all
schools
and
can
negatively
impact
donation
rates.
In
the
future,
alumni
associations
should
generate
strong
enough
ties
with
alumni
to
encourage
alumni
to
come
back
to
their
alma
maters
and
receive
job
search
assistance.
Alumni
associations
can
create
these
ties
by
notifying
alumni
when
job
fairs
and
other
networking
opportunities
occur
on
campus.
Alumni
associations
should
also
set
up
a
regional
database
to
help
link
alumni
in
similar
regional
networks
when
a
downturn
occurs
in
the
economy.
If
the
economy
is
weak,
this
can
thoroughly
affect
alumni
associations’
donations,
because
alumni
will
not
donate
disposable
income
if
the
future
does
not
look
promising
and
alumni
associations
offer
no
help.
Social
Changes
in
Social
Values
and
Attitudes
Changes
in
social
values
and
attitudes
are
the
changes
in
behavior
based
on
shifts
in
values
and
opinions.
Alumni
associations
depend
heavily
on
the
opinions
and
attitudes
of
donors,
because
shifts
in
loyalty
affect
willingness
to
donate
time
and
money.
People
will
only
become
involved
in
an
organization
if
they
feel
a
connection
to
that
organization.
If
social
values
and
attitudes
shift
in
favor
of
college
education,
it
will
generate
higher
loyalty
and
satisfaction
within
students.
Alumni
associations
can
expect
to
see
an
increase
in
membership
if
values
shift
in
that
direction.
The
opposite
is
true—if
social
values
and
attitudes
shift
away
from
loyalty
to
people’s
alma
maters,
alumni
associations
can
expect
decreased
involvement.
In
order
to
prepare
for
these
shifts
in
social
values
and
attitudes,
it
is
imperative
that
alumni
associations
remain
up-­‐to-­‐date
on
the
opinions
of
current
and
former
students.
This
could
be
completed
through
collecting
surveys
about
the
level
of
satisfaction
with
the
alumni
association,
as
well
as
word
of
mouth.
Lifestyle
Issues
For
the
purposes
of
this
analysis,
lifestyle
issues
include
factors
such
as
stress
levels,
life
activities,
and
priorities.
Lifestyle
issues
are
an
important
factor
to
alumni
associations,
because
it
is
a
major
determinant
in
deciding
who
is
able
and
willing
to
donate
time
and
money
to
the
organization.
If
alumni
are
struggling
to
provide
food,
clothing,
or
shelter
for

20. 20
themselves
or
their
families,
they
will
be
more
likely
to
donate
their
time,
rather
than
their
money,
to
alumni
associations.
The
reverse
is
true
as
well.
If
alumni
are
constantly
busy
with
work,
family,
or
other
obligations,
it
is
unlikely
they
will
donate
their
time
to
alumni
associations,
but
they
may
be
willing
to
donate
their
money.
In
order
to
prepare
for
these
different
lifestyle
issues,
it
is
important
that
alumni
associations
understand
the
different
lifestyles
of
various
alumni.
When
alumni
associations
know
this
information,
it
is
easier
to
establish
connections
and
maintain
relationships
with
alumni.
Education
Education
refers
to
the
level
of
schooling
a
person
has
received.
It
can
also
refer
to
the
result
produced
by
instruction,
training,
or
study.4
Education
is
imperative
to
alumni
associations,
because
in
order
to
be
a
member
of
an
alumni
association,
the
member
must
have
graduated
from
a
university.
The
associations
are
comprised
of
people
with
a
diverse
level
of
education,
including
bachelor’s,
master’s,
and
doctorate
degrees.
People
with
multiple
degrees
from
different
universities
may
have
to
divide
their
attention
between
multiple
alumni
associations.
This
is
where
loyalty
for
the
university
becomes
extremely
important.
People
will
most
likely
donate
to
the
school
they
feel
gave
them
the
best
education
and
put
them
on
the
path
to
success.
There
are
many
reasons
alumni
give
back
to
their
schools—to
show
appreciation
for
the
education
and
development
the
school
provided
them,
to
provide
others
with
similar
experiences,
to
stay
connected
to
the
college
community,
and
to
reap
the
social
and
emotional
benefits
associated
with
being
donors.5
People
attend
college
to
receive
an
education,
life
skills,
and
preparation
for
the
future,
so
it
is
important
that
these
basic
needs
are
met
by
colleges.
These
individuals
are
more
likely
to
be
involved
in
alumni
associations
if
they
feel
they
had
a
great
college
experience
and
are
leaving
with
an
excellent
education.
They
will
have
more
loyalty
for
the
school,
and
therefore,
they
will
be
more
likely
to
give
back
by
donating
time
and
money
to
alumni
associations.
Demographics:
Age,
Marital
Status
and,
Income
Levels
Demographics
include
factors
of
alumni,
such
as
marital
status
and
income
level,
that
effect
alumni
involvement
in
alumni
associations.
These
factors
impact
involvement
in
alumni
associations.
Lower
income
levels
limit
the
resources
available
to
donate.
In
an
in-­‐depth
survey,
one
alumnus
said
that
he
anticipates
being
more
involved
once
he
is
married
and
has
a
family,
indicating
that
marital
status
also
impacts
involvement.
Lower
income
levels
and
a
“single”
marital
status
are
likely
to
decrease
involvement
in
alumni
associations.
Since
the
1970s,
the
percentage
of
those
never
married
has
been
steadily
increasing,
while
the
marriage
rate
has
been
decreasing.
However,
the
rate
has
consistently
been
51
percent
since
20106,
and
it
is
expected
to
increase
in
the
near
future
because
of
economic
growth.7
The
age
of
first
marriage
has
also
increased.
Like
marriage
rates,
pay
increases
have
been
4
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/education?s=t
5
https://www.alumnifactor.com/node/5854
6
http://www.pewresearch.org/data-­‐trend/society-­‐and-­‐demographics/marriage/
7
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/06/17/marriage-­‐trends-­‐demographics/2424641/

21. 21
consistent
recently.
During
2014,
base
pay
increases
will
be
at
3
percent
for
the
second
year
in
a
row.
This
is
one
point
below
pre-­‐recession
levels.8
These
demographics
have
the
ability
to
both
positively
and
negatively
influence
alumni
associations.
The
pay
increases
signify
that
employed
alumni
will
likely
have
the
resources
to
donate
to
these
associations.
With
the
predicted
increase
in
marriage
rates,
more
couples
who
are
ready
to
settle
down
will
increase
their
involvement
in
alumni
associations.
However,
the
raising
marriage
age
indicates
that
encouraging
the
involvement
of
recent
graduates
will
be
increasingly
difficult.
Psychographic
Trends
Psychographics
is
the
study
of
values,
attitudes,
interests,
and
lifestyles.
Psychographic
factors
are
called
IAO
variables,
because
the
factors
are
variables
related
to
interests,
activities,
and
opinions.
Individuals’
values
and
interests
influence
where
they
are
willing
to
donate
their
time
and
money.
During
the
Great
Recession,
people
valued
saving
money.
Savings
doubled
from
3
percent
to
6
percent
during
the
recession,
but
by
November
2013,
savings
had
decreased
to
4
percent
while
spending
increased.
The
savings
rate
is
expected
to
go
back
to
pre-­‐recession
levels.9
Alumni
associations
will
benefit
from
the
increased
spending
and
decreased
savings,
since
alumni
may
consider
donating
some
of
the
resources
that
previously
would
have
been
saved.
To
increase
incoming
donations,
the
associations
will
have
to
provide
a
service
that
alumni
will
find
useful
and
then
successfully
communicate
these
benefits.
Population
Trends
Population
trends
may
impact
involvement
in
alumni
associations.
In
the
United
States,
there
was
a
decrease
in
birth
rates
temporarily
because
of
the
recession,
but
the
population
is
expected
to
grow
because
of
birth
rates
and
immigration.10
From
2000
to
2010,
the
percentage
of
18
to
24-­‐year-­‐olds
increased
12
percent,
and
the
percentage
of
this
group
enrolled
in
college
increased
by
6
percent.11
In
addition,
the
elderly
population
will
double
between
2005
and
2050.
In
that
timeframe,
the
Latino
population
will
triple
and
whites
will
be
the
minority
by
2050.12
The
trend
seems
to
be
evidence
of
a
greater
number
of
college-­‐age
individuals
and
increased
enrollment
in
the
future.
Much
of
the
new
growth
in
enrollment
will
most
likely
include
a
greater
number
of
non-­‐white
students
due
to
immigration.
With
higher
enrollment,
alumni
associations
will
have
to
reconsider
communication
strategies.
Older
alumni
tend
to
be
most
actively
involved,
so
the
increase
in
elderly
population
will
increase
alumni
involvement.
Alumni
associations
must
establish
the
best
methods
to
attract
the
alumni
that
are
more
likely
to
be
engaged.
The
associations
must
also
address
communication
with
increased
enrollment.
Higher
enrollment
does
not
8
https://www.shrm.org/hrdisciplines/compensation/articles/pages/2014-salary-increases-
flat.aspx?homepage=mpc?homepage%3Dmpc
9
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/a-familiar-economic-trend-in-america-spending-up-saving-
down/2013/12/26/c916c814-6e72-11e3-a523-fe73f0ff6b8d_story.html
10
http://www.prb.org/Publications/Datasheets/2012/world-population-data-sheet/fact-sheet-world-population.aspx
11
http://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=98
12
http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2008/02/11/us-population-projections-2005-2050/

22. 22
necessarily
equate
to
a
greater
percentage
of
engaged
alumni.
In
fact,
it
may
be
more
difficult
to
reach
a
larger
number
of
alumni,
so
communication
will
be
vital
in
improving
alumni
engagement
with
an
increase
in
the
number
of
alumni.
One
final
issue
the
associations
have
to
address
is
a
strategy
for
dealing
with
diversity.
Creating
affinity
groups
within
alumni
associations
is
one
possible
solution.
In
the
future,
it
will
be
especially
important
to
increase
engagement
of
diverse
alumni
to
adjust
to
the
population
change.
Technological
Current
State-­‐of-­‐the-­‐Art
and
Anticipated
Changes
Social
media
technology
is
constantly
changing
the
methods
of
communication.
New
ways
to
communicate
and
network
are
emerging,
and
alumni
are
going
to
be
using
both
new
and
old
technologies.
Alumni
associations
will
need
to
remain
on
top
of
the
social
media
platform
to
have
the
widest
coverage
and
communicate
with
the
most
alumni.
Alumni
associations
need
to
maintain
old
social
media
platforms,
which
some
alumni
may
still
use,
while
adapting
to
new
platforms
to
reach
out
to
the
more
technology-­‐savvy
alumni.
The
alumni
associations
that
have
easily
accessible
information,
publicity,
and
outlets
for
the
alumni
will
be
the
most
successful.
With
the
current
and
emerging
social
media
platforms
and
websites,
alumni
associations
will
have
the
chance
to
connect
with
more
alumni.
More
opportunities
for
alumni
to
connect
with
their
alumni
associations
create
a
greater
chance
to
gain
more
members.
New
Products
or
Services
That
Will
Become
Technologically
Feasible
Alumni
associations
will
have
to
manage
state-­‐of-­‐the-­‐art
technologies.
The
most
common
are
social
media
outlets,
such
as
mobile
applications
and
websites.
When
new
social
websites
and
apps
become
available,
people
begin
to
use
these
at
different
levels
of
activity.
For
example,
MySpace
once
was
the
superior
form
of
social
media
online.
However,
Facebook
made
a
massive
change
in
how
people
connected
by
allowing
users
to
determine
which
direction
the
website
would
take.
This
drew
users
away
from
MySpace
and
onto
Facebook.13
These
shifts
in
social
media
usage
will
continue
to
occur.
The
social
media
environment
is
constantly
changing.
Established
social
media
names
and
new
small
developers
are
creating
new
applications,
websites,
and
technology
ideas
every
day.
Currently,
Facebook
is
still
one
of
the
biggest
social
media
sites
with
128
million
unique
users
each
month—on
the
website
alone—but
other
outlets
of
social
communication
like
Google+
and
Twitter
still
have
dedicated
users.14
New
ways
to
communicate
are
also
emerging.
Examples
include
live
streaming
events
on
websites
like
Twitch.com,
video
chats,
and
conferences
using
programs
like
Skype.
Alumni
associations
need
to
know
the
value
of
creating
and
maintaining
social
media
accounts,
because
it
allows
users
to
easily
access
information
and
gains
publicity
for
the
associations.
As
the
main
social
media
13http://www.forbes.com/sites/adamhartung/2011/01/14/why-­‐facebook-­‐beat-­‐myspace/
14
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/02/19/the-­‐loyal-­‐users-­‐of-­‐google-­‐plus-­‐say-­‐it-­‐is-­‐no-­‐ghost-­‐
town/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0