University of Montana Alumni Association Strategic Plan 2012-202


Mission

The mission of The University of Montana Alumni Association (UMAA) is to create and sustain meaningful and lifelong connections between alumni and friends of The University of Montana (UM) and each other.

Vision Statement

To be recognized as a leader in alumni engagement through establishing valuable lifelong connections between alumni, friends of UM, and each other and empowering the UM global community to support and advance UM in its pursuit of excellence.

I.   Maintain UMAA programming, including in-reach, outreach and other member communications and benefits.

Alumni programs, services, benefits and communication are designed to strengthen the relationship between UM and its alumni, students, campus community and friends. By encouraging lifelong connections to UM, UMAA works to bolster support for UM in a variety of areas, including volunteerism, event attendance, student interaction, admissions recruitment and financial contributions.

Actions

  • Design events and services that will have broad-based appeal and support.
  • Design events and services that will appeal to specific groups in order to foster participation in affinity programs.
  • Increase benefits-based programs and opportunities for members.

II. Facilitate involvement by alumni in programs that enrich students.

Provide opportunities for and facilitate alumni participation in student programs such as the President’s Global Leadership Initiative (GLI), focusing on creating meaningful one-on-one connections between students and alumni. Engaged, enriched students become engaged, enriched alumni.

Actions

  • Continue UMAA’s awards program.
  • Create an alumni guest lecture opportunity program including expanded Distinguished Alumni Award panel conversations.
  • Develop and maintain a list of alumni qualified to conduct GLI seminars in support of the President’s initiative.
  • Utilize faculty to create a database of alumni already participating in lectures and gauge faculty/administration interest in the need for this idea.
  • Partner with Enrollment Services/Admissions to expand alumni participation in the recruitment of students.
  • Identify alumni that are willing to counsel students/graduates on career placement (career mentoring).

III.   Provide an avenue for alumni to actively engage in advocacy to support higher education.

Significant funding flows from state and federal appropriations. Actively engaging alumni in advocacy provides a good opportunity for partnering with UM and UMAA to influence decisions regarding higher education funding.

Actions

  • Develop a legislative strategy in cooperation with UM prior to the legislative session.
  • Develop a database of interested alumni and provide training and structure regarding their role in advocacy.
  • Educate alumni about advocacy needs, the importance of promoting issues and candidates who support and promote higher education, and the significant issues facing both the Montana Legislature and U.S. Congress.
  • Publish summaries of candidates’ positions on UM/higher education issues.

IV.   Strengthen the bond between affinity groups and UM, using core identifiers such as ethnicity, academic clubs, etc.

Affinity group involvement reaches alumni at a level that is important to them, while strengthening their engagement in UMAA and creating improved opportunities for career networking.

Actions

  • Develop a list of all the existing affinity groups, identify leaders among them and help them stay connected with graduates and current students stay connected after graduation.
  • Advertise and promote the current affinity groups.
  • Identify opportunities for and potential leaders of new affinity groups.
  • Utilize graduation paperwork to identify graduating seniors’ affiliations and invite their affiliation to one of the existing groups.

V.   Identify and secure sustainable funding. Work cooperatively with UM Foundation (UMF) to meet mutual goals and to identify and secure donations for the Alumni Center.

Sustainable funding is the foundation for all our work, allowing us to implement our other goals.

Actions

  • Research current trends from other alumni associations and emulate their successes.
  • Develop strong campus funding partners by engaging the President and UMF in a dialogue about this goal.
  • Evaluate all current and potential new programs and commit to implementing them based on feedback from the UMAA Board of Directors (BOD) and the House of Delegates.

Accountability to the Strategic Plan

  • UMAA’s mission, vision and goals will be on the BOD meeting agendas and will be read aloud and reviewed and progress measured at each meeting.
  • The strategic plan will be prominently displayed on the UMAA website.
  • The strategic plan will be reviewed with new BOD members at their orientation.
  • Meeting agenda outlines will mirror/include the five strategic plan goals.

Addendum & Potential Strategies
Strategic Goals,
Connectionto UM 2020, and
Original/Unedited Suggested Tactics

A-I. Identify and secure sustainable funding.

Connection to 2020

  1. Partnering for Student Success - The University will help its students succeed academically and personally so they graduate well-prepared for their careers or further education.
  2. Dynamic Learning Environment - UM will enhance its character as a place where people are passionate about learning, discovery and growth.
  3. The Planning-Assessment Continuum - The University will model transparency, systematic communication and sound decision-making to ensure that resources are marshaled to achieve UM’s mission.

Tactics for Responsible Committee/Entity

  1. Duplicate what other Alumni Associations are doing; emulate their successes on this topic.
  2. Develop campus funding partners.
  3. Engage and President and the Foundation in a serious dialogue about this goal.
  4. Evaluate all the current programs.
  5. Evaluate all potential new programs.
  6. Choose those that make the most sense and commit to them.
  7. Once a draft plan is formulated, share it with the House of Delegates and ask for their feedback about it.
  8. Select and implement the best ideas.

Responsibility

The Finance Committee will take initial responsibility for developing tactics.

Measures of Success

  • Expanded outreach and in-reach programs
  • Increased revenue to meet the goals of the association.

A-II. Facilitate involvement by Alumni in programs that enrich students.

Connection to 2020

  1. Partnering for Student Success - The University will help its students succeed academically and personally so they graduate well-prepared for their careers or further education.
  2. Education for the Global Century - UM will offer an educational experience at all degree levels that provides graduates the foundation to make positive impacts on a world that is increasingly interconnected.
  3. Discovery and Creativity to Serve Montana and the World - The University will transform discovery and creativity into knowledge, applications and experiences in ways that benefit the state, region nation and world.
  4. Dynamic Learning Environment - UM will enhance its character as a place where people are passionate about learning, discovery and growth.

Tactics for Responsible Committee/Entity

  1. Create an Alumni guest lecture opportunity program.
  2. Seek DAA panel conversations.
  3. Continue the Association’s Awards program.
  4. Evaluate interest and progress.
  5. Create a database from faculty on who among the Alumni already participate.
  6. Ask the Planning Committee to discuss with a number of Deans and/or the Cabinet to inquire about their interest and need for this idea.
  7. Expand the recruitment of students.
  8. At Homecoming events, invite GLI, Career Services, Admissions, Internship Services, and the Foundation to discuss this opportunity; see where we can facilitate connections and collaborations.

Responsibility

The Planning & Awards Committees will take initial responsibility for developing tactics.

Measures of Success

  • Faculty will see the Alumni Association office as a resource for connections to experts, speakers and other resources among the Alumni.
  • Students, faculty, and administration are more keenly aware of the Association and its work.

A-III. Provide an avenue for Alumni to actively engage in advocacy to support higher education.

Connection to 2020

  1. Partnering for Student Success - The University will help its students succeed academically and personally so they graduate well-prepared for their careers or further education.
  2. Education for the Global Century - UM will offer an educational experience at all degree levels that provides graduates the foundation to make positive impacts on a world that is increasingly interconnected.
  3. Discovery and Creativity to Serve Montana and the World - The University will transform discovery and creativity into knowledge, applications and experiences in ways that benefit the state, region nation and world.          
  4. Dynamic Learning Environment - UM will enhance its character as a place where people are passionate about learning, discovery and growth.
  5. The Planning-Assessment Continuum - The University will model transparency, systematic communication and sound decision-making to ensure that resources are marshaled to achieve UM’s mission.

Tactics for Responsible Committee/Entity

  1. Maintain and grow a database of interested Alumni.
  2. Develop a legislative strategy in cooperation with the University prior to the Legislature. Coordinate our efforts.
  3. Provide training and structure to Alumni about how to and what to say, and to whom.
  4. Querying our current database, find out what level of participation people might be interested in on this activity.
  5. Educate the Alumni about the advocacy needs.
  6. Help people who care about education get informed on issues concerning higher ed. To help educate people by publishing or re-publishing existing survey results from other sources and summaries of candidates’ positions on issues. Sources of this information could be OCHE and others.
  7. Educate the Alumni about the big issues at both the Montana Legislature and Congress.
  8. Print responses about our most important issues from all levels of government.

Responsibility

Create an Advocacy Committee that will be responsible for developing tactics based on these actions and suggestions from the Strategic Planning Committee (see appendix of tactics)

Measures of Success

  • The University can recruit and retain highly quality faculty and staff.
  • A stronger University infrastructure exists including a replacement for the College of Technology Building.
  • Legislators and Congressional Delegation members are well aware of the Alumni’s support of higher education.
  • Higher education is highly valued and prioritized among all the budget choices made by policy makers.

A-IV. Strengthen the bond between the affinity groups and the University, using core identifiers such as ethnicity, academic clubs, etc.

Connection to 2020

  1. Partnering for Student Success - The University will help its students succeed academically and personally so they graduate well-prepared for their careers or further education.
  2. Education for the Global Century - UM will offer an educational experience at all degree levels that provides graduates the foundation to make positive impacts on a world that is increasingly interconnected.
  3. Discovery and Creativity to Serve Montana and the World - The University will transform discovery and creativity into knowledge, applications and experiences in ways that benefit the state, region nation and world.
  4. Dynamic Learning Environment - UM will enhance its character as a place where people are passionate about learning, discovery and growth.

Tactics for Responsible Committee/Entity

  1. Develop a list of all the existing affinity groups.
  2. Identify leaders among each affinity group.
  3. Identify who is interested in forming affinity groups.
  4. Utilize the paperwork that students fill out as they are about to graduate to invite their affiliation to one of the existing groups.
  5. Advertise and promote the current affinity groups.
  6. Help the existing on-campus affinity groups stay connected with graduates, and current students stay connected after graduation. Develop the methodology of these links and contacts.
  7. Work with and meet with the Associated Students of UM and the University community.

Responsibility

Staff of the Office of Alumni Relations will be responsible for developing tactics based on these actions and suggestions from the Strategic Planning Committee (see appendix of tactics)

Measures of Success

  • The Association and affinity groups will experience mutual benefit from this collaboration.
  • The Association will experience growth in the number of dues paying members, by drawing in additional people.
  • Student success will be supported by providing contact between graduates with affinity group history and current students who are members of affinity groups.

A-V. Maintain the Association’s programming, including in-reach, outreach and other member communications and benefits.

Responsibility

Staff of the Office of Alumni Relations will be responsible for developing tactics based on these actions and suggestions from the Strategic Planning Committee.

Measures of Success

  • Increased attendance at alumni programs and events
  • Increased participation by alumni in volunteer opportunities
  • Increased numbers of affinity groups and membership
*For a PDF version of the Strategic Plan, please contact us at 406-243-5211