Limited Resources, Big Impact: Scaling Alumni Engagement Across Campus-Recording

Video Transcription

Video Summary

The webinar focused on scaling alumni and student engagement across campus with limited resources, using the Graduate from Gravity platform. Christy Graham introduced the session, highlighting its recording accessibility and resources availability for later reference. The panelists included Union Theological Seminary staff discussing their experiences and strategies in implementing the Graduate platform, branded as UTS Connect at their institution.<br /><br />Topics covered included the challenges faced due to staffing, diverse department needs, budget constraints, and the need for a tech-savvy, flexible tool aligned with Union’s identity. The Graduate platform was chosen for its suitability to manage diverse alumni and student needs, providing a community engagement tool that supports alumni with career opportunities and networking.<br /><br />David Gassert elaborated on the importance of integrating various departments to ensure efficient utilization of the platform, while Abby Asgorelli emphasized the extension of community from pre-matriculation to alumni for continuous engagement. Joanna Lewin highlighted cross-generational mentorship and collaboration as vital for success. Meanwhile, Rebecca Schramm discussed centralized job resources and supporting career progress for both students and alumni.<br /><br />The panelists emphasized building community trust, aligning platform usage with the institutional mission, and fostering collaboration. A phased strategy for gradual rollout and listening to the constituents were key strategies in driving adoption and ensuring the platform effectively met the community's needs. They also considered using alumni council members as engagement ambassadors to enhance group activity and reduce the moderation burden.<br /><br />Overall, the session stressed the advantages of a unified platform in enhancing connectivity, career support, and community building, especially for institutions with limited resources.

Keywords

alumni engagement

student engagement

Graduate platform

UTS Connect

community building

career opportunities

networking

cross-generational mentorship

resource constraints

institutional mission