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

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Union Theological Seminary (UTS) is tackling the challenge of scaling alumni and student engagement across multiple departments without increasing headcount. This initiative responds to a broader issue where institutions, particularly smaller ones, struggle with resource constraints while attempting to maintain productive alumni networks and career support services.<br /><br />UTS implemented a phased launch of a unified digital platform, initially unveiled at an alumni reunion in March 2023. The initial rollout involved Alumni Affairs, Development, and Learning Innovation departments, quickly enrolling about 200 users. The platform aimed to enhance reunion experiences and foster cross-departmental collaboration.<br /><br />In subsequent phases, UTS expanded the platform’s application, first to alumni, then to current students. This expansion included developing a centralized job board, creating career groups, and introducing a mentorship network. The platform facilitates professional networking, enhances communication, and consolidates resource materials once hosted on Moodle. By June 2025, user numbers grew to 800, encompassing students and alumni, showcasing significant engagement and networking success.<br /><br />The platform emphasizes lifelong learning, offering courses, webinars, and forums aimed at keeping alumni connected with UTS’s educational mission. It also supports cultural alignment with UTS values of inclusivity and community.<br /><br />Key lessons include the pivotal role of strategic engagement, acknowledging unique community needs, and demonstrating that small organizations can effectively deploy large-scale platforms. The phase-specific rollout strategy has allowed UTS to create meaningful connections and a vibrant community by leveraging Alumni and Career Services while integrating student input during development.<br /><br />UTS’s case illustrates how institutions with limited resources can creatively use technology to accomplish broad-scale engagement across various stages of the educational and professional journey, ensuring ongoing community vitality.

Keywords

Union Theological Seminary

alumni engagement

student engagement

digital platform

career support

mentorship network

lifelong learning

strategic engagement

community building

resource constraints