alumniConnect

=alumniConnect - Alumni Professional & Social Online Networking Project= Mike Williams The Office of Development and Alumni Relations

Background This project is a direct outcome of the UWA Strategic Plan for Alumni Relations 2007 – 2011. This plan seeks to drive a stronger, more comprehensive and coordinated alumni programme. A key aspect of this programme is to draw alumni together into a lifetime of involvement with the University. The University has a solid tradition of cultivating meaningful and lasting relationships with its alumni. The alumni however, not only want to have an ongoing relationship with the University but they have expressed a desire to form relationships and groups with other alumni.

Currently the University utilises many different online and offline channels of communication with their alumni. One of the most important tools for developing interactive communication with the alumni is the UWA website. This provides a focus for communication and relationship building. The UWA Office of Development and Alumni Relations determined that the existing web presence required enhancement to better take advantage of emerging opportunities and technologies for developing relationships with and between its alumni.

The Office of Development decided to investigate the online community applications available that focused on alumni relations. One of the important criteria for selecting any online communities’ application was its ability to integrate with the Raiser’s Edge database that is being used to manage all alumni interactions, including event management and fund raising. Following this investigation a decision was made to utilise the iModules Encompass application to develop the online environment for hosting UWA’s alumni online communities. This decision was based upon its ease of installation; it’s hosting environment and the many features its offers as well as whole-of-life costing.

Project Aims • Determine and meet the key stakeholders’ needs and requirements in developing and utilising an alumniConnect • Provide opportunities for alumni to engage with each other and their University, and provide a University-wide focus for Faculties and Schools in engaging with their alumni • Provide an integrated solution utilising established Web 2.0 social networking technologies to create an online environment to facilitate these online communities. More specifically this will involve: • Implementation of Encompass • Integration with other social networking technologies e.g. Facebook • Integration with the University’s CRM database Raiser’s Edge • Integration with the University’s ecommerce gateway

Timeline & Current progress This project started formally in November 2008. The first few months were spent undergoing a due diligence of the American venders’ contract thus ensuring that Australian data and privacy principles would be supported. Currently we are reviewing the prototype of alumniConnect. This will be developed into a fully functional application and will be piloted in Oct-Nov 2009 using three distinct UWA alumni groups: London, Victoria, Australia and a local WA alumni group

This pilot will trial all the social networking functionality available as well as news and events module that will allow online booking and payment for alumni events around the world.

Challenges There were/are a number of major challenges that confront the project team: • Working with an overseas vendor with no common business hours between the two organisations • Formulating effective marketing strategies to encourage ongoing alumni use of alumniConnect. This is a longer term challenge that needs to dovetail into the University’s broader alumni engagement strategies. • Balancing the University’s needs, particularly in the area of protocols and procedure, with the perceived needs of our alumni who will ultimately use (or not) alumniConnect.

People Involved

Office of Development: • Pippa Worthington (Manager: Alumni Relations) • Anne Webster (Manager: Development Services) • Mike Williams(Project Officer: Online Communities)

The Office of Public Affairs • Grant Malcolm (Manager: University Website Office)

Student Services • John Murray (Assistant Director, Student Information and Systems) • Lisa Cluett (Senior Project Officer - UWA Online Student Journey Project)

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Mr Michael Williams Project Officer (Online Communities) Development, Office of Phone 6488 4269 MBDP M361 Email michael.williams@uwa.edu.au