Global alumni relations

The University at Albany’s International Education Leadership Expert Series presents a module with Dr. Gretchen Dobson, Ed.D. to create, expand and deepen your global network of active and engaged alumni worldwide.

 

January 7, 2025 – January 16, 2025

 

Registration Fee: $399

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About the module

An institution exists because of its students, and its graduates. Increasingly, graduates of educational students are located abroad. Some are international students who came and then returned home upon graduation. Others are domestic graduates who choose to live abroad as transnational, or expatriate alumni. In the case of some institutions, global alumni numbers in the thousands or tens of thousands. In a great many institutions, there are hundreds. In the case of most institutions, there has been little sustained effort to cultivate and engage this hidden global asset. This course focuses on explicit strategies and techniques that can be used to improve global alumni relations.

Global Alumni Relations as a course is designed to provide leaders with the skills and competencies needed to assess institutional readiness to invest in a global alumni relations strategy, and methods for communicating the value proposition to an internal institutional audience. Special emphasis is placed on virtual alumni and stakeholder engagement and how to build sustainable and mutually beneficial relationships. Each student will incorporate key course learnings to create a Global Alumni Relations 12-Month Project Plan.

Successful completion of this course will result in a digital micro-credential acknowledging completion of this professional development expert module from the International Education Management & Leadership Program at the University at Albany (SUNY).

Who Should Attend?

• Deans and Directors of International Programs interested in developing an institution-wide approach to global alumni and constituent relations
• Directors of Alumni Relations Programs interested in starting a global alumni department
• New global alumni relations officers (central, faculty/school-based)

Who Should Attend?

• Existing global alumni relations officers seeking additional knowledge and capacity
• Directors of Careers and Employability Services who engage or want to engage more international alumni in programming, direct student support and placement services.
• International Education Officers interested in understanding the value proposition of global alumni relations (e.g., marketing, recruitment, study abroad).

Who Should Attend?

• Associations, consortia, government and other organizations with strong beneficiary and supporter networks, e.g., Rotary International, Fulbright Commission, Children’s hospital, religious seminaries, etc.
• New or current students enrolled in a Graduate Certificate or a MA IEML at the University at Albany. Other graduate students in the School of Education and Educational Policy and Leadership programs may enroll with permission of the IEML Program Director.

Expert Series Presenter

Dr. Gretchen Dobson, Ed.D.

For additional resources and commentary, see
https://www.linkedin.com/in/gretchendobson/

Gretchen Dobson is a global engagement strategist, author and academic with 30 years’ experience working across six continents. In 2022, she joined Tetra Tech International Development as Associate Director, Scholarships focusing on advancing professional development and lifelong learning initiatives for clients and partners across Indo-Pacific and Southeast Asia.

I addition, Gretchen leads an established independent international alumni relations consultancy which advises educational institutions, CEOs, governing boards, embassies, and policymakers on best practices to identify, track, engage, and manage relationships with their global stakeholders and brand ambassadors.

Dobson is the author of Being Global: Making the Case for International Alumni Relations (CASE Books, 2011), the International Travel Handbook (Academic Impressions, 2014), edited Staying Global: how international alumni relations advances the agenda (EAIE, 2015), and co-authored Engaging International Alumni as Strategic Partners (NAFSA, 2021).

Gretchen received her BA and MA from Boston College, and EdD from the University of Pennsylvania. She currently holds adjunct faculty appointments with Boston College and the University at Albany. In 2022 she joined the Board of Directors of ISEP Study Abroad.

Based in New South Wales, Australia, Gretchen is a certified international yoga teacher. Alongside yoga, she loves to hike, travel, cook, garden, read and share time with family and friends.

  • Students will receive a set of resources tailored to the course, both readings, podcasts, case studies, articles and workbook materials (e.g., Global Alumni Relations 12-month Project Plan Template).
  • Required readings:
    • Dobson, Gretchen. Being Global: Making the Case for International Alumni Relations (CASE Books, 2011) & International Travel Handbook: Engaging Constituents Abroad (Academic Impressions, 2014). Provided by instructor.
  • Recommended readings:
    • Rincon, Sandra and Gretchen Dobson. Engaging International Alumni as Strategic Partners (NAFSA, 2021)
  • Other recommended readings and resources: TBC
  1. Readiness Assessment Techniques: how to assess readiness to invest in global alumni relations and how to communicate the value proposition for global alumni relations and program.
    1. 4 Pillars of Engagement.
    2. 6 main reasons why we engage global alumni (including families and other institutional stakeholders).
    3. Requisite resources for sustainable programs.
  2. Planning Across the Organization: what you need to know if alumni relations is not your primary focus and how to refresh your approach and update your toolkit if your portfolio centers on global alumni engagement.
    1. International database management (including transnational alumni).
    2. International volunteer management.
    3. Staffing (Cross-Training) and Partnerships (Consortia, Families and Government).
    4. How to develop internal alignment and support for investing in global alumni relations.
  3. Virtual Community Engagement: digital techniques to engage global alumni communities.
    1. Reinventing annual or signature in-person events to engage broader alumni community.
    2. Using virtual means to upskill and train global alumni volunteers to become brand ambassadors.
    3. International marketing and recruitment: successful partnerships with global alumni.
  4. Writing a Global Alumni Relations 12-month Project Plan.
    1. Prioritizing next steps with clear objectives every three months.
    2. Identifying metrics to assess progress and success at each stage of the Plan.
    3. Flexible planning models for creating new or updating existing strategies.
    4. How to involve international alumni and key stakeholders in the Plan.

Participants will each develop a 12-month Project Plan for Global Alumni Relations which will serve as evidence competency for the micro-credential.

Expert Series Design Structure

The synchronous sessions will include the following four meetings of 2 hours each via Zoom (UAlbany).

Synchronous Sessions:

  • Tuesday, January 7, 2024, 4pm – 6pm (EST)
  • Thursday, January 9, 2025, 4pm – 6pm (EST)
  • Tuesday, January 14, 2025, 4pm – 6pm (EST)
  • Thursday, January 16, 2025, 4pm – 6pm (EST)

Remaining class time will be in an asychronous format.  Instructions for connecting to synchronous/asynchronous sessions and accessing the online material will be provided after registration.

Registration Fee: $399

15% Discount on registration for SUNY employees and 3 or more registrations from the same institution.

Register Now

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