The activities for the Office of Alumni Relations will continue its efforts toward maintaining positive, supportive relationships with the Savannah State alumni constituency. The effective maintenance of these relationships will benefit SSU in the form of increased donor cultivation, and the generation of alumni - student recruitment, employment opportunities for students, and legislative advocates. The methods by which these goals will be achieved include (but are not limited to) class reunion programming, effective response to alumni requests, event planning to attract increased alumni campus visitation, increased organised chapter activity, continued search for lost alumni, enhanced communication and maintaining a strong, supportive relationship with the SSU National Alumni Association.

Realistically, it is difficult to assign bottom-line values to many of the goals mentioned. To that end, an annual random telephone survey will be instituted to determine our effectiveness and assist in strategic planning. One alumni chapter will be developed or reactivated annually. Enhancing our communication tools and distributing quarterly publications will be critical to increasing alumni participation in reunions and other campus events. We will also work to reduce the number of an estimated 4,000 lost alumnus (10,300 are currently on record) at the rate of 3-5% annually over the next five years.

Planning Unit: Office of Institutional Advancement

Person Responsible: Director of Alumni Affairs

Planning Objective: Class Reunion Programming. To further increase awareness and enhance the visibility of SSU via the development and implementation of annual programming activity for alumni to return the campus and make a commitment to the future of their alma mater. In support of the current year goal as established by the unit manager, the office of Alumni Affairs will focus on class reunion programming for our Silver and Golden Anniversary classes. All graduates in class years (on a five-year rotating basis, i.e. 2's and 7's) will be contacted either through this office (budget permitting) or via SSUNAA for gift solicitation purposes. Class reunion programming (new to SSU) provides a genuine opportunity for alumnus to get together and reminisce about their college days and re-enforces their commitment of support to SSU. Positive experiences and continued contact with the alumni office and opportunities to interact with classmates parlays social, political and economic benefits to the institution.

Action Plans

Planning Unit: Office of Institutional Advancement

Person Responsible: Director of Alumni Affairs

Planning Objective: We make new friends and/or maintain old ones daily for the institution. Providing assistance to alumni builds a level of trust between individual alumnus and SSU. Our efforts range from contacting an athletic recruiter about a particular athlete, finding dormitory space or a suitable living arrangement, having transcripts mailed, securing copies of campus programs to providing information on educational funds, admissions/recruitment, career opportunities, chapter information and locating long lost friends. Usually the person(s) helped will go out and tell others positive things about us and our willingness to help. Support for various programs at SSU is positively affected by the way people feel about their experiences as a student as well as how closely connected he/she feels after leaving

Action Plans

Planning Unit: Office of Institutional Advancement

Person Responsible: Director of Alumni Affairs

Planning Objectives: In an effort to keep alumni in touch with their campus and to encourage continued commitment to the future of the University, this office will be involved in event programming for various functions hosted at SSU and will promote active alumni involvement in those respective events. To broaden and increase alumni commitment to the University by making them feel like they are actually a part of theUniversity Family.

Action Plans

Planning Unit: Office of Institutional Advancement

Person Responsible: Director of Alumni Affairs

Planning Objectives: Chapter activity has become a major component of alumni support to the institution. Increased recognition of individual chapters by the institution will encourage other chapters to increase their activity and annual giving. Dollar amount goals for specific chapters have been ineffective thus far. Alumni chapters are critical to the longevity of the institution as these chapters serve as a local embassy for our alumni ambassadors. These embassies provide a network for marketing the institution in outlying areas and should be recognised as such. Increased chapter activity benefits local alumni as well as the institution. This type of activity keeps SSU visible in individual communities and assists us through these volunteers with student, faculty and staff recruitment, publicity and marketing and increases our economic support base.

Action Plans

Planning Unit: Office of Institutional Advancement

Person Responsible: Director of Alumni Affairs

Planning Objectives: To continue to promote the ongoing A Maintaining the Tie that Binds Campaign which was instituted to increased the number of living alumni with current addresses on the alumni database.

Action Plans

Planning Unit: Office of Institutional Advancement

Person Responsible: Director of Alumni Affairs

Planning Objectives: This constituency is important to the various campaigns / events that will be sponsored by this unit. There should be a positive working relationship at all times between the institution and this organization. It is particularly important gain support for efforts that parallel and/or intersect with those of SSUNAA.

Action Plans

Planning Unit: Office of Institutional Advancement

Person Responsible: Director of Alumni Affairs

Planning Objective: To keep alumni informed in a timely manner on events occurring at SSU as well as institutional needs. An informed alumni will be a more pro-active alumni. Timely, accurate communication will benefit SSU because alumni will be better informed on campus business. Alumnus will be better equipped to lobby for SSU needs with their locally elected state and national officials, recruit their respective talented students for SSU admission, recommend potential faculty and staff, and most importantly, provide vigorous support for various campus events, campaigns, etc. Sharing of pertinent information within the unit will help streamline activities as well as prevent the pitfalls of missed opportunities and strained relationships internally and externally.

Action Plans

Planning Unit: Office of Institutional Advancement

Person Responsible:

Planning Objective: To enhance the knowledge of advancement services and skill competence of staff through professional development. Continued professional development will assist in overall alumni programming as it will help to fine tune areas that are faltering, prevent us from re-inventing the wheel and allow the opportunity to exchange and share ideas and information that can benefit not only this information but advancement professionals in general.

Action Plans

The activities of this office can change almost daily with a phone call. Decisions must be made and adhered to with reference to priorities for alumni relations specifically and advancement in general. Inconsistency affects our total operation.

Budget cuts may adversely affect the extent of our operations, particularly in the areas of travel, duplication and mailing costs (our largest expense areas).

The tendency of chief advancement officers to be money-driven to the exclusion of everything else may need to be balanced by placing more emphasis on the oft overlooked component to build and maintain long-standing relationships with our alumni. These relationships are critical to the success of any campaign for support.