The findings from the strategic assessment clearly indicate the need for a tailored, personal and technologically savvy approach to addressing the needs of Temple’s diverse and global alumni. Explore the 10 strategic priorities of the Strategic Plan.
Point One: Greater Involvement with Athletics and the Arts
Background:
Athletics and the arts remain two of the most vibrant and important ways Temple cultivates engagement with its alumni.
Goal(s):
Continue to build upon the pride and loyalty generated by the university’s athletics and arts departments to increase alumni engagement with Temple University Advancement Engagement, the TUAA and the university as a whole.
Recommendations:
- Expand athletic engagement experiences to include men’s and women’s Olympic sports in addition to football and basketball.
- Increase engagement of former student-athletes through targeted marketing.
- Expand arts-related engagement by leveraging student, alumni and faculty performances and exhibits on and around Main Campus as well as regionally and around the country.
- Partner with the Center for the Performing and Cinematic Arts to increase engagement of alumni artists and performers.
Point Two: Expand and Enhance TUAA Chapters and Societies
Background:
At present there are 24 regional alumni chapters of the TUAA: 18 domestic chapters and six international chapters. In addition, there are six alumni societies: the Temple University Young Alumni Association (TUYA), Temple University Black Alumni Alliance (TUBAA), Temple Women's Network (TWN), Temple University Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning Alumni (TLGBTQ), Temple Ambler Campus Alumni and Jewish Alumni Association.
Goal:
Enhance connections of alumni with one another, the university and the TUAA by facilitating engagement based on geographic location, individual identity and shared interests.
Recommendations:
- Create a tiered approach to regional chapter development and management.
- Identify and assess affinity-based affiliations for society development.
- Offer ongoing leadership development training, resources and networking opportunities for new and existing chapter/society leaders.
Point Three: Update TUAA Governance and Broader Inclusion of Increasingly Diverse Alumni
Background:
Concurrent with the overall strategic planning efforts, the Governance Task Force undertook a study of the TUAA's governance structure and operations. It made the following key observation: The TUAA governance would need to change to adopt the twin goals of greater inclusivity and efficiency and approved a timeline to adopt any proposed changes.
Goal:
Reorganize the TUAA Board of Directors to be more reflective of the constituencies it serves and to be more adaptable to growth and change.
Recommendations:
- Expand the TUAA into two overlapping groups:
- An Executive Board consisting of approximately 20 people focused on operations, finance, implementation of programming and coordination with Temple University Advancement Engagement.
- A Parliament consisting of 70 to 100 members allowing for broader representation of alumni constituents within the TUAA.
Point Four: Create Engagement Metrics Beyond Events and Attendance
Background:
Historically, Temple University Advancement Engagement has not had a comprehensive alumni engagement metrics program, meaning little data about alumni and their activities has been recorded. To date, the only data that has been recorded is giving activity, event attendance and volunteerism, the last two of which have been recorded partially and inconsistently.
Goal:
Advance the strategic goals and priorities of Temple University Advancement Engagement through data collection, data analysis, strategic thinking and recommendations about programmatic opportunities and alumni demographics.
Recommendations:
- Implement a model to measure and score alumni engagement with focus on:
- Event attendance
- Alumni donors
- Alumni volunteers
- Alumni award recipients
- Season ticket holders
- Leverage data to inform and evaluate program development, identify potential alumni leaders/volunteers, move alumni through pipeline to increase engagement.
Point Five: Develop a Comprehensive Marketing, Communications and Branding Strategy
Background:
At present, there is no dedicated communications support for Temple alumni activities. This has led to reactive, largely event-based communications and has not allowed for a proactive and comprehensive communications strategy to promote alumni engagement and highlight alumni achievement.
Goal:
Create a strong brand identity that resonates with both internal and external audiences, and communicate that brand through a dynamic, multichannel marketing communications plan.
Recommendations:
- Secure communications resources within and/or outside of Temple University Advancement Engagement to support marketing and communications, and develop a comprehensive marketing plan.
- Develop a TUAA and Temple University Advancement Engagement brand strategy.
- Empower alumni leaders with the tools and resources to promote university messages, individual programming and events.
- Integrate social media, website content and email marketing into all programming efforts.
Point Six: Coordinate Engagement of Schools and Colleges
Background:
As reported in the strategic assessment, Temple alumni have very strong affinities to their schools and colleges. However, at present, each of Temple's 17 schools and colleges have varying levels of alumni relations support within their individual administrations. In most cases, the alumni relations function is a portion of a larger portfolio and is combined with development functions.
Goal:
Leverage school/college-based affinity by providing opportunities for current and future alumni to engage with the university through programming, volunteer roles and other initiatives related to their own school/college.
Recommendations:
- Create a model for school/college-based alumni engagement that leverages Temple University Advancement Engagement and TUAA resources to complement and enhance existing efforts (e.g., programmatic, board development/management).
- Continue to enhance communication and collaboration between schools/colleges and Temple University Advancement Engagement to facilitate shared programs and partnerships.
- Define expectations and requirements for school/college alumni associations including:
- Frequency and type of programming
- Standardization of governance, board structure and board member duties/responsibilities
- Annual reporting to TUAA
Point Seven: Continue Core University Alumni Events
Background:
Historically limited to Homecoming & Alumni Weekend, Signature Events are cornerstone programs sponsored by the TUAA that bookend the academic year. The main goal of each event is to attract alumni back to Temple to engage with one another, the university and the Temple community.
Goal:
Provide exciting programming and engagement opportunities relevant to current and future alumni of all schools, colleges, units, geographic locations and ages.
Recommendations:
- Expand universitywide initiatives beyond those affiliated with athletics to include arts-related and educational programs.
- Continue expansion and diversification of Homecoming Weekend activities to include more on-campus events and arts-related programming.
- Develop a reunion culture through a regularly occurring Alumni Weekend, specifically targeting younger alumni.
- Restructure TUAA awards program to make it more inclusive of alumni groups and constituents.
Point Eight: Cultivate Student and Young Alumni Involvement
Background:
Temple has a relatively young alumni population as compared to peer institutions. However, until recently, very little time and resources were allotted for student and young alumni engagement.
Goal:
Engage future alumni and recent graduates by providing programs and opportunities that foster a lifelong and reciprocal relationship with Temple University.
Recommendations:
- Offer robust and meaningful leadership opportunities for students and young alumni through:
- Continuing to build the Student Alumni Association
- Expanding and diversifying Temple University Young Alumni leadership with an emphasis on school/college diversity
- Creating opportunities to recognize outstanding students and young alumni leaders
- Design programs aimed at students and young alumni including:
- Building class identity
- Establishing reunion traditions
- Networking and mentorship opportunities
- Integrating philanthropy into student and young alumni programs
Point Nine: Expand the Temple Professional Network
Background:
Launched in 2013, Temple's Alumni Career Services (ACS) ACS partners with the Temple Career Network, which is made up of career development professionals from the schools and colleges, the Career Center, Alumni Relations, Institutional Advancement and other university departments to provide programming, events and resources to alumni.
Goal:
Provide high-quality career management programming, resources and networking opportunities that support alumni in all phases of career development and engage successful alumni as an invaluable resource for current students and fellow alumni.
Recommendations:
- Offer a wide variety of career programs and networking opportunities to meet the needs of students and alumni throughout their professional life cycles and across industries.
- Expand use of Temple U Connect, the online networking tool exclu
- Expand arts-related engagement by leveraging student, alumni and faculty performances and exhibits on and around Main Campus as well as regionally and around the country.
- Partner with the Center for the Performing and Cinematic Arts to increase engagement of alumni artists and performers.
Point Ten: Build an On-Campus Alumni Center/House
Background:
Temple Main Campus does not currently provide a home for alumni, a place where they can congregate or host meetings, presenting a missed opportunity to engage alumni in a meaningful way with the university.
Goal:
Develop and strengthen a lifelong connection between current and future alumni and Temple University by providing a warm, welcoming space on Main Campus where alumni and students can congregate.
Recommendations:
- Expand athletic engagement experiences to include men’s and women’s Olympic sports in addition to football and basketball.
- Increase engagement of former student-athletes through targeted marketing.
- Expand arts-related engagement by leveraging student, alumni and faculty performances and exhibits on and around Main Campus as well as regionally and around the country.
- Partner with the Center for the Performing and Cinematic Arts to increase engagement of alumni artists and performers.
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