In Harmony: Collaboration between Career Services and Alumni Relations

Southern Association of Colleges and Employers (SoACE)December 2009

Dr. Mary Kay Cooper, Director of Alumni RelationsDr. Brian Hirsch, Director of Career Services

Mary Kay Cooper

• Director of Alumni Relations• B.A. in English• M.A. in Theology• Ed.D. in Administration and Leadership• Spent 15 years in student recruitment at 4

universities; then Alumni Relations in 2006

Brian Hirsch• Director of Career Services

• BS Zoology

• M.Ed. College Counseling and Personnel Services

• Ed.D. Higher Education Administration

• Spent 5 years in Rx Industry. 16 Years in higher education

• Trinity in 2006

Trinity University• San Antonio, Texas

• Small

• Academically excellent: undergraduate focus on liberal arts and sciences

• Also has Business, Sciences, and Engineering

• Relatively diverse

• $800 million endowment

Alumni Relations Office

• Staff of 6

• Office resides in University Advancement

• 100 events nationwide

• Alumni Weekend

Career Services Office

• Staff of 4• Office resides in Student Affairs• Centralized model• Programs mainly on-campus• A few regional programs

Why Bother?Benefits to:

• Students• Built in networks• Support in career development

• Career Services• Source for information about industry/occupations• Source for developing new relationships with recruiters

Why Bother?Benefits to:

• Alumni• Stay connected• Hire• Get hired

• Alumni Relations Office/University• Engagement• $$$$$$$$$$$

In HarmonyAlumni Relations & Career Services Initiatives

• Career Network

• Making Connections

• Online profiles

• Career panels

Alumni Career Network

Purpose:

•Over 500 Members•Brings students and alumni together around career information•Designated Career Network Chair for each of the 16 alumni chapters nationwide.

Making Connections

• Signature event

• Programs nationwide

• Early January primarily

• Over a 15 year history

“I started to head toward a group of young looking alumni. I noticed one girl's nametag- …. I instantly recognized this name as a former member of my sorority and decided to speak to her. She laughed that I recognized her, we instantly had a starting off point, and soon began talking about her job, which was a Medical Editor at MD Anderson in Houston. She asked if I had any experience in the field, and I told her I'd worked internships at 3 different non-profits in the past, with experience in PR, Marketing and Development, as well as working on an English degree. We exchanged cards (bringing personal business cards to Making Connections is the number one thing one must do!)”

Making Connections

Program Format – Small Groups

• 5-12 industry sectors represented

• 30-45 minutes with alumni

Making Connections

Program Format – General Networking

Making ConnectionsStudent Learning Outcomes91% of respondents reported

learning about appropriate business attire

88% of respondents reported practicing networking skills

91% of respondents reported feeling more comfortable with networking after attending

Your Input: Ideas for SLO’s…

Alumni Snapshots

• On-line mentoring “on steroids”• Utilizes the Career Services CSO

Mentoring Module• Allows students and alumni to

select individuals with work backgrounds of interest

• Highly motivated group of mentors who want to be contacted

“This program has definitely paid off - not that it directly lead to a job or internship yet, but one never knows.”

Alumni Snapshots

Career Panels• Series of panels focusing on

various industries• Organized by Career Services• Collaboration with Alumni

Relations to identify alumni participants

New Initiatives• Careers in the City (Job

Shadowing)• Alumni Career Network

• Career Map• Career Concentration (2-tiered)

• Rebranding of Alumni Snapshots

Career Map Proposal

Career Concentration

In Conclusion• Students and alumni have multiple

opportunities to develop relationships• Relationships with alumni facilitate the

transition from student to the next step in life

• Satisfied, active and involved students become satisfied, active and involved alumni

• Active and involved alumni benefit the whole university

Questions?

Contact Us• Mary Kay Cooper, Director of Alumni

Relations

• marykay.cooper@trinity.edu

• 210-999-8490

• Brian Hirsch, Director of Career Services

• Brian.hirsch@trinity.edu

• 210-999-8321