91原创

Connection

• Alumni feel most connected through:
  • Affinity-based communities (e.g., Greek life, Ebony Bobcat Network, Marching 110, shared residence halls, etc.).
  • Signature moments (e.g., Homecoming, Black Alumni Reunion, regional gatherings, etc.).
  • Giving back (mentoring students, serving on boards, recruiting students, speaking to classes, offering internships, supporting scholarships.).
• Emotional drivers include belonging, pride, nostalgia, and shared traditions and experiences.
  • Home emerged as a defining concept.
• Connection often deepens years or decades after graduation.
• Early exposure (student and recent grad connections) and family engagement strengthen long-term alumni engagement.

Value

Alumni value:

• Engaging with purpose, giving back, and adding value (alumni want to give value, not just receive perks).
• Programming that respects their time, feels intentional, and offers clear takeaways (learning, impact, relationships, pride).
• Opportunities for learning and insight that help alumni understand why OHIO matters today 鈥� reinforcing pride, advocacy, and belonging.
• Networking and relationship-building.
• Diverse event formats and a variety of program types.
• Direct, personalized invitations/asks; authentic invites that inspire trust; peer-to-peer outreach.
• Alumni stories of success and inspiration, beyond traditions and nostalgia.
• Participation that is recognized as meaningful beyond financial gifts.
• Many alumni no longer need networking鈥攂ut do want context, understanding, and pride.

Inclusion

Alumni feel welcomed when:

• Invitations are genuine, personal, and clearly inclusive.
  • Personalized outreach (gap: over-reliance on email and fundraising calls).
• They can see themselves represented before arriving.
  • In the invite language, imagery, and framing of expectations.
• Events are facilitated intentionally (hosts, greeters, prompts, nametags).
• Regional programming and events celebrate the diversity of the alumni population.
  • Professional, personal, and life experiences are validated.
  • Alumni want fewer hyper-targeted events as they age; openness and flexibility matter more.
• Humanized engagement taps alumni talents.
• There is space for cultural exchange and inclusion.
• They are seen and valued through personal invitations and leadership presence.

• Belonging is driven by purpose, recognition, and shared meaning (not attendance alone) alumni want to be known, remembered, and invited into impact.
• Engagement thrives on emotional connection, shared experience, and trust.
• Belonging is activated through being personally asked to contribute and add value in ways that matter.
• Belonging is a nonlinear, lifecycle experience; alumni often disengage and re-engage at different life stages, requiring intentional and varied re-entry points.
• Awareness gaps persist鈥攅ven among engaged alumni.
• Trust builds through consistency, follow-through, and visibility.
• Diversity and inclusion are critical and programming should reflect all voices and identities.
  
   

• Purpose-Based Engagement 鈥� Clearly articulate why alumni are invited and how they matter.
• Early and delayed bridges to engagement (students and recent grads, regional and online grads, early- and mid-career, intergenerational and family programs).
  • Create intentional re-entry points for alumni at different life stages.
• Learning as Engagement 鈥� Faculty access, institutional insight, impact narratives.
  • Position alumni programming as purposeful engagement, not just entertainment.
• Open + Flexible Programming 鈥� Fewer silos, more shared experiences across generations
  • Build trust through consistent regional programming and communication; peer-to-peer outreach; and transparency.
  • Regional outreach and virtual engagement for distant alumni.
• Pilot and build upon innovative ideas:
  • Signature 鈥渃an鈥檛-miss鈥� events with strong/compelling marketing
  • Inclusive cultural events
  • Sports-based programming
  • Mini Homecomings in key markets
  • Bobcat Marketplace and spotlights on alumni businesses and success.
  • Year-long cohort programming/bundled or themed programming
  • Subscription-based programming for sustained engagement
  • Concierge-style alumni engagement
• Diversify marketing to include alumni success stories and impact narratives.
  • Elevate learning, storytelling, and institutional transparency.
  • Explore engagement data by affinity group to target efforts effectively.
• Reduced Friction 鈥� Easier registration, clearer communication, clear orientation to pathways, broader awareness.
• Belonging Infrastructure 鈥� Hosts, invitations, pathways, and follow-up designed intentionally.
  • Train hosts and volunteers as belonging facilitators.
  • Design invitations through a belonging lens.
  • Normalize varied alumni identities and timelines of engagement.

• Future Engagement 鈥� Host Bobcats All Ways Roundtables in Cincinnati and Cleveland in spring 2026.
• Belonging Insights Report 鈥� Refine insights report with findings from future Roundtables. Focus on common themes, opportunities, and focus areas for programming and communication.
• Draft Belonging Framework 鈥� Develop guiding principles鈥攁 鈥楤elonging Lens鈥欌�攖o apply across all alumni engagement efforts.