Alumni giving at a small liberal arts college: evidence from consistent and occasional donors

This study observed the financial giving of alumni at a small, private liberal arts college covering a 23 year period of consistent (longitudinal) and occasional donors. After observing historical characteristics of donors, college officials have a greater probability of accurately predicting future alumni gifts. Key determinants of alumni giving for both consistent and occasional donors are as follows: volunteering for the college, major in a social science division, language school attendance, residence in states with alumni chapters, and employment within the financial sector. Additionally, alumni with relatives who have attended the college, and alumni who have played a varsity sport during college, are two groups very likely to donate. Our study suggests that Alumni Offices may benefit from rating donors' giving potential (and subsequently focusing on these individuals), extensively publicizing reunions, and by targeting those who volunteered during their college years. Among occasional donors, Alumni Offices may want to target males, fraternity/sorority members, and alumni who are close to retirement.     

Predictors of Alumni Association Membership

The authors examined factors associated with membership of university graduates in the dues-based alumni association of their alma mater. Logistic regression was used to analyze variables that came from survey responses and from an existing database. All participants had attended a public doctoral-granting research university in the South. Graduates were more likely to be alumni association members if they: (a) were donors, (b) had a telephone number on record, (c) were relatively older, (d) had positive experiences as alumni, (e) had positive perceptions of the alumni association, (f) were more frequently involved with the alma mater, and (g) were aware of other members of the alumni association. Alumni were less likely to be alumni association members if they were: (a) employed at the alma mater, (b) had a higher level of degree attainment, (c) had positive feelings about student experiences, and (d) had positive university perceptions. Empirical testing confirmed the utility of several variables of the prediction model in identifying the best prospects for alumni association membership.     

Characteristics of Alumni Donors Who Volunteer at their Alma Mater

In the competitive marketplace of higher education, colleges and university leaders increasingly rely on the influence and service of their alumni to further institutional goals. Because of their demonstrated financial commitment to the institution, alumni donors are often enlisted to serve important roles as volunteers and political advocates. Using binomial logistic regression, this study examines a large sample of alumni donors from a large doctoral/research extensive university to predict donors who are most likely volunteer at the institution (via advisory board service, political advocacy, alumni club support). The study suggests that volunteering among alumni donors is predicted by capacity variables related to gender, residence, and overall civic engagement. Inclination to volunteer is associated with the quality of academic experience while an undergraduate student, beliefs about alumni volunteer roles, and number of degrees earned at the institution.     

ALUMNI SURVEY OF ENTRY GOALS,SATISFACTION, AND JOB BENEFITS ASSOCIATED WITH THE ASSOCIATE DEGREE

Organizations can be classified as being either responsive or unresponsive to their constituents’ needs and attitudes. The present study was undertaken at the Community and Technical College at the University of Akron, Akron, Ohio in an attempt to implement a responsive orientation toward its constituents (students). Data were obtained from 401 alumni, from six majors who graduated between the years of 1969 through 1982. Each alumnus completed an Alumni Questionnaire which gathered information concerning enrollment goals, achievement of goals, job‐related benefits derived through the associate degree, and satisfaction with faculty and the curriculum. Results indicated that most alumni had career‐oriented goals at the time of enrollment and nearly 82% reported that these goals had been achieved through the educational experience. Most alumni reported important job‐related benefits which may have been the result of the attainment of an associate degree. Alumni reported high levels of satisfaction with faculty instruction and the curriculum; however, they were only marginally satisfied with faculty guidance. Those alumni who pursued course‐work beyond the associate degree indicated that their prior education was helpful in preparing them for the additional coursework     

Changes in Follow-Up Data Following Marked Changes in a Counselor Education Program

This study compared follow-up data for two groups of master's degree alumni of a counselor education program, one of which graduated before marked changes in the program occurred and the other thereafter. The questionnaire data represented 83.5 percent of the first group and 89.6 percent of the second. Findings concerning the instructional program, advisement, and library services showed significant improvement in appraisal reactions of alumni in six of 12 cases, some deterioration in one. equivocal results in another, and no change in four. Employment data showed an increase from 42 to 71 percent of alumni in counseling and guidance positions. Professional membership data revealed a significant trend toward identification with national organizations. It was concluded that significant changes in much follow-up data occurred after marked changes in the counselor education program studied and that these changes were generally in the direction of further professionalization of counseling and guidance.     

Externalizing Problems in Two-Year-Olds: Implications for Patterns of Social Behavior and Peers' Responses to Aggression

A sample of 48 two-year-old children selected on the basis of parents' responses to two administrations of the Child Behavior Checklist for two to three-year-olds was observed in peer interactions. Twenty-four of these children displayed symptoms of aggressive/destructive (externalizing) problems that were in the borderline clinical range (labelled "high risk") and 24 children displayed few such symptoms ("low risk"). The children were observed in matched dyads (one high risk and one low risk child) across four tasks designed to vary in the degree of social participation they would elicit from the children. Across all tasks, children in the high risk group displayed significantly and consistently more aggressive behavior than the children in the low risk group. However, these high risk children did not differ from other children in terms of several indices of social and nonsocial play. In addition, when children were classified as high aggressive versus average versus low aggressive on the basis of laboratory behavior, children who displayed high amounts of aggression during the play sessions did not differ from less aggressive children on these indices of social play. Finally, the responses of non-aggressive dyad partners to aggressive acts indicated that children are responsive, in relatively subtle ways, to aggression. These results are discussed in terms of the implications of early problematic behavior for later indices of maladjustment that include social competence and peer rejection.     

Determinants of Charitable Giving of Business School Alumni

This study investigated the propensity of Business School alumni to donate cash to the alma mater. A logit regression model was fitted to the survey response data from the 1955/56–1990/91 alumni of a large, Carnegie-classified, Doctoral University I public higher educational institution. The marginal probability of giving was found to be significantly related to factors such as time since graduation, major area of degree, willingness to recommend the university to others, household attributes and family ties to the alma mater, the number of other voluntary donors known, and the availability of matching gift accounts where alumni are employed. The logit estimates can be used to predict the likelihood of giving and for selecting fund-raising prospects more efficiently. Potentially rich future research directions are explored.     

Externalizing Problems in Two-Year-Olds: Implications for Patterns of Social Behavior and Peers' Responses to Aggression

A sample of 48 two-year-old children selected on the basis of parents' responses to two administrations of the Child Behavior Checklist for two to three-year-olds was observed in peer interactions. Twenty-four of these children displayed symptoms of aggressive/destructive (externalizing) problems that were in the borderline clinical range (labelled “high risk”) and 24 children displayed few such symptoms (“low risk”). The children were observed in matched dyads (one high risk and one low risk child) across four tasks designed to vary in the degree of social participation they would elicit from the children. Across all tasks, children in the high risk group displayed significantly and consistently more aggressive behavior than the children in the low risk group. However, these high risk children did not differ from other children in terms of several indices of social and nonsocial play. In addition, when children were classified as high aggressive versus average versus low aggressive on the basis of laboratory behavior, children who displayed high amounts of aggression during the play sessions did not differ from less aggressive children on these indices of social play. Finally, the responses of non-aggressive dyad partners to aggressive acts indicated that children are responsive, in relatively subtle ways, to aggression. These results are discussed in terms of the implications of early problematic behavior for later indices of maladjustment that include social competence and peer rejection.     

A logit model with interactions for predicting major gift donors

We provide a new statistical model developed from the alumni database at North-western University for identifying potential major gift donors. Our logit model with interactions predicts which individuals will give $10,000 or more over three years using CHAID (Chi-square Automatic Interaction Detection) combined with logit analysis. Our work goes beyond our earlier research (Lindahl and Winship, 1992) by providing a more effective means of selecting fund-raising prospects. The critical new component in our model is the inclusion of interactions between past giving and other variables. Specifically, we find that for individuals with different past giving records different variables are important. Our results show that prospects with a low past giving level will rarely give gifts over $10,000.     

Delving into alumni perceptions about the impact and effectiveness of two certificate programs: meeting their mission?

The purpose of the study was to analyze two certificate programs in regard to the impacts on alumni professional career and strengths and weaknesses of certificate programs in the views of their alumni. The sample consisted of 58 participants who completed one of the certificate programs. The results showed that alumni rated self-improvement as the biggest benefit, career advancement benefit as average, and career change benefit as low from the certificate programs. Also, alumni thought that all program components were of strong quality, but the majority of alumni still wanted to see an increased emphasis on teaching, interaction with other students, support, and assessment feedback focus of the program.     

Alumni Perceptions of a Move to NCAA Division IA Football Membership

ABSTRACT

Because of its prominent role, football has the potential to positively impact a university in several ways. Previous research on college athletics has focused on the financial impact of athletic success on institutions (e.g., donations). This research examines the marketing capabilities of college football by measuring alumni perceptions of a large southeastern university's move to NCAA Division IA football. A total of 297 alumni participated in a telephone survey. A high percentage of alumni believe IA football is prestigious and that the move to IA has influenced game attendance intention. Alumni believe the university's image has been positively influenced by the move to IA, and 21% believe the perceived value of their college degree has been enhanced by the move to IA. Findings from this study can aid universities in understanding the importance of football to alumni and how athletics can keep alumni connected with their alma mater.     

Prestige,charitable deductions and other determinants of alumni giving: Evidence from a highly selective liberal arts college

Private institutions of higher education are highly dependent on alumni support to cover operating expenses, fund endowments and fuel large capital campaigns. For example, in 2004, alumni at private liberal arts colleges generated nearly 43% of total voluntary support and funded 21.5% of total institutional expenditures. This paper uses 15 years of detailed data on alumni donations to a private liberal arts college to explore a full range of potential determinants of giving. Results suggest that wealthy alumni who live in states that allow charitable tax deductions are more generous than otherwise similar alumni in states without such subsidies. Alumni contributions also increase in years when the college has achieved greater athletic prestige but fall when academic prestige rises. Furthermore, recent alumni are more influenced by institutional prestige than older graduates. With regard to other determinants, females tend to be more generous, as do alumni living in wealthier neighborhoods within 250 miles of the college. Alumni who have close alumni relatives tend to give more as do alumni who participated in campus activities during their college years. Undergraduate major and occupational sector are also strong predictors of giving behavior.     

The Study Habits of Failing and Successful Students in the First Two Years of College

This research evaluated the effects of asking subjects to create personal examples of target concepts on their ability to recall, classify, and apply their conceptual knowledge. Subjects were 48 undergraduates at a large midwestern university. All subjects studied a passage on four psychological principles that contained application adjunct questions preceded by definition adjunct questions inserted after selected paragraphs. Application questions asked subjects to identify novel examples of target concepts, and definition questions asked subjects to identify appropriate definitions. One-half of the subjects also received instructions after each set of adjunct questions to write down two personal examples of the target concept (i.e., elaborate their conceptual knowledge). Subjects were also separated into high and low ability groups based on their performance on a series of ability tests. The results indicated that elaboration produced a significant main effect and ability by treatment interaction only on the application of the target concepts to problemsolving scenarios. An ability main effect was found for number of teaching examples recalled, number of novel examples correctly classified, and for number of concepts correctly applied to problem-solving scenarios.     

Contrasts Between Benefits Expected and Delivered Among MBA Inquirers,Students, and Graduates

ABSTRACT

A survey was conducted of three groups: prospective students, current students, and alumni. Prospective students were asked what benefits (career, on-the-job performance, and personal benefits) they expected to derive from their MBA education. Current students and alumni were asked what benefits they have derived from their education. The expectations of the prospective students were quite consistent with the experiences of the current students and alumni with respect to on-the-job performance and personal benefits, but the career benefits that prospective students anticipated far exceeded actual experiences. This study should help prospective students to have more realistic expectations and should help MBA-granting institutions to understand an important source of dissatisfaction.     

Academic success and early career outcomes: Can honors alumni be distinguished from non-honors alumni?

This study compared Dutch alumni who previously participated in an honors program (n = 72) to non-honors alumni who entered university as high-achieving high school students (n = 72) with regard to (1) final university grade point average (GPA) and (2) early career outcomes. Final grades were drawn from university files. Using an online questionnaire, participants were asked to rate themselves on work engagement and other characteristics in their current jobs. Results indicate that, compared to the non-honors control group, honors alumni had a higher study GPA at the end of their studies and higher work engagement after graduation, while job characteristics were found to be similar. Implications for educators and job recruiters are discussed.     

Resident perceptions of anatomy education: a survey of medical school alumni from two different anatomy curricula and multiple medical specialties

In 2004, the University of Michigan Medical School reduced its gross anatomy curriculum. To determine the effect of this reduction on resident perceptions of their clinical preparedness, we surveyed alumni that included residents from the original and new shortened curricula. A Likert-scale survey was sent to four classes of alumni. Respondents were compared in old curriculum (OC) and new curriculum (NC) groups, surgical specialty (SS) and nonsurgical specialty (NS) groups, and subgroups of SS and NS were compared for differences between OC and NC. Mean response scores were compared using independent samples T-tests. As a single population (n = 110), respondents felt their anatomy education prepared them well for residency, that a more robust anatomy curriculum would be helpful, that dissection was important to their residency preparation, and that a 4th year anatomy elective was effective in expanding their anatomy education and preparing them for residency. No significant difference existed between OC and NC groups, neither as a whole nor as SS and NS subgroups. The SS group felt dissection was more important to their residency preparation than the NS group (P = 0.001) and that a more robust anatomy curriculum would have better prepared them for residency (P = 0.001). Thirty percent of SS respondents who did not take a 4th year elective commented that they wish they had. Fourth year anatomy electives were highly valued by residents, and respondents felt that they should be offered to students as a way of revisiting anatomy following the 1st year of clinical training.     

No regrets? Measuring the career benefits of a psychology placement year

We report an analysis of whether a psychology placement provides significant benefit to graduates’ careers. Destination of Leavers from Higher Education (DLHE) survey data six months post‐graduation suggested that placement programme graduates across the university are significantly more likely to be (1) in work and (2) in graduate‐level jobs. For psychology, the association between graduates’ placement status and employment status at the same time was not significant overall. However, when analyses were split by degree classification obtained, it was shown that amongst those graduates with 2.1 degrees reporting themselves as working, more placement vs. non‐placement programme graduates had obtained graduate‐level jobs (63% vs. 33%). In 2.2 classified graduates there was no significant association. This pattern persisted in the data from a survey of psychology alumni (from 18 months to six and a half years post‐graduation). Psychology placement programme alumni were also more satisfied with their careers. Although placement graduates earned marginally more, this difference did not reach statistical significance. This study was therefore able to show some measurable and persistent effects of a psychology placement year, although whether the benefits can be claimed to outweigh the costs is inconclusive. Limitations and implications of the study are discussed.     

Alumni from one external degree program: Profile,perceptions, and preference

This study attempted to determine why a nontraditional program was important to alumni, and the negotiability of this degree to alumni, employers, peers and graduate schools. Data indicated that the main reasons for selecting a nontraditional program were a flexible schedule and the need to maintain a regular working day. In terms of negotiability, the degree provided recipients with higher job security, pay and responsibility. Generally the alumni initially had a low perception of what the degree would provide and were subsequently pleased with the credential, viewing it as a positive vehicle for job mobility and further study.     

University students' assessment of the explanatory content of justification statements

A test was devised involving familiar chemical examples and administered to samples of Portuguese university chemistry students in order to establish to what extent they recognised and correctly assessed the explanatory content of statements presented in the form of justifications, usually beginning with the word ‘because’. It was found that a high percentage of the students selected as the ‘best explanations’ statements that either involved tautology or simply invoked a rule, principle or general observation. Also, low‐level interpretations and correlations between facts and/or variables (or mathematical concepts) were also frequently taken as valid explanations; more surprising, however, was the finding that a significant proportion of statements involving high level interpretation in terms of fundamental concepts were rated as providing the least intellectual satisfaction.     

Prepracticum Service‐Learning in Counselor Education: A Qualitative Case Study

Prepracticum service‐learning (PPSL) was investigated through a qualitative case study of a counselor education program. Participants were PPSL instructors, coordinators, and alumni of the selected program. As it relates to the counselor education program under study, this article illustrates perceived effects of PPSL on student counselors' overall development and comparisons of PPSL and practicum training. Implications for counselor education are addressed.