2008-09 Annual Report - Elizabeth City State University

Institutional Advancement
During a year typified by asset losses and resource
reductions, the Division of Institutional Advancement
utilized well-thought-out, creative strategies to build
its assets and expand upon its resources. Despite
budgetary cuts, budget freezes and leadership
changes, Institutional Advancement staff remained
focused and emerged to celebrate many exceptional
successes.
Institutional Advancement, which includes Alumni
Relations, the ECSU Foundation, University
Development, Community Development, Radio and
Television Services, and University Relations and
Marketing, further increased the university’s outreach,
partnerships and visibility in a variety of ways from
which both ECSU and the division will continue to
benefit well into the foreseeable future.
Alumni Relations
Alumni Relations staff continued to build alumni
support for the university and its programs. The
department implemented a concentrated effort to
reach out to alumni and thank the members of this
most important constituency for their commitment to
ECSU in past years. By doing so, the department
engaged more alumni than ever before and finished the
year with an Alumni Participation Rate of 1,557. This
represents 19% of ECSU’s living alumni base.
The Alumni Participation Rate (APR) is the official count
of how many alumni give (regardless of contribution
size) to their alma mater in any given year. At any fouryear
institution the APR conveys a significant message
regarding the value that alumni place on the education
they received at the institution. It is a very important
indicator of an institution’s success and is commonly
referred to by corporations, foundations and wealthy
individuals when considering a charitable contribution
to the university.
sense of community among this group. The GOLD
Society will employ a combination of non-traditional
marketing vehicles targeted primarily at younger alumni
that appeal to their hobbies and lifestyles.
A pilot program will be implemented during the 2010
fiscal year and will include the use of social networking
web sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Viking Nation.
Research conducted by the department found that
nearly 4,000 ECSU alumni can be contacted via these
three web sites alone.
The Office of Alumni Relations and the National Alumni
Association collaborated with the Office of Admissions
and assisted in the coordination and management of
one of the largest recruitment events in recent memory.
Approximately 600 area high school students visited the
ECSU campus during the Winter Open House held
January 31, 2009. The successful effort included an
academic fair that provided opportunities for
prospective students to meet with ECSU faculty. The
fair also gave students and their parents a chance to ask
questions and learn about everything from financial aid
to requirements for acceptance and campus housing.
2000
ECSU Alumni Participation
(per individual giver)
as a component
of ECSU Charitable Giving
In collaboration with the development staff, Alumni
Relations worked with the ECSU National Alumni
Association’s Young Alumni Committee to establish the
first comprehensive plan to actively engage alumni ages
32 and younger and/or those who graduated from
ECSU no more than a decade prior to the current fiscal
year. Staff was warmly received upon presentation of
the Graduates of the Last Decade (GOLD) Society to the
ECSU National Alumni Association at the 2009 Summer
Convention.
The Society will strengthen the connection of younger
Viking alums with the university and will promote a
1500
1000
500
0
246
2003
286
2004
378
2005
740
2006
1120
2007
1007
2008
1557
2009
Elizabeth City State University Annual Report 2008-2009 | 9