As you read this, the HBS campus will again be bustling with students as well as with alumni returning for fall reunions. During the summer break, the Board of Directors remained active, holding its annual executive committee meeting in New York in August. We welcome the new Board members -- look for them to be introduced in the next issue of the Bulletin -- and would like to thank those retiring members who served us so well. We look forward to working with the new team and building on the successes of the past with the help of fresh, new perspectives.

This past year was a productive one for the Board, and I'd like to briefly review the activities of our committees and update you on how each has worked to improve and enhance alumni services.

Continuing Education for Alumni

In response to the committee's recommendation, the School has launched two new continuing education programs offered in conjunction with this month's reunions: Transitions and Transformation and Strengthening Your Role as a Nonprofit Board Leader. These were tailored specifically to the needs of alumni. In addition, the committee has urged the School to monitor existing programs and explore other vehicles for distance learning while supporting the development of Baker Library's Working Knowledge Web site (www.hbsworkingknowledge.hbs.edu).

HBS Clubs

Recognizing that clubs must "reinvent" themselves in order to stay current among competing groups and continue to attract new members, this committee examined ways to enhance both programmatic aspects and back-office procedures of club activity. Among other ideas, it was recommended that clubs work with the Alumni Office to disseminate best practices, connect more aggressively with current MBA and Executive Education students, and establish a speakers bureau whose members would include alumni qualified to speak on timely topics. It was also recommended that clubs identify information technology officers, who would tackle both internal and external technical functions for their club.

The committee further recognized that with the rise of nongeographic, interest-based associations, clubs have an opportunity to develop similar models within their own structures, thereby tailoring programs to specific groups. Accordingly, it recommended that the School take a proactive approach to obtaining and maintaining accurate address information for alumni, given that none of these ventures will work if the clubs can't reach their constituencies.

Online Services for Alumni

This committee's ambitious goal was to increase dramatically the number of alumni with e-mail addresses on file with the School -- we're currently at about 50 percent -- and to develop a support mechanism whereby alumni could receive training through volunteer IT specialists. Highlights of its recommendations included a broader marketing effort to all alumni, publicizing the benefits of the online services available to alumni, higher visibility for Baker Library's HBS Working Knowledge Web site, and a dedicated effort to identify willing IT volunteers through the local clubs and alumni associations.

Global Alumni Conferences

These meaningful and rewarding conferences -- last June's Berlin gathering was an enormous success -- have taken on added importance. This subcommittee addressed new challenges this year as it worked to develop a clear plan for identifying future sites and supporting the efforts of the local hosting club. Work is now under way to identify preferred vendors, who might serve as conference management companies, and consistent sponsors, who would commit to supporting conferences three years in advance.

During our August executive meeting, the Board finalized the committee themes for 2000­2001, which will focus on continuing education for alumni, building a communications strategy for the 21st century, transitioning students into alumni, and further enhancing the value of monitoring global alumni conferences. Be sure to watch for updates on these committees' activities in upcoming issues of the Bulletin.

Edmund A. Hajim (MBA 1964)
July 2001

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