Stories
Stories
Last July, the Alumni Board identified three issues of concern to both alumni and the School: continuing education, marketing HBS programs and other services to alumni, and club operations. The goal of the Board is to serve as the voice of the greater alumni population by offering feedback and recommendations on issues that resonate with alumni and that will enhance connectedness between alumni and the School. Let me summarize the work done in each committee thus far.
Continuing Education
Chaired by Edmund A. Hajim (MBA '64), this committee started from the premise that continuing education (or lifelong learning) is critical if one is to keep up with a rapidly changing business and social environment. All agreed that the School is in a unique position to strengthen connectedness by offering educational programs that meet the needs of a diverse alumni population. There seems to be an interest in expanding offerings along the lines of programs such as The Entrepreneur's Tool Kit and Odyssey. In the coming months, the committee will conduct a comprehensive inventory of current offerings as well as review past experiences (e.g., teleseminars and faculty forums). In addition, they will attempt to define the characteristics of "good" programs in order to understand how best to structure, deliver, and price new ones. Benchmarking against sister institutions will help define what the market can bear.
Marketing to HBS Alumni
Judith R. Haberkorn (111th AMP) is leading this committee through an evaluation of the School's current marketing strategy, including the vehicles used to communicate with alumni. The committee agreed that while the School has a comprehensive and valuable array of services for its graduates, a large segment of the alumni population remains unaware of them. While a core group of alumni regularly attends reunions, contributes to the annual fund, and joins clubs, questions remain about how best to reach the larger alumni body. The committee is currently focusing on two primary vehicles for communication: the alumni Web site and the Bulletin. Their goal is to make these offerings as inviting and dynamic as possible so alumni are immediately drawn to the information and resources that are available to them.
Clubs Committee
Vasil J. Pappas, Jr. (MBA '76), current president of the HBS Club of Philadelphia, is chairing this committee. The group began their discussion by confirming the following central assumption: in order for clubs to remain viable, they will need to streamline their "back office" procedures, utilize technology to enhance their operations, and find ways to attract and retain new audiences. The committee agreed that a number of alumni clubs were making significant progress in these areas and that it would be beneficial if they shared their experiences with other clubs. The following action items were agreed upon: solicit clubs for best practices, launch a communications vehicle to enable clubs to share information among themselves, and develop a communal approach to software platforms to support office operations. In addition, the committee will conduct a survey of clubs to improve its understanding of their successes and challenges. The ultimate goal of the survey will be to design tools that are of use to small, medium, and large clubs and that are sustainable for the long term.
In addition to these committees, ad hoc groups are undertaking important tasks. In particular, the Global Alumni Conferences committee is charged with keeping current conferences on track and identifying possible sites for future events. As you know, this year's conference will be held in Cape Town, South Africa, March 21-23, and we expect a sold-out audience for this exciting gathering. The conference in 2000 is slated for Berlin, June 13-15, and Cleveland, Ohio, will host the conference in 2001. These events tie in nicely with our three committees -they feature continuing education, are managed by local clubs, and help publicize programs and services that HBS offers its alumni.
Finally, the Board's nominations committee has begun to identify possible candidates to serve a three-year term, starting in the fall of 1999. If you are interested in becoming involved in the Board, please contact Toni Carbone in the HBS Alumni Programs Office (617-495-6648, tcarbone@hbs.edu) for more information.
The Alumni Board exists to serve you. If you have feedback regarding specific programs or general suggestions, please don't hesitate to contact either me or a Board member in your area. Your input means a great deal, and we hope that our work will serve to connect you better to fellow alumni and to the School.
Best wishes, and I look forward to seeing many of you in South Africa in March!
Charles F. Milner, Jr. (MBA '65) January 1999
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