The alumni advantage: seeking to bolster alumni support and involvement, schools are building impressive 'homes' for their alumni - Facilities - Cover Story

University Business, Jan, 2004 by Alana Klein

Often tucked away on the outskirts of campus in tatter cramped, nondescript buildings, alumni centers have typically taken a backseat to other campus facility needs. Unlike new state-of-the-art library or a fancy residence hall (facilities that tend to get funded, and therefore built, first), alumni centers have often been relegated to the bottom of an institution's to-do list. For years they have been perceived as expendable projects that, despite their cachet, are not essential enough to actually constructor renovate. Within the last decade, however, administrators have had a change of heart about alumni centers. Ironically, in an age of deferred maintenance and construction, administrators have come to recognize the value of investing in such facilities--primarily, their ability to encourage alumni involvement and financial support. The alumni center is now the facility du jour across campuses nationwide. Many schools are jumping on the trend, while alumni, excited about their new campus "homes," are busy writing checks and planning visits to their alma maters.

Thanks to a combination of smart fundraising, alumni support, and architectural innovation, these centers have become quite luxurious. Renovated structures have gone from dilapidated to decadent, while some alumni facilities are brand new. Boasting everything from upscale hotel accommodations (including room service), high-end restaurants, ballrooms, fountains, libraries (stocked with alumni-authored books), and high-tech conference and multimedia rooms, the new multimillion-dollar centers are nothing short of glamorous. And while most have only been around for a short time, many of the centers have already proven their worth. Not only have they have helped to draw alumni back to campus and encourage their participation in institutional events, but they have also given alumni an added incentive to donate. And in these tough economic times, donations are certainly key.

"With dwindling state support for higher education and shrinking endowments, it's no surprise universities are looking more carefully at other revenue sources," says Terry Calhoun, director of Communications and Publications at SCUP, the Society for College and University Planning (www.scup.org). "Alumni are known to be a good revenue stream. The fact that they have gone to the school and have become part of the community there makes them want to feed money back into the institution."

Still, in order to ensure steady alumni giving, a school must understand that alumni centers by and of themselves are not moneymakers. "You've got to have a strong alumni program first," says Robert Davies, associate VP of Alumni Relations for the University at Buffalo (part of the SUNY system). Davies is exploring the possibility of building an alumni center there. "The alumni center is only a tool that can enhance a program. In a lot of ways," he says, "it's the icing on the cake." Attractive centers teamed with strong programs have spurred increased levels of alumni participation, say many, specifically in school reunion and homecoming attendance.

Stanford: Promoting the Center

Stanford University (CA) has achieved notable success with its Frances C. Arrillaga Alumni Center, a 30,000-square-foot, three-story Spanish-style structure completed in 2001. The $37 million center, which is home to 300 staff members, features a 2,000-square-foot cafe serving Mediterranean cuisine; a ballroom, library, business center, and conference rooms; and an outdoor garden with a stone terrace, fountain, and reflecting pool. Just within a year after the center was built, Stanford's number of reunion attendees jumped from 6,159 (in 2000) to 6,710 (in 2001)--almost a 9 percent increase, says Leslie Winick, director of Classes and Reunions at the Stanford Alumni Association. While reunion attendance was on the rise even before the center existed, Winick says alumni involvement continues to grow because of it. "The center has completely changed the dynamic of the reunion weekend," she says. "We were always using different spaces on campus for our events and never had one place to go. Now alums feel they have a place to come to that is completely theirs."

Before the completion of the Arrillaga Center, the alumni association worked out of the Bowman House, a one-story building designed to hold 60 staff members, which at one point was holding close to 90. "The alumni association had tremendously outgrown its previous facility," says Howard Wolf, president of the Stanford Alumni Association. "We didn't even have enough space for our staff, let alone to welcome back alumni."

But Stanford's impressive reunion turnout is more than just a result of erecting a gorgeous facility. Its effective promotion of the new center also played an important role. During 2000, when the center was still under construction, the alumni office alerted alums about the new center through direct mailings as well as mass e-mails. "We'd throw in a line like 'Come visit your home away from home;" Winick says. "That had people absolutely curious. We had them thinking, 'Will this center make me feel more comfortable at Stanford?'" Clearly, it has.