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Current and Lapsed Membership: Evaluating a University Alumni Database
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| Presenter(s):
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| Kristin Pankey,
Southern Illinois University at Carbondale,
knpankey@siu.edu
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| Meghan Lowery,
Southern Illinois University at Carbondale,
mrlowery@siu.edu
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| Joel Nadler,
Southern Illinois University at Carbondale,
jnadler@siu.edu
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| Abstract:
Applied Research Consultants (ARC), a student-run consulting firm at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, was contracted to evaluate a Midwestern university’s alumni population of current and lapsed members. A survey was constructed and administered to both alumni with a current membership and alumni who had allowed their memberships to lapse. The purpose of this evaluation was to assess opinions of the alumni sample concerning the Alumni Association’s communication with members, and the perceived value of membership. The evaluators had to overcome difficulties in regards to participants’ lack of knowledge with the process of online survey methods; however, the data provided the client with extensive feedback. Feedback included praises for the client’s current system and suggestions for further improvement. This presentation is intended to serve as an example for other evaluators from universities with the ability to conduct a similar evaluation using an alumni database.
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Leveraging Technology to Manage Stakeholder Involvement in Participatory Evaluation
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| Presenter(s):
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| Christopher DeLuca,
Queen's University,
2cd16@queensu.ca
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| Laura April McEwen,
Queen's University,
5lam5@queensu.ca
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| Abstract:
Growing graduate student populations in Canadian post-secondary education has fostered interest on the part of institutional service providers as to the support needs of this group. In response, nine service providers at a mid-sized Ontario university secured funding to examine the needs of the graduate student body. Given the diverse group of service providers, considerable effort was invested in collaboratively establishing evaluation focus. A participatory evaluative approach was adopted and innovative uses of technology to facilitate stakeholder participation were leveraged. Discussion will center on how such innovative practice can offset some of the considerable time commitment enlarged circles of stakeholder participation entails. Guidelines for practice are drawn from research in the area of computer mediated communication.
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