Number of Pages : 65 leaves
Adviser : Prof. Edison D. Cruz
Abstract
Problem
The Technology Management Center of UP Diliman has been in existence for the last (10) ten years and has produced over 500 graduates. Right now, the TMC has no properly organized, user-friendly databases. Instead, it simply has a list of alumni names and the respective years they graduated. Also, there is no platform for facilitating interactive communications between the TMC stakeholders, particularly the alumni.
Methodology
The project was designed to develop a technology strategy for supporting and initiating alumni engagement. Also, the project included an appropriate alumni database readily accessible through the internet.
A conceptual framework was used to guide the development of the project components. First, the technology strategy of this project was aligned with the vision and mandate of TMC in order to ensure its relevance. Next, surveys were conducted among students and alumni to generate relevant information, such as interactions of interest, collaborative endeavors and relevant events/activities. These bits of information were then noted and used to guide the development of the web platform.
A social media inventory for TMC was then conducted to determine baseline information such as existing web platforms and metrics used to measure their impact (if any). A brief survey was also made of selected university alumni websites, both locally and overseas, to gain perspectives on "alumni website best practices". Among the alumni websites considered were those of Ateneo, De La Salle, and UP Diliman as well as Harvard, Brown and Darthmouth University.
Subsequently, a SWOT analysis was done on the prospect of setting up a TMC alumni website. Project objectives were now defined after taking into account the information from all the endeavors previously mentioned.
Implementation of the Technology Strategy
The ultimate output of the technology strategy shall be an interactive alumni website which shall provide a host of features designed to inculcate a "culture of involvement" among the alumni.
The cornerstone of the project was based on three existing web tools which were harnessed for their individual strengths and effectiveness, namely : Facebook groups, Google app suites and Slack.
Facebook group was used in the initial stage of securing feedback from TMC alumni and students. A separate Facebook group was set up solely for the alumni while an existing group for students was utilized.
The Slack platform was used to provide a vehicle for interactive communications between TMC alumni. A Slack team was set up for them, through which they may contribute their views, comments and perspectives regarding selected topics (i.e. Mentoring, Alumni Homecoming, and Project Collaboration).
Google app suites provided the major foundation for the website, namely through the following applications : Google sites, for hosting the main web platform; Google calendar, for managing activities and time tables; Google forms, for managing survey feedbacks; Google groups, to facilitate interactions among TMC alumni and students and Google analytics, for tracking various metrics pertaining to website use.
Analyses
In the study of selected university alumni websites, local and overseas, it may be gleaned that the following contributing factors made them achieve the goal of involving alumni on an ongoing basis : history, creative modes of reaching out to alumni and nurturing relationships, sustainability and rich content, among other things. In line with this, there appears to be much work to be done in developing an alumni website at par with the best practices of the university websites surveyed. The surveys conducted show that their appears to be no lack of participants in engagement activities. However, there appears to be a need for a facility by which this interaction maybe accomplished efficiently and effectively.
This project has to be viewed as an initial effort leading to a grand result which is the development of a fully functioning alumni website. Due to the time constraints, efforts were focused selectively, on the salient processes involved in the development of an engagement facility.
Conclusions and Recommendations
The TMC being a growing institution, has to provide for an ongoing endeavor to harness the involvement of its alumni. At present, the observed response to this need is simply through a list showing alumni names and the year they graduated. In line with successful interventions of local and foreign universities, what is needed is a full-fledged program geared to keep the alumni involved with the university, its advocacies, academic programs, and community activities. This program shall involve the setting up of an interactive platform which shall be managed by a dedicated team, supported by ample resources-an appropriate budget, committed and competent personnel and adequate logistics.
Analyses
In the study of selected university alumni websites, local and overseas, it may be gleaned that the following contributing factors made them achieve the goal of involving alumni on an ongoing basis : history, creative modes of reaching out to alumni and nurturing relationships, sustainability and rich content, among other things. In line with this, there appears to be much work to be done in developing an alumni website at par with the best practices of the university websites surveyed. The surveys conducted show that their appears to be no lack of participants in engagement activities. However, there appears to be a need for a facility by which this interaction maybe accomplished efficiently and effectively.
This project has to be viewed as an initial effort leading to a grand result which is the development of a fully functioning alumni website. Due to the time constraints, efforts were focused selectively, on the salient processes involved in the development of an engagement facility.
Conclusions and Recommendations
The TMC being a growing institution, has to provide for an ongoing endeavor to harness the involvement of its alumni. At present, the observed response to this need is simply through a list showing alumni names and the year they graduated. In line with successful interventions of local and foreign universities, what is needed is a full-fledged program geared to keep the alumni involved with the university, its advocacies, academic programs, and community activities. This program shall involve the setting up of an interactive platform which shall be managed by a dedicated team, supported by ample resources-an appropriate budget, committed and competent personnel and adequate logistics.
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