Cutting edge alumni trends for the future

1. ALUMNI TRENDS
The Big View
Michael Smullen
Director of Alumni @ NJIT

2. THE CHANGES OF TODAY
AI and big
data
Commodity
vs. Luxury
Departmen
ts are
merging
Everything
is ranked
Visual
storytelling
NOT “Who” but
HOW WELL
HOW QUICKLY

3. THE CHANGES OF THE FUTURE
Education has moved to a hybrid model, partially-
online and partially-in person / mobile
Education is significantly more skills-based,
requiring more corporate and professional
certificates, and re-upping over
a lifetime
Big data owns everything and everyone, because
there are
too many people for one-on-one contact

4. THE FUTURE IS COMPETITION
SCHOOLS WILL COMPETE WITH EACH OTHER INTENSELY OVER
EVERYONE,
STUDENTS, ALUMNI, FRIENDS, PARENTS, EMPLOYEES – EVERYONE!
Every graduate has hundreds of non-profits vying for donations
Every graduate has hundreds of PROFIT-bearing entities vying for
support,
a mini-stock market
And…
There is NO expectation of privacy in the future,
so multiple-verification and personal networks
greatly increase in importance
It’s about trust. It’s about a relationship.

5. BOTTOM LINE…
THE DEGREE ISN’T
ENOUGH
THE SCHOOL ISN’T
ENOUGH

6. OUR FUTURE IS ABOUT THE
EXPERIENCE NJIT will be
everywhere
(mindshare)
Thousands of benefits
to meet every need
Instant response
to every request
Every single touchpoint
is a personal one
Less is better
but none is not an
option
Everything is
anticipated

7. WHAT DOES “ALUMNI RELATIONS”
LOOK LIKE?
It isn’t Alumni Relations any more.
It’s Community Engagement.
Alumni
Services
Parent
Services
Community
Services
Corporate
Services
Professional
Services
XX
Engageme
nt Officers
XX
Data Analysis
Officers
XX
Communicati
on Officers

8. A DAY IN THE LIFE
7:00 a.m. – Wake up with NJIT’s latest news on our news channel
based on interest
on your holo-device and IoTs
7:15 a.m. – Coffee on the Keurig? Your IoTs tell you Dick Sweeney
founded that!
7:30 a.m. – Meetings today! Here are other alumni at your meeting,
and those with
similar skillsets to help you prepare.
11:00 a.m. – Moving in a month? Chat your new contact information
to NJIT.
3:00 p.m. – Need a professional refresher on a task? Take five
minutes for a topic
video from an NJIT professor.
4:00 p.m. – Feeling charitable today! Chat us with a question of how
you can have

9. WHAT DO WE DO?
Every interaction is automatically tracked in a CRM with a customer-
service setup
Linear regression and chi alpha squared statistical methods
determine likeliest supporters, high-impact givers, likeliest parents of
prospective students
Chat bots and instant feedback rule the day
Communications (emails, Facebook, letters) are all completely tailored
to the interests and desires of the recipient
“Volunteering” is replaced with “Connecting” – opportunities for
tangible connection are proactively given to alumni
Staff are intensely cross-trained on customer service and technology