OSU Alumni Association

Long Range Strategic Plan

Adopted May 20, 2005

Updated May, 2008

(A printable version of this document is located here.)

Mission

    Be an indispensable part of Oregon State University by engaging alumni and friends in the life, promotion and advancement of the university.

Vision

    Enrich the lives of alumni and friends by helping them establish lifelong, meaningful and valued relationships with OSU and with each other.

Aspiration

To become known by every Oregon Stater as the gateway to OSU and the alumni community and to meaningfully engage more alumni in membership, programs, and services every year.


Based on its mission, vision and aspiration, OSUAA’s actions will be guided by four strategic initiatives that will drive annual operating plans, will be informed by market feedback from its constituents and will be tracked and measured for success around selected key indicators.  The OSUAA will also adhere to the core values of respecting, informing, and involving alumni and friends of OSU.

The OSUAA Executive Committee and OSUAA staff will review this plan each fiscal year and will prepare and distribute a progress report. This plan is intended to be long-range; it is designed and written with flexibility that allows for adjustments and updating as necessary. A significant review of the plan will be conducted during the first six months of 2011. 


Strategic Initiative 1

Build esprit de corps within the community of OSU alumni and friends. Create relevance through active and meaningful engagement with current and former students in the life of OSU and with one another. Grow membership in the OSUAA through focused and directed activities.

• Develop the university’s presence among alumni where they live and work.
• Bring alumni to the campus and other OSU facilities throughout Oregon.
• Expand communication with alumni to keep graduates informed about institutional issues and opportunities and to instill pride in them for their university.
• Contribute to increasing the value of an OSU diploma, and ensure that activities and work products reflect the excellence of OSU and the success of its alumni community.
• Create and offer unique and exclusive domestic and international travel opportunities that provide alumni and friends with an opportunity to learn about and explore new cultures.
• Expand programs that target graduates of the most recent decade and build relationships with students by supporting their OSU experience and introducing them to opportunities for lifelong involvement with OSU and OSUAA.

Strategic Initiative 2

Motivate, facilitate and lead alumni support of OSU in all its forms through strong and committed collaboration, coordination and strategic interactions with OSU and the OSU Foundation..

• Coordinate programs and communications to assist the OSUF in its efforts to expand alumni giving and to strengthen membership and involvement in OSUAA.
• Prepare alumni to be effective advocates for public support of OSU.
• Ensure alumni are recognized as a vital part of the OSU community. 

Strategic Initiative 3

Promote and advance OSU through OSUAA programs and communications.

• Actively engage OSU colleges to partner with OSUAA to strengthen the “student experience” and to foster relationships with students and alumni.
• Emphasize OSU’s strategic priorities in OSUAA programs and communications. 
• Continue to work closely with OSU’s office of advancement to identify faculty and student speakers, presenters and stories for OSUAA programs and communications.
• Grow participation from diverse alumni audiences in OSUAA leadership and programs by purposely differentiating communication and outreach to targeted groups.
• Demonstrate the contributions of alumni to their professions and society.
• Become the gateway for alumni to OSU and OSU to alumni.
• Increase support for students by growing OSUAA scholarship program.

Strategic Initiative 4

Strengthen foundational elements critical to the success of OSUAA.

• Attract the very best alumni volunteers and professionals to the OSUAA team and retain their active participation and investment in the mission and vision.
• Increase OSUAA membership to 18% of the reachable alumni population by 2011.
• Grow OSUAA’s endowment and annual gifts that enhance programs. Reach $5 million Campaign for OSU goal by June 2011.
• Continue to operate the CH2M HILL Alumni Center in a manner that positively reflects the success of OSU and its alumni.
• Use technology and best practices to ensure operations are maximizing efficiency and the alumni data base is rich in content.
• Become an even more customer-focused and market-driven organization.
• Conduct in-depth reviews of each programmatic and functional area and compare to industry best practices every three years.
  

Values
 
Respect

• Acknowledge and involve alumni and friends as vital stakeholders in OSU.
• Serve as an advocate for alumni for the purpose of representing their interests in working with OSU constituencies as well as the broader community.
• Treat personal information provided by alumni and friends in a professional and confidential manner at all times.
• Recognize alumni contributions of time, talent and treasure.

Inform

• Inform alumni and friends about OSU’s mission, goals, programs and achievements.
• Inform alumni and friends regarding OSUAA’s mission, goals, programs and achievements.
• Provide alumni and friends with financial and program information concerning the work of OSUAA and its activities.
• Ensure the mission, goals and programs of OSUAA complement those of OSU.

Involve

• Encourage alumni and friends to participate in and support the programs, services and events of both OSUAA and OSU.
• Encourage alumni and friends to pursue leadership opportunities in OSUAA and throughout OSU.
• Encourage alumni and friends to serve in the broader community as ambassadors for OSU and for Oregon higher education in general.

Benchmark Alumni Associations

The University of Arizona *+
University of California, Davis *
Iowa State University
Kansas State University
Oklahoma State University
University of Oregon +
Purdue University *
Washington State University +

* OSU Benchmarks
+ Pac10