Strategy: Build and enhance enduring relationships with alumni, parents, and friends of the campus

Point People: Bennie Osburn, Celeste Rose, Pat Turner

Narrative Summary of First Year Implementation Efforts:

Key objectives in 2004-05 were to strengthen the campus’ strategic communications and marketing capacity to reach key constituencies including students, their families, alumni, campus friends and donors, and community and governmental leaders with sophisticated and coordinated messages about UC Davis and its potential. Each step forward has relied for its success upon collaboration within UR and among campus units and services, and the collective effort is predicated on a desire to build a “pipeline” of potential donors and campus friends who feel a continuing tie to the campus throughout their lives.

Advances and Ongoing Programs Consistent with Strategy:

• Initiated UC Davis Foundation Board development and strategic planning efforts, informed by the Association of Governing Boards best practices. (2005/2006)
• Continued to strengthen Cal Aggie Alumni Association board development efforts (2004-06)
• Communicated strategically with regional opinion leaders and other friends of the campus using findings of Hart survey research of public perceptions of UC Davis and analysis of UC Davis’s economic impact study. (Ongoing)
• Launched UC Davis’s first Alumni College in partnership between the College of Letters and Science, UC Davis Extension and University Relations Office of Alumni Relations with second program scheduled for July 2005. (2004/2005)
• Initiated plans to resume Aggie Family Camp in July 2005. (Fall 2004)
• Received funds to institutionalize Aggie Family Pack pilot program to expand its outreach to include the parents of all undergraduates. (Fall 2004)
• Developed and distributed the CASE award-winning, first-ever UC Davis Alumni Resource Guide (November 2004)
• Developed and distributed the first UC Davis Alumni Calendar (November 2004)
• Honored donors more visibly and regularly in various campus venues.
• Continued the development and distribution of a regular newsletters to the 30,000 residents of the City of Davis entitled “Keeping in Touch.” (Ongoing)
• Mailed UC Davis magazine quarterly to 160,000 alumni and friends (ongoing)
• Redesigned UC Davis website to include improved pages for alumni, parents and friends; a new page for Business Partners and a home page link to facilitate private giving to the campus. (Winter 2005)
• Hired directors of Local Government Relations and Federal Government Relations to communicate campus priorities to enhance interaction with elected and appointed officials. (December 2004)
• Began recruitment of first UC Davis Director of Marketing in University Communications. (January 2005)
• Promoted and facilitated recognition successful nomination of Chancellor Vanderhoef to be honored as the Sacramento Metro Chamber of Commerce “Sacramentan of the Year,” as part of Government and Community Relations efforts to raise visibility of the institution and promote positive engagement with key opinion leaders within the region. (January 2005)
• Amplified the impact of the Chancellor’s travel to Washington, D.C., and New York City by arranging meetings with selected members of Congress, key media, students, alumni and others to convey key campus messages and to cultivate strategic relationships. (February 2005)
• Sponsored 39 community events attended by over 23,000 local opinion leaders and community members to raise campus visibility and awareness of the campus. (2004-05)
• Government and Community Relations and the Associate Chancellor for Communications drafted the nomination submitted by former Assemblyman Steinberg that resulted in The Sacramento Business Journal naming Chancellor Vanderhoef one of 20 people who have made a difference in the region over the past 20 years. (2005)
• Initiated campus engagement with the community in cooperation with the Office of Resource Management and Planning, through the Partnership for Prosperity to advance regional economic vitality. (2005)
• Revised the formal Commencement “scroll” in partnership between Office of Alumni Relations and University Communications to include information to familiarize graduates with the benefits of CAAA membership, upcoming campus events, key contact numbers and services for new graduates. This document also replaces the “Alumni 101” publication given to graduating students during their final quarter at UC Davis. (2005)
• Provided strategic advice and assistance to campus units, regional government elected officials and staff, and business associations in partnership with OVCR, ORMP and Government and Community Relations by preparing and promoting the proposal to site the Stem Cell Initiative (Prop.71, 2004) headquarters in the city of Sacramento. (2005)
• Received the CASE International ‘Gold Medal’ for OAR/CAAA Life Member Campaign, to be presented at the CASE national meeting in July. (May 2005)