KU Alumni Association Finance Board Report January 15-16, 2016 The accompanying financial statements present results as of and for the five month period ending November 30, 2015. The statements reflect a modified cash-basis loss from operations of $84,849 compared to a budgeted loss of $114,414 before capital expenditures – a positive budget variance of $29,565. Although we always budget to break even for each fiscal year, a loss from operating activities at this point in the year is typical due to the cyclical nature of our finances. As such, staff are used to hearing us say “we’re losing money, but less than we had planned.” Year-to-date capital expenditures of $29,900 compared to year-to-date budgeted capital expenditures of $20,833 yielding an unfavorable variance of $9,067. This leaves an overall year-to-date loss from operations of $114,749 and an overall positive budget variance of $20,498. Total net assets decreased by $948,042 from June 30, partly due to the above operating loss but mostly because of decreases in our long-term investments managed by KU Endowment. Although the loss seems large in comparison to our operating budget, it actually represents about a 4.3% loss in market value [through October 31] of our investments since June, the beginning of our fiscal year. Market fluctuations up or down do not impact our short-term operating activities, but we report the changes on an interim basis to present a more complete picture of our overall financial position. The overall $29,565 positive budget variance from operations results from a negative variance of $145,173 for revenue and a positive variance of $174,738 for expenses. Contributing factors include: REVENUES: Membership dues remain a challenge, falling $103k behind budget for the year and $69k less than last year at the same time. Sales and commissions are behind budget about $14k. This variance is due to a new Bookstore merchandising contract effective October 1 that included a reduced royalty percentage and losses from member home football tailgates. Presidents Club/Unrestricted contributions are $71k less than budget but only about $11k behind last year for this point. We do expect to close the budget gap as the year progresses. EXPENSES [with props to staff with budget management duties for being vigilant in watching their expenses]: Salaries and benefits are under budget, mainly due to interim period “vacancy” credits. These credits will be reduced in the coming months as positions are filled, but we are taking the opportunity to review where extra capacity exists within the Association as well as assessing future needs. Printing reflects a favorable budget variance of $32k. Although several departments have variances, most is attributable to Membership. Public Relations and Travel are a combined $52k under budget. This is staff’s continued efforts in managing these expenses, but to a certain degree, also may reflect a reallocation of expenses. For example, certain Membership and Student Programming premiums were coded to supplies rather than Public Relations/Hospitality. Also, we recently rolled out Concur, an expense reporting
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KU Alumni AssociationFinance Board ReportJanuary 15-16, 2016
The accompanying financial statements present results as of and for the five month period ending November 30, 2015. The statements reflect a modified cash-basis loss from operations of $84,849 compared to a budgeted loss of $114,414 before capital expenditures – a positive budget variance of $29,565. Although we always budget to break even for each fiscal year, a loss from operating activities at this point in the year is typical due to the cyclical nature of our finances. As such, staff are used to hearing us say “we’re losing money, but less than we had planned.”
Year-to-date capital expenditures of $29,900 compared to year-to-date budgeted capital expenditures of $20,833 yielding an unfavorable variance of $9,067. This leaves an overall year-to-date loss from operations of $114,749 and an overall positive budget variance of $20,498.
Total net assets decreased by $948,042 from June 30, partly due to the above operating loss but mostly because of decreases in our long-term investments managed by KU Endowment. Although the loss seems large in comparison to our operating budget, it actually represents about a 4.3% loss in market value [through October 31] of our investments since June, the beginning of our fiscal year. Market fluctuations up or down do not impact our short-term operating activities, but we report the changes on an interim basis to present a more complete picture of our overall financial position.
The overall $29,565 positive budget variance from operations results from a negative variance of $145,173 for revenue and a positive variance of $174,738 for expenses. Contributing factors include:
REVENUES: Membership dues remain a challenge, falling $103k behind budget for the year and $69k less than last year at the same
time. Sales and commissions are behind budget about $14k. This variance is due to a new Bookstore merchandising contract
effective October 1 that included a reduced royalty percentage and losses from member home football tailgates. Presidents Club/Unrestricted contributions are $71k less than budget but only about $11k behind last year for this point.
We do expect to close the budget gap as the year progresses.
EXPENSES [with props to staff with budget management duties for being vigilant in watching their expenses]: Salaries and benefits are under budget, mainly due to interim period “vacancy” credits. These credits will be reduced in the
coming months as positions are filled, but we are taking the opportunity to review where extra capacity exists within the Association as well as assessing future needs.
Printing reflects a favorable budget variance of $32k. Although several departments have variances, most is attributable to Membership.
Public Relations and Travel are a combined $52k under budget. This is staff’s continued efforts in managing these expenses, but to a certain degree, also may reflect a reallocation of expenses. For example, certain Membership and Student Programming premiums were coded to supplies rather than Public Relations/Hospitality. Also, we recently rolled out Concur, an expense reporting and travel management tool that we hope will increase efficiency and further help control costs over time.
Professional fees exceeds budget by $16k. This line item includes legal, accounting, free-lance, and other professional fees, but at least part of the unfavorable variance is a timing difference related to the period(s) when certain University overhead assessments were charged.
Rock Chalk!Jodi Nachtigal Dwight ParmanController Senior Vice-President for Finance and Human Resources
Donor Relations Update for the BoardDecember 2015 – submitted by Angie Storey
“Hello from the other side…” –Adele
It’s official. I’m on the other side…on the KUAA team. And I couldn’t be more excited. Since officially joining the Alumni Association in mid-September, we have hit the ground running and have tried to grow and enhance the “Donor Relations Department”. We have made tremendous strides, and we have a GREAT deal left to accomplish. Here are some of the key items that took place in this quarter.
Key Numbers: 522 – Current Presidents Club members 91% - Current retention rate of Presidents Club members
Staffing: Heather Hawkins officially became the Coordinator of Donor Relations as a part of her current job responsibilities. This just
formalized what she has been doing for this team for quite some time. I am not exaggerating when I say she is a vital part of our Donor Relations team – and certainly knows our Presidents Club list as well as anyone on staff.
Calvin McConnell was hired as the Development Officer for the Alumni Association at KU Endowment – he brings a wealth of knowledge about the university’s recruitment efforts and an overall familiarity of KU, which will make for a shorter learning curve and he will certainly be someone who is already versed on the great things happening on campus.
We are also hopeful for a possible additional position TBD in next fiscal year. Stay tuned as we discuss feasibility and function at the end of the fiscal year.
Team meetings: We began meeting on a weekly basis with the entire team of staff that works closely with our Presidents Club members
(prior, we were meeting monthly). There are 11 people included in these meetings, including our Kansas City and Wichita crew.
These meetings are key to help ensure communication among staff, address issues/concerns, and helps to capture lapsed Presidents Club members and secure renewals.
A number of new ideas have come out of these meetings, and we hope to do some additional training and organizing to make these meetings even more effective.
Travel: During Heath’s interim stint leading the Alumni Association, and then continuing after he officially took the role as
President, we were able to do a “road show” at some of our largest key markets to meet with Presidents Club members and give us an opportunity to meet face-to-face, and to thank them for all they do for the Alumni Association. This was a great way to have meaningful conversations and steward the people that do so much for us. Here is a list of the places we hit this fall:
o Austin, TX – September 8th o Kansas City, KS/MO – September 16th o New York, NY – September 25th o Hays, KS – September 30th o Denver, CO – October 6th
o Salina, KS – October 8th
o Lawrence, KS – October 15th
o Garden City, KS – October 20th
o Liberal, KS – October 20th
o Wichita, KS – October 21st
o Chicago, IL – November 16th
o Dallas, TX – December 1st
o Houston, TX (individual visits) – December 2nd
o Phoenix, AZ – December 14th
We were able to capitalize on other events in some locations to make these successful, and were also able to make appointments outside of the receptions that were beneficial as well. We hope to have a spring that is equally as productive, and will hit a number of spots that we missed this fall.
Presidents Club Cookie Caroling by the numbers: One of the most fun things we were able to do this fall was to deliver an in-person “thank you!” as well as a little sweet
treat to a number of our local Presidents Club members around the holidays. Here is a little glimpse of how it broke down:o 136 total PC members were visited by a team of 10 staff members over 4 days in 3 different cities (Kansas City and
all suburbs, Topeka, and Wichita)…and countless miles traveled! All in all, it was incredibly productive, and the feedback was outstanding. We have some ideas on how to make it even
better moving forward. (P.S. if you notice Lawrence wasn’t included, that’s because we have another idea for them when March Madness rolls around…)
The best is yet to come…
Plans for 2016 and beyond: Create a training program/fundraising 101 packet for our staff that is on the road recruiting and soliciting new Presidents
Club members. This is already in a draft form and we will begin using soon. Create/formalize our stewardship plan for Presidents Club members, including a plan for upgrading our current members to
higher levels. We will continue to work with And last, but certainly not least, we are incredibly excited about the future of KUAA with a potential building renovation or
expansion. This will have huge implications on the Donor Relations team (and all staff!). We are excited about the prospect of this project coming to life, and have already started to lay the groundwork for the endeavor.
To say the least, we have been incredibly busy in the fall of 2015, but the upside is immense. And for me personally, the opportunity for growth and to create a solid groundwork for the Donor Relations department is what I am most excited about. I am thrilled to work with the board to gather new ideas for the growth of this department. Please don’t hesitate to share ideas you have. Thank you for your support! It’s great to be a part of the team. Rock Chalk!
Alumni Programs Board ReportJanuary 2016
It’s hard to believe we’ve already closed the book on another calendar year and have welcomed 2016 on Mount Oread. Personally, I could not be more proud of what our Programs team has accomplished during the past semester and I could not be more excited about what the next year has in store.
As a department, we all see the great opportunities in front of us as we begin a new era at the Association under Heath’s leadership. The specific focus of the Programs team will continue to be on efficiency, maintaining a strong presence in Kansas, high-impact and career-focused programming, volunteer development and Presidents Club opportunities moving forward.
We are excited to share lots of updates in our board reports and at the committee meeting in January, but I’ll also give you a few highlights here:
Danielle Hoover has made an immediate and positive impact on our Wichita network. Her energy and enthusiasm has been welcomed by that immensely important volunteer board and her great work was evident during her first Wichita Roundup. That event saw an increase in important metrics of attendance, sponsorships and total revenue. Please see her board report for a full recap.
Athletics programming provided a very busy fall for our staff. Home football tailgates were extremely successful (despite the current rebuilding process on the field) as we brought all members back into our building this season. Men’s basketball has started another highly anticipated season with a bang as our road pregame events are as popular as ever. And volleyball thrilled all Jayhawks with a run to their first ever Final 4 resulting in some outstanding pregame events during their postseason travels. Please see Danny’s report for full details.
We have continued our focus on expanding career and online programming for alumni. Brazen Careerist has proved to be a highly effective tool to engage alumni online and we are excited to partner with KU Med on a new online program this spring that will feature a moderated chat with some of their leadership. This new format will provide a nice test and hopefully lead to new uses for this excellent tool that can feature more prominent campus leaders and allow them to interact with a large number of alumni at once.
Finally, we are very excited for the 2016 Rock Chalk Ball to continue to come together. This year’s theme of “There’s No Place Like Home” should provide some creative inspiration for staff and attendees alike and we again have great co-chairs to go with a new and exciting emcee (not to mention our new Association President) that will make the event another one that shouldn’t be missed. We hope to see many of you there at our signature event in April!
On a staffing note, Michelle Lang has agreed to take over my old responsibilities managing our campus partnerships. She is perfectly suited to this role as she already has built a strong reputation on campus through her work with the Kansas Honors Program. Additionally, we will launch a search this spring for a new addition to our staff that will take over management of the Kansas Honors Program and report to Michelle to ensure that vital program remains as strong as she has built it to be.
Thank you, as always, for your leadership in making KUAA such a strong organization that is such a positive resource for KU. We look forward to seeing you in January.
Rock Chalk!Brad Eland, Vice President, Alumni Programs
KU Alumni AssociationCoordinator of Alumni Programs Report-Board of Directors
January 2016
Greetings from the Hill! It is hard to believe that the beginning of another semester is upon us.
This fall brought yet another outstanding slate of events and programs both within the state, as well as in our national networks.
The early weeks of the quarter were spent primarily working to organize and coordinate our network volunteer meetings. Serving as an opportunity to plan network activities for the coming year, these are typically the most important of the quarterly network meetings. Armed with our Key Messages, KUAA Talking Points, and Network KPI documents, there was certainly no shortage of content to cover. These documents were all met with very positive feedback and many of our volunteers feel that they are now more informed, and empowered to help serve the Association.
Following the initial wave of network meetings, our fall schedule of events and programs began in earnest. A few of the highlights:
Topeka- At the encouragement of several volunteers in Topeka, we once again partnered with the KU Libraries for an exhibition event. This particular event was unique due to the fact that it took the program content from the archival material related to the KU sesquicentennial, and also was planned and promoted as a birthday party for KU. Any successful birthday party must have cake, punch, and an appearance from Baby Jay- all of which delighted the 100 Jayhawks in attendance.
Lawrence-The autumn months in the Lawrence network were filled with a diverse range of alumni programming. Between our networking luncheons, scotch and wine tastings, as well as a partnership event with the Spencer Museum of Art, we truly did have something for everyone. Our outstanding group of volunteers continue to lead the group, and are excited about a handful of exciting new events in the spring.
Winfield- 2015 marked the 25th anniversary of the Winfield Alumni Banquet, an event which seems to grow with each passing year. The featured speakers were athletic director Dr. Sheahon Zenger, along with Dr. Chris Gamblin, and Dr. Berl Oakley from the KU Department of Molecular Biosciences. Dr. Gamblin and Dr. Oakley primarily work to research Alzheimer’s disease, focusing on prevention and treatment methods. A large portion of their research is funded by a Winfield based foundation, causing there to be a great deal of local interest in their topic. It is especially rewarding to have the opportunity to showcase the research that occurs at the University of Kansas, particularly when it is largely funded by a single community.
Houston- KU Day at Space Center Houston was not surprisingly, one of the most unique and interesting events that I have been a part of. (It was especially nice given my affinity for “space ice cream”, which isn’t easily found.) Following the tour of the facility, and exploration of the exhibits, we were treated to a short lecture by KU graduate, current professor, and former astronaut Dr. Steve Hawley.
As you can see it has been a hectic (but very fun) fall! While the holiday break offered a chance to take a breather, I can’t wait to get things rolling again this spring.
I hope to see you at one of our events in the coming months! Thank you again for all that you do in support of our efforts!
Rock Chalk!
Tyler RockersCoordinator of Alumni Programs
KU Alumni AssociationWichita Programs
National Board Report – January 2016
Greetings from Wichita, I hope you all are having a great start to the New Year! It came and went fast, but we had an excellent fall in Wichita. We had many KU activities throughout the fall, but our biggest event of the year happened in October with Jayhawk Roundup.
Jayhawk Roundup:With the help from many Wichita Volunteers and our event chairs, Glenn and Camille Nyberg, we held the 2015 Jayhawk Roundup on Saturday, October 3rd. We had an excellent turnout, with an attendance of 489 people we were up 94 people from the previous year. There was an increased buzz in the air with the presence of two KU greats, Coach Bill Self and Coach Ted Owens. The guests loved being able to mingle and take pictures with Coach Self and Coach Owens. Their presence definitely helped us with increased attendance and increased sponsorship. Thanks to Greg Ek, who led the sponsorship committee, we had a large increase of table sponsors. We received a lot of positive feedback from our guests. There was a great energy in the room and we had people on the dance floor until closing time! The total net amount raised was $62,260.
Community Service:One of the immediate initiatives with our KUAA Wichita Network board was to get more involved with community service events. This fall we kicked off with a Habitat for Humanity build. We had 10 board members volunteer, and we were able to put our “construction” talents towards a brand new home for a deserving family. With the help from some KU Alumni members we also decorated a “Holiday Table” for The Wichita Center for the Arts. This a fun decorating contest that draws many visitors to view the tables and tickets help fund projects for the Art Center. We also ended the fall with another blood drive for the American Red Cross, we had full participation with many board members and local Wichita Jayhawks.
Events:We had a Beer Tasting Dinner this fall with a local restaurant, and partnered with Free State Beer Company. The “fall” themed food was paired perfectly with Free State Beer and it brought a little piece of Lawrence to Wichita. It was very well received and we plan to do another this winter in conjunction with a basketball game. We had a scheduled KU football watch party every weekend at the same restaurant. Although, we hope for attendance to improve in the future, there were many Jayhawk faithful that came to cheer on the team. We hosted a president’s club social in October, which is always a great way to connect with some of our great Jayhawks.
Upcoming Events and Programs:Looking ahead into 2016, I am expecting my 2nd “Baby Jay” to arrive around January 21st. So, the winter will be somewhat quiet. However, I will still be participating in many planned events. We have some basketball watch parties scheduled. “Football in February” is scheduled for Wichita and we will look forward to a visit from Coach Beaty. Looking ahead to spring we will continue with scheduling some new programs around career networking events. We will also begin planning for the 2016 Jayhawk Roundup, so save the date for October 1st, 2016!
Thank you and I look forward to seeing you all soon!
Rock Chalk!
Danielle HooverAssistant Director of Wichita Programs
2015 Jayhawk Roundup
August ’15: Wichita KUAA Board Members supporting Coach Dave Beaty at the Rotary Club Meeting
September ’15: Wichita KUAA Board Members helping with Habitat for Humanity
November ’15: The KUAA “Jayhawk Christmas” Holiday Table benefiting The Wichita Center for the Arts
December ’15: Wichita Jayhawk’s donating blood to the American Red Cross
KU Alumni Association National Network, International Network & Athletic Programs
January 15 & 16, 2016
Hello 2016! I know I speak for our entire staff when I say we are excited for the future here at the KU Alumni Association. Before we start the New Year, below is some info on what we’ve been doing since September.
The KPI rollout is complete. I have been able to sit down in person or over the phone and walk through the KPI’s with each of our alumni networks. Our volunteers are excited to have a “road map.”
We have increased our boards in NYC, DC and Seattle. This will allow our networks to grow through personal connections as well new event ideas and access in each city.
We hosted events in Colorado Springs & Denver with the KU Libraries showcasing their KU 150 archival display. We had events scheduled for San Diego and Phoenix but we are rescheduling those.
In January, KUAA has once again teamed up with KU Endowment to host a reception in San Francisco during KU’s Tech Trek, which takes current students interested in careers in technology and provides them an opportunity to tour several prominent companies in the industry. We have invited all Jayhawks in the bay area in the tech industry to join us and the students traveling with the group for a reception that will provide excellent career networking opportunities.
During our Holiday Markets Flying Jayhawks trip, Tegan and I set up a reception in Paris. We had 10 local alumni sign up to attend as well as the alumni traveling with our Flying Jayhawks. Paige Hofer hosted the trip and said that all in attendance had a great time.
I worked with Dale Slusser from KU Endowment on his recent prospecting trip to London and Paris. I helped him make connections with Jayhawks that we have met over the years in each area. From the reports I received back the trip was very successful.
Home Football Tailgates: This year we brought our members back into the building for the home tailgates. Those that attended told us how happy they were to be back in the building. Here is a game by game breakdown of our attendance (PC tailgate/Member tailgate). SDSU (150/92), Memphis (240/121), Baylor (120/40), Texas Tech (126/67), OU (217/78), WVU (120/35), K-State (130/21).
We only hosted 2 away football game tailgates this year: Rutgers (150), Texas (125).
Basketball Pregame Parties: Michigan State (500, we filled two bars near the arena) Maui (kickoff pep rally) & SDSU (pregame party and watch party).
KUAA again partnered with the Williams Fund to help promote the Roundball events in Wichita, Topeka, KC and Lawrence featuring head basketball coaches Bill Self and Brandon Schneider.
This year’s volleyball team had a great run! We hosted a pregame reception in Allen Fieldhouse before the opening round games. In San Diego for the Sweet 16, we hosted a pregame reception that 20 people attended, but we were able to help get over 200 to the game. For the Elite 8, we held a watch party for the KU basketball game at our SD watch site the Wood followed by everyone making their way to the volleyball match. We had over 200 for the Elite 8 match versus USC. For the Final 4 match, we hosted a pregame party at the Old Mattress Factory restaurant by the arena in Omaha. Tickets were very hard to come by, so we encouraged everyone to try the secondary market to combat the large number of Huskers that had already snatched up most of the tickets. I made sure that we worked with the volleyball office to ensure all of the parents received the info for the pregame (which resulted in all of them attending). We also had the K-Club send out the info to all former volleyball letter winners and we sent the info to all Jayhawks within 250 miles of the game resulting in an event that was a huge success with around 200 in attendance.
Thank you for your support!Danny Lewis Director of Alumni Programs
KU Alumni Association National Board Report Coordinator of Alumni Programs
It is a new year and a new skyline on Mt. Oread. The implosion of McCullum Hall is just once of the many symbols that mark evidence to the change and growth here on campus, new buildings are well underway on the hill, and new leadership here at the KU Alumni Association. All signs of an exciting year to come.
Internship Program:Each semester I get the privilege of working with new students who blow me away with their knowledge and abilities and this year did not disappoint. As winter break approached, I had the sad duty of saying goodbye to some of our exceptional interns. Caleb Bobo, Autrin Naderi, and Jillian Johnson are three names you should remember. All three are seniors graduating this spring and will go on to accomplish great things, just you wait! We are delighted to have David Brandenburg, a freshman studying Architecture, continuing with us the spring. As the seasons change much has changed in the office as well. The Internship Program will now be overseen by Michelle Lang aligning with her new role as Director of Alumni Programs. Passing on this role is definitely bittersweet however it will allow me to focus more of my undivided attention on my additional responsibilities.
Jayhawk Roundup:If you were able to attend the Jayhawk Roundup this year, it is not news to you that it was an absolute hit! Danielle Hoover did an amazing job organizing this year’s event. We were just shy of 500 guests with a total of 489 in attendance which is an increase of 94 from 2014. We had 48 sponsorships of which 33 were table sponsors. A VIP cocktail hour with Bill Self and Ted Owens was added this year as a benefit to Presidents Club members and sponsors also allowing earlier access to the silent auction. The highlight for me personally was getting the Chancellor, Shade Little, and Ted Owens out on the dance floor with Baby Jay. Susan Younger and the decorations committee did not disappoint with the decorations. The birthday theme greeted you from the moment you walked in the doors through an entryway of balloons to the giant gift box on the stage. If you didn’t make it this year I encourage you to come to our 2016 Roundup!
Networks and Watch Sites:I have had the pleasure of managing 40+ small networks and watch sites nationally. Since the last meeting we sent out our volunteer kits to each of our networks which contained valuable information from Brand Positioning and Key Messages to our Key Performance indicators (KPIs). Volunteers expressed great reviews upon receiving these kits. The Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) even brought out a competitive edge in some of my Leaders even. Scott Lundgren, of our Portland Oregon network, even asked how to raise Portland’s rank as he saw they were listed.
This upcoming year has great potential for our networks and watch sites. Over the past few months we have added Corvallis OR., Madison WI., and the Ozarks to our list of watch sites and even revitalized our Memphis watch site. Along with our new watch sites we also have new leadership for many of my national networks. Many of these leaders are recent grads and/or have worked with the university from Athletics to our very own Alumni Association. I am very much looking forward to working with these new groups, leaders, and the promising possibilities this year holds.
Rock Chalk!Emily Ellison c’11
Greater Kansas City Alumni NetworkJanuary 2016
It is fitting that we are celebrating the start of a new year, just as the Alumni Association is embarking upon a new chapter in its history. Similarly, I feel that the Kansas City Alumni Network is in a fresh and exciting place. The month of December is usually a quiet time, when I begin to prepare for the Rock Chalk Ball, but this year, I am busier than ever. And, it’s a good thing!
This fall, we hosted six events in four months, and this does not include the four Kansas Honors Programs, the Shawnee Mission College Clinic, or the Preview KU event with the Office of Admissions. On October 28, we honored Jim Brown with the Wintermote Award at our annual Hawtoberfest at Boulevard Brewery. For the fourth year, this popular event was open to members-only, and was the perfect venue to thank Jim for his incredible leadership of the KC network.
The lasting legacy of Jim’s leadership, will be the Jayhawk Networking Career Series. The second program in this series was held in October at Dimensional Innovations, and highlighted the success of KU alums, Tucker Trotter and Justin Woods. Dean Mahesh Daas, of the School of Architecture, Design & Planning led the program portion of this event, which provided a strong academic element to the evening. It is the hope of our board that we can continue to grow this series, and to connect alumni and members of the association with successful leaders, to prove the true power of the Jayhawk network in Kansas City and beyond. The third program in the series, will be hosted by MBB Advertising and the School of Journalism in February.
This spring I look forward to reporting back on the progress of the networking series, in addition to the following initiatives that are currently in the works.
Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts membership discount on tickets to concerts and programs. Spencer Art Museum, Art History on the Rocks: Bourbon and Thomas Hart Benton – May 11, 2016 Biospecimen Repository Blood Drive – May 13, 2016 Top Golf members-only event – TBD KUAA Night at Sporting Kansas City – TBD Hawks, Helmets and Handlebars (in partnership with Healthy Hawks) – June 4, 2016
Last but certainly not least, is the Rock Chalk Ball on Saturday, April 23, 2016. This year, we are returning to Kansas and the Overland Park Convention Center, because there really is “No Place Like Home”. Suzy, l’84 and John Holt, j’81, l’84 and Shanna, b’01 and Joseph Grant, c’01 have generously agreed to host this year’s big event. We are continuing with the success of the early-bird ticket special, with sales starting on January 1. There is still lots of fun planning to do, but I promise it will be a night to remember. I hope you will all plan to join us in Kansas City in April!
Thank you for your continued support and Rock Chalk!Betsy Winetroub, Director of Kansas City Programs
KU Alumni AssociationAffinity Chapters and Reunions Board Report
January 15-16, 2016
Affinity ProgramsBlack Alumni Network (BAN): The Black Alumni Network Reunion was held September 25-27, 2015. With approximately 190 people in attendance, this was one of our largest Black Alumni reunions. Keynote events for the weekend included a showing of the film “Jayhawkers” followed by a discussion led by movie director, Kevin Wilmott, a tribute to Mike Shinn, e’66, and the Leaders and Innovators Awards Banquet.
The 2015 Mike and Joyce Shinn African American Leaders and Innovators Award recipients included:
Mickey Brown, c’59, g’65Nedra Patton Bonds, c’70Bertram Caruthers Sr. (deceased), c’33, g’35Ralph Crowder, PhD’95Nathan Davis, d’60Cynthia M. Harris, c’78, g’82Alferdteen Harrison, PhD’71Erica Hawthorne-Manon, j’02Julie Johnson Staples, j’78Audrey B. Lee, j’76, g’78Alversa Brewster Milan (deceased), f’55Evelyn Sebron Welton, c’49, c’51
For more information on the KU Black Alumni Reunion or the African American Leaders and Innovators Award please visit www.kualumni.org/kublackalumni.
Veterans Alumni Network (VAN): The Veterans Alumni Network hosted their third Veterans Meet and Greet in September for all students, alumni, and faculty and staff who are veterans. This meet and greet will featured the seven Wounded Warrior Scholarship recipients for the 2015 fall semester. We had approximately 60 people in attendance.
The fourth annual Veteran’s Day run, co-sponsored by the Veterans Alumni Network and the Student Veterans Association, was held on Sunday, November 15 on the KU campus. We also received support from local veteran friendly organizations such as Team Red, White, and Blue and CrossFit Lawrence. Approximately 175 Lawrence and surrounding area community members participated. We generated roughly $3,000 in revenue from the run. These funds will go to support the KU Wounded Warriors Scholarship Fund, the KU Memorials Fund, and the Student Veterans Association.
The Veterans Alumni Network has collaborated with KU Athletics to recognize veterans during each home football game and at least one Salute to Service event during each sport’s season. If you have suggestions of veterans who live in the area or would be interested in participating in one of these Salute to Service events, please pass on their information to Jacey Krehbiel at [email protected].
2016 Alumni Reunion WeekendIn an effort to counteract the declining reunion attendance trends, the annual 50-year reunion weekend will be combined with this year’s Gold Medal Club Reunion celebrations. The Alumni Reunion Weekend will be promoted as an anniversary celebration of 50 plus years since graduation. Reunion events will include campus bus tours, a bus tour of Quantrill’s Raid through Lawrence, the annual Gold Medal Club Reunion luncheon - featuring the Class of 1966, and a presentation from the KU Libraries on KU’s sesquicentennial. Alumni Reunion Weekend registration packets will be mailed in January. Registration will also be made available online.
Legacy Relations UpdateJanuary 15 – 16, 2016 Board of Directors Meeting of the KU Alumni Association
It’s only a couple times a year that I take a drive down Jayhawk Boulevard. For no particular reason – no meeting to attend or prospective student to visit – but just to drive through and look around. This campus has seen so much over the past semester. It feels…aged. More wise, more humble, more patient. The freshmen are seasoned as they have all seen their first round of finals. The seniors are bittersweet with only one more round of finals to go. New buildings have opened their doors this semester, and another went up in a cloud of dust. This campus has reacted to the world around it with passion and concern, and I’ve never been more proud to be part of what we’re striving to accomplish as an institution. Our numbers continue to reflect the Jayhawk community we strive to be.
Fall 2015 Enrollment Snapshot 4,187 new freshmen (2.5 percent increase from Fall 2014) with an average ACT score of 25.2
o 60 percent in-state, 40 percent out-of-state and internationalo Enrollment up in the school of Education (17.7 percent), Business (9.8 percent), Health Professions (3.7 percent),
etc.o 4,482 legacy undergraduates (23.3 percent of the total 19,224 undergraduate population)o 172 enrolled freshmen Jayhawk Generations Scholarship recipients at 20th Day
KU Winter ReceptionsOur KU Winter Receptions will take place from January 7th – 13th with Kansas City to follow on January 31st. We added Milwaukee and Seattle to this year’s menu of events. Events are tailored to seniors in high school who have applied and been admitted to KU. KU admissions representatives and current KU students who are home for winter break will be looking to drive home the “Choose KU” message. We have several board members to thank for hosting this year’s events:Thursday, January 7th
o Tulsa – hosted by Alan & Amanda c’03 Kilian
Friday, January 8th
o Milwaukee – hosted by Jenny and Jay b’85 g’87 Craig
Saturday, January 9th
o Colorado Springs – hosted by Anne and Michael c’84 Leagueo San Diego – hosted by Roger Innes b’78o Washington, DC – hosted by Ryan c'07 j'07 & Erinn b'07 g'08 Colaianni
Sunday, January 10th
o Austin – hosted by Lori Piening b'92o Houston – hosted by Barton c’77 g’82 and Debi d’79 Duckwortho LA (Westlake Village) – hosted by Aerin Leduc-Wolfe j’87o New York City – hosted by Tedde Tasheff c’78 & Robbie Patterson d’71 l’74o Omaha – hosted by Robin & Rick c'77 l'80 Putnamo San Francisco – hosted by the Starr family (KU parents)o Seattle – hosted by Roger b’67 and Annette c’67 Rieger
Wednesday, January 13th
o Atlanta – hosted by Kevin Carroll
Sunday, January 31st
o Kansas City – Tom and Debbie Ward j’86
On deck Copying Angie Storey and Heather Hawkins’ genius cookie caroling idea, a dozen legacy VIPs in Kansas City will find KU
cookies on their doorstep the week of Christmas. We will ring in the New Year by mailing out 2000+ KU calendars to all legacy students who have been admitted to KU with
the message, “Make 2016 the year you become a Jayhawk.” These students will receive a “Be Mine” valentine in February, followed by a Jayhawk cell phone cling in March with a copy of our Rock Chalk Traditions brochure.
A multitude of campus visits have been set for next semester, and I will drop-in on as many legacy students as possible. I also have a bunch of individual packages to get to students who have recently been referred.
Thank you for your continued interest and support of Legacy Relations. The next time you’re on campus, I encourage you to take a drive – or better yet walk – down the Boulevard. Remember why you decided to be a Jayhawk as an unknowing senior in high school. And believe in the purpose you hold as a KU alum.
Best wishes in the coming year and Rock Chalk!Joy Maxwell
KU Alumni AssociationAlumni Programs
January 2016
Greetings from a warm and snow-less winter Hill! The fall semester, filled with autumn colored leafs and cool temperatures have passed and our days are now filled with somewhat warmer than normal temperatures and the start of a new semester!
The fall semester was a fast paced five months that included traveling nationally and in-state. I was able to meet with most of my Kansas networks and was able to really get to work nationally.
In state, most of my time was spent traveling around western Kansas, holding network meetings, recruiting new board members and local volunteers and thanking our Presidents Club members for all that they do for the KU Alumni Association. We traveled with KU Admissions in August as part of the Rock Chalk Roadshow, which signifies the kick-off of Kansas student recruitment. Local prospective students and their families are invited to attend an informational fair and presentation by the KU admission staff and a panel of current KU students and faculty. We held board meetings for our Smoky Hill, North Central, and Southwest networks where we focused on volunteer engagement and creating new and exciting events for alumni to look forward to in the coming months. It was a very important time to sit down and discuss ways we can engage alumni in the area as well as come up with ways to increase membership, especially recent grads, and being able to retain our current members. We were able to host Presidents Club events in Dodge City, Garden City, Liberal, Hays and Salina to thank donors for their support and provide updates on the Association’s leadership transition.
Nationally, my network leaders started the fall semester by choosing several football watch parties for local alumni to gather and support the KU football team. It is such an exciting time for our alumni living around the country, as watch parties are a great way for people to get together and keep that KU connection strong! Our Twin Cities Network welcomed a new leader and created a board that is one of the strongest in my areas. They gather once a month for a networking breakfast or happy hour (which falls on the first Tuesday of every month). In December they did a “KU Night with the Minnesota Timberwolves” where they were able to hear both Andrew Wiggins and Milt Newton speak about their times at KU. Those who attended were invited down to the court after the game for a group picture! Our St. Louis Network is currently in the process of creating a volunteer board. Our longtime leader is at the helm of the search and we are making great progress. We are hoping to have a kickoff event centered on KU Libraries and their Sesquicentennial-KU 150 Exhibit.
As the weather changes and the temperature dips here on campus, the KU Alumni Association is just starting to heat up. We have a plethora of activities, events, stewardship opportunities on our calendar and we are always finding new ways to thank our current members as well as recruiting new members to join. I hope to visit with many more Jayhawks at our upcoming in-state events and plan to continue to travel nationally as well. Our hope is that all attendees leave events not only feeling proud of being a Jayhawk, but feeling proud of the connection they have with the University through the Alumni Association. Rock Chalk!
Kelsey HillCoordinator of Alumni Programs
Kansas Honors Programs/Academic ProgramsIt’s been another busy fall for the Kansas Honors Program. Between September 16th and November 11th, we hosted 24 programs on 16 different days. On our busiest week, we hosted 6 programs in 3 days…I think that’s why it seems to go by so fast! We awarded 3,107 dictionaries to students from 250 high schools in 65 counties. We also raised more than $32,000 from close to 600 donors. It’s a lot of work, but luckily we have a great department that helps staff the programs, lots of support from University staff & faculty who speak for us and dedicated volunteers throughout the state that help organize the fall programs.
While the fall programs have wrapped up for this KHP season, the preparations for the spring programs are just getting underway.
The schedule for spring 2016 is: Date KHP Speaker
February-16 Pittsburg Rueben Perez, Director of Student Involvement & Leadership Center, University of Kansas
February-16 Fort Scott Nathan Thomas, Vice Provost for Diversity & Equity, University of Kansas
February-16 Great Bend Don Steeples, McGee Distinguished Professor of Applied Geophysics, University of Kansas
February-16 Mound City Ken Audus, Dean of Pharmacy, University of Kansas
February-16 Beloit Dr. Mary Klayder, Associate Director of Undergraduate Studies, University of Kansas
February-16 Holton Dr. Bernie Kish, Director of Facilities & Lecturer, School of Education, University of Kansas
February-16 Atchison Lisa Pinamonti Kress, Director of Admissions, University of Kansas
February-16 Washington Jessica Beeson, Director of Alumni & Community Engagement, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, University of Kansas
March-16 Neodesha Michael Wade Smith, Director of External Communications for the School of Business, University of Kansas
April-16 Medicine Lodge Paul Buskirk, Associate Athletics Director, University of Kansas
April-16 Goodland Bernadette Gray-Little, Chancellor, University of Kansas
April-16 Logan Don Steeples, McGee Distinguished Professor of Applied Geophysics, University of Kansas
As you know, in the coming months, I will be transitioning from running the day to day operations of the Kansas Honors Program to managing our relationships with our academic partners on campus. We will hire a new coordinator, who will report to me, to run KHP. The programs department interns are now reporting to me as well. Additionally, I will be overseeing the Association’s volunteer awards and leading the planning of volunteer leaders weekend. I’m looking forward to taking on this new opportunity and embracing the new challenges!
Rock Chalk,
Michelle LangDirector of Alumni Programs
Communications ReportDecember 2015
Last month you no doubt noticed a change in the wall calendar you received with Kansas Alumni magazine and the Association’s annual report. To continue the University’sKU 150 celebration through 2016, staff members Susan Younger and Valerie Spicher created a calendar that features images and keepsakes from KU history. The project required extensive research in University Archives to choose images and glean fodder for the captions (written by Heather Biele) and many more hours of design, but the extra effort proved worthwhile. We’ve received numerous compliments and notes of thanks from members, and Sara Shepherd, KU reporter for the Lawrence Journal-World, even gave us a shout-out in her Heard on the Hill blog.
Susan and Val also collaborated on our whimsical holiday email message, with help from Heather, Dan Storey and Debbi Johanning. Every year we swear we’re going to settle on a holiday card idea long before the season arrives, but the months slip away amid deadlines and surprises. Luckily, our creative team manages to dream up ideas in the nick of time. (We might actually manage to keep our resolution in 2016, because Debbi already has provided the inspiration.)
The next issue of Kansas Alumni will go to press the week of the Board meeting. Our cover story will feature the Jayhawks’ historic success on the volleyball court and the team’s first trip to the Final Four. Other stories will highlight the work of landscape photographer Michael Strickland and poet Todd Marshall. We will postpone our profile of Leslie Schweitzer, founder of the American University in Afghanistan, to make room for the volleyball story.
We also will report on the campus events and conversations regarding diversity and equity. We hope to provide a more complete summary for readers who have heard only portions of the story in other media, and we will continue to follow the issue throughout the spring as the KU community seeks solutions. During difficult times, we are especially thankful that, as an independent, self-governing alumni association, we can present a fair and accurate report and provide a forum for our members to learn more about KU’s challenges and offer their views.
As you may recall, we asked members to share their opinions of Kansas Alumni in a November readership survey. David Johnston will report the results during the Board meeting. We’ll also outline our plan to unveil our three sesquicentennial fiberglass Jayhawks and promote them as part of the KU 150 celebration.
We hope you have a joyous holiday season!
Jennifer Sanner Susan YoungerSenior Vice President for Communications Creative DirectorEditor, Kansas Alumni
Another semester has passed, and so has the inflating of our 25 foot tall Super Jay. Yes this guy has made it through another football season of home tailgates and some over the road events. As those who know will tell you, the more hands to help with Super Jay, the easier he is to manage. I’d like to thank everyone who helped this year with him, I couldn’t have done it without you.
With all of the events and gatherings we host in the building each week, a number of attendees are retired faculty and staff. Some need a cane, possibly a walker, or even a wheelchair, and we’ve come to realize our building is not the friendliest to those who may need assistance. Therefore, we are in the process of making small inexpensive modifications to help those guests. These changes include reusing the original paper towel dispensers that are considerably lower than the more recently installed automatic towel dispensers, additional soap dispensers that are also lower, installation of push/pull plates to the restroom entry doors, and making adjustments to the front automatic doors and elevator doors. The front entry doors and elevator doors were not staying open long enough to accommodate those who need more time to enter or exit.
We are also making a move towards occupancy sensors in selected rooms. These occupancy sensors (motion sensors) are being used for lighting control. If no motion is detected, the sensor assumes that the space is empty, and thus does not need to be lit. Turning off the lights in such circumstances can save substantial amounts of energy. These sensors are not perfect, so there are selectable delay times before switching off. We have selected 15 minutes for restrooms and 1 minute for closets. This means that the sensor must detect no motion for the entire delay time before the lights are switched off. We have replaced the old light switches in the restrooms, mop closets, coat closets and a couple of storage closets at this point. We have plans on using these sensors in other parts of the building, including testing them in offices on the third floor and possibly the stairwells.
The replacement of the old aggregate roof with a new 60mil TPO membrane roof only took about 1 week at the end of September. There was no issues, and the process went very smoothly without interruptions to any scheduled events. After analyzing the competitive bids received, we contracted with Diamond Everly, a local roofing company that we have used for repairs in the past. The mechanical system, other than some minor fixes, has been working smoothly.
Ben ShepleyDirector of Adams Alumni Center
KU Alumni AssociationHospitality Services Board Report
Bryan Greve, Senior Vice President for HospitalityMay 17, 2023
Banquet Services
Banquet Services continues to increase business in two categories; wedding/social events, and our own programs. University business is moderately flat, and is not declining significantly. However, we have been working on ways to increase this demographic, and believe we can continue to find ways to improve our position. Overall, things are very good!
Every so often, we provide you with an update from our retired faculty group (The Endacott Society) Named after Paul Endacott, former KU All-American, CEO of Phillips Petroleum, and benefactor of the Alumni Association and its Endacott Society.
This group is one of our many programs, and they spend a considerable amount of time in the Center. Their current President, and representative to our Board, is Tom McCoy. Tom provides the following report. Tom will also be on hand to answer any questions you might have during our upcoming committee time and lunch.
Sincerely,Bryan Greve
Endacott Board Report Dec. 2015
The Endacott Society has had a busy and enjoyable fall semester. We have recruited several new members and are experiencing additional interest from others who have attended some of our study programs. These programs include our computer study group along with the newly formed foreign films cinema studies group introduced by Paul Lim earlier this year. We currently have close to 400 members of which about 80 regularly attend the weekly study and seminar groups.
We have enjoyed celebrating several special occasions recently. First was Arnold Weiss's 100th birthday was hosted by the KU Alumni Association. Many guests attended including Chancellor Gray-Little. The second was recognition of 14 of our members who are 90 years or older and who regularly attend. Finally, the Endacott Society received an invitation to the Lied Center from their new director, Derek Kwan, to attend the performance of the Thodos Dance Company of Chicago performing along with the KU Dance Company.
In summary, it has been a great year with many wonderful experiences enjoyed by our members, and much of this is due to the strong support we receive from the KU Alumni Association along with their staff (Bryan and Laurie) and the sharing of their facilities.
Endacott President 2015-16 Tom McCoy
KU Alumni AssociationMembership Board Report
January 15, 2016
The following is a summary of the membership numbers as of December 31, 2015 compared to December 31, 2014.
Life Membership 244,173 567,224 572,401 481,250 351,584 398,487 371,741 403,095 SAA 23,931 27,565 26,896 40,931 41,662 27,821 31,956 32,436
TOTAL $680,312$1,406,08
9 $1,458,678 $1,389,986 $1,332,63
4 $1,377,36
5 $1,455,44
4 $1,570,05
0
We exceeded our $175,000 December goal by nearly $3,000, brought in 15 new Presidents Club members, as well as miscellaneous donations to the unrestricted gift fund. That said, generating membership dues revenue has been a challenge the first six months of the fiscal year in comparison to our monthly budgeted goals. We are still behind our budgeted YTD goal by approximately $100,000. We will be discussing strategies on how we create a more balanced revenue portfolio with dues, contributions and corporate sponsorships/advertising in the new Revenue Development Committee meeting.
Our fall “Step Up Your Sock Game” join/upgrade promotion, which launched in September, featured a pair of exclusive designed Jayhawk socks as the incentive. We targeted lapsed, never and recent grad groups, as well as members for upgrade options. We also launched our year-end promotions in November. Please see below for the full report of numbers and response rates for these promotions.
Step Up Your Sock Game Promotion
Audience Reach Results (#) As of 12/22/15
Results (%) As of 12/22/15
Direct Mail Group 98,827 - postcards46,644 – emails
541 .55%
Direct Mail Remail Group 9,994 – Labels & Crossword puzzle
193 2%
Lapsed/Never Group 19,711 emails 79 .4%Recent Grad (excluding 2010) 17,162 emails 35 .2%Recent Grad – 2010 5,107 – direct mail +
email follow-up26 .5%
TOTAL JOIN 150,801 874 .6%Annual Member Upgrade 2,973 emails 119 4%JHS 2-4 Year Upgrade 358 emails 11 3.1%JHS 5+ Year Upgrade 454 direct mail
238 emails40 8.8%
Life Upgrade 14,311 – direct mail10,957 emails
125 + 9 new Presidents Club
members
.9%
Life/JHS Upgrade 139 5 new Presidents Club members
3.6%
TOTAL UPGRADE 18,235 309 1.7%
We also conducted our annual holiday “Give the Gift of Membership” promotion with the second in a series of holiday ornaments as the incentive. The following is a summary of the results:
Membership Type Gifts PurchasedLife Membership – paid in full Recent Grad – 9
Regular - 1Life Membership – Installment Recent Grad - 6Annual Recent Grad – 15
Regular - 24Jayhawk Society Regular - 6SAA (direct mail to KUAA member parents w/current non-SAA member students)
One-Year – 27Four-Year – 22
Future Jayhawks (new and renewal) 188
We also launched two new member benefits: National Discount Program and discounted subscription for ESPN Magazine. We will feature the National Discount Program over the next six months: renewal inserts, web site, member e-newsletter, dedicated emails, social media and events.
Summary of Upcoming Membership Promotions – Winter and Spring
Program Details ResultsAlumni Records Update Promotion will launch in February and run through
Program Details Resultsand “Dues Notice” March 31.
We are modeling this promotion from a University of North Carolina program that has proven successful for them over the years. It is a “no-frills” official looking direct mail piece that is designed to capture record updates (personal and employment) and encourage people to join with an incentive for automatic renewal.
We will also send follow-up email reminders. The exact audience of lapsed and never members
has not been determined.
2016 Post Season Basketball Promotion
Details are TBD since this will overlap with other winter and spring promotions.
Spring Sesquicentennial Jayhawk promotion
Developing promotion plans to tie to the three KU 150 Jayhawks.
Scheduled to run April 1 – May 31.
Student Programs Board ReportJanuary 15-16, 2016
Member Recruitment—SAA We have been actively recruiting SAA members throughout the semester through the following action items:
Distributed member gifts on campus at the beginning of the year so we could promote SAA and recruit new members, while also connecting with our current members.
Tabled on Wescoe in October right before some of our SAA events to market our programs and membership, bringing more awareness on campus.
Tabled at all Home Football Fridays—collected emails from anyone who was interested in SAA. Ran UDK Ads at the beginning of the year to promote membership. Sent gift solicitation letters to all parents who are members of KUAA and have students that are at KU but are not members
of SAA. Please see numbers in the Membership Report. Served cider and coffee on Wescoe in December as a “surprise and delight” to continue promoting brand awareness and
membership. Allowed SAA members to bring a guest to Finals Dinner. Approximately 300 students attended. All guests gave their emails,
and I will be following up with a join message to them before they come back for next semester.
Member ProgramsOur programming first semester was very successful. Some of our events included: Home Football Fridays, a Networking Night, SAA night at the Volleyball game (in partnership with WEFU), Etiquette Dinner (in partnership with University Career Center), Finals Dinner and a new member benefit of quiet study space throughout the semester, as well as during Finals Week, at the Adams Alumni Center.
The following is what we have in store for our spring lineup: Continued study space for SAA members at the Adams Alumni Center. Networking Night—collaborating with other Career Centers on Campus to secure Alumni participants and promote SAA
membership to students in their schools so they can attend the Networking Night. Behind-the-scenes tour of an athletic venue (in partnership with WEFU)—possibly baseball or softball, followed by special
seating for SAA. Watch Party during basketball season Possible reserved seating for SAA members for ESPN Game Day (KU v. Kentucky game) Finals Dinner—with shoulder massages and therapy dogs for all SAA members and guests. Grad Fair, Grad Grill and Commencement Open House—for graduating seniors.
Campus Strategy UpdateThroughout the year, I have been collaborating with other groups across campus to promote membership and awareness of SAA, including: attended a luncheon with all Career Services representatives across campus to discuss partnership opportunities, coordinated a Networking Night for Aerospace Engineering Students, collaborated with the University Career Center about our upcoming Etiquette Dinner. I will continue to look for opportunities to collaborate and build relationships across campus to strengthen and promote SAA. We will also continue our efforts to take SAA to the students, such as Daisy Hill, Wescoe Beach, Union, etc.
Student Alumni Leadership Board (SALB)The members of SALB have done an excellent job this semester. They planned and executed all of our SAA events. They have also: tabled on campus and at senior days, helped at the Chancellor’s tailgates, assisted with legacy recruitment, attended KHP’s, participated in homecoming events, written postcards to Presidents Club members and have continued to promote membership in SAA. They are a great group of student leaders.
HomecomingMark your calendars: Homecoming 2016—October 16-22, culminating with the KU v. OSU football game on Saturday, October 22.
Rock Chalk!Paige HoferCoordinator of Student Programs
KU Alumni AssociationFlying Jayhawks Board Report
Tegan Thornberry – January 2016
2015 was an exciting year for the Flying Jayhawks. We had 216 travelers on our 21 trips including independent bookings. Ten hosts were able to attend to our guests. As mentioned in previous board reports, we utilize earned hosts positions as a stewardship opportunity to thank travelers for their membership contributions and show the continued value of our program. In addition to giving updates from the Hill, hosts are an extra set of eyes and lend a pair of hands for assistance when navigating the tours. Most recently, we hosted a successful reception with our 12 Flying Jayhawks passengers and seven local alumni in Paris in December on our Holiday Markets trip. It was a wonderful opportunity to connect Jayhawks around the world. The reach of the powerful Jayhawk network truly is around the world.
There is a lot in store for our 2016 schedule. Dale and Marianne Seuferling are hosting our Tanzania Migration trip, January 27 – February 7, 2016. We tried marketing directly to a list of people Dale provided. We’ve had success with our Africa programs in the past, but we struggled this time around. The trip is still operating with low numbers. Unfortunately, the KU Men’s Basketball games versus Kentucky and Kansas State are during this stint and we saw that affect our passenger count. The basketball schedule was not in place when Dale selected this trip. Factors to learn from going forward when testing and trying new things with our program.
February features a cruise to Costa Rica and the Panama Canal with 28 passengers. We will be hosting a reception and dinner on board the ship with local alumni in Panama. Working with Danny Lewis, we are able to connect our two programs and bring Jayhawks together internationally. Both the passengers and Jayhawks abroad enjoy this experience. It will be interesting to see how the climate changes. One ship line we work with is discontinuing the policy of letting non-passengers aboard the ship. Most require passport photos for security screening. Time will tell how many others will follow suit.
On a bright spot, the Baltic Sea trip featuring the Chancellor and her husband Shade sold well for us. We have a total of 25 passengers on this trip, and the ship is sold out. With the high passenger count, we were able to earn paid host spots for the two of them and a third staff host to handle the traditional duties. This is a huge help to our bottom line for the Flying Jayhawks budget and a passenger enhancement to experience a Chancellor’s trip. We haven’t featured a Chancellor’s trip since Robert and Leah Hemenway hosted a Danube River cruise in 2007.
Currently we have 251 passengers booked over our 27 trips in 2016. There are still five trips we haven’t marketed yet. It’s promising to see an uptick in bookings overall, but since the attacks in Paris in November we have seen reservations slow down. This is possible because of the State Department worldwide travel alert. Another contributing factor, the tour operators we work with avoid sending brochures during the holidays. This January we hope to see the pendulum swing and an increase of bookings to close out our 2016 schedule.
As we begin the 2016 calendar year, let’s talk about the 2017 Flying Jayhawks schedule. It is hard to believe we have 2017 planned, but trips have been selected. Bringing back tried and true favorites, testing some new exotic locations, and reviving destinations that have performed well for us in the past. A trip to Antarctica, an Amazon expedition, or a European immersion might be just the ticket for you in 2017. Be sure to check back in May for our full line up including dates.
Until the next adventure, Rock Chalk!
Report to the Board of DirectorsInformation Systems and Alumni Records
December 2015
Over a three-week period in October we were able to train 31 staff members and convert them to the new version of our alumni database called Advance Web.
The new interface was customized for our staff to help them easily access the most important biographical and membership data on one screen with the option to drill down to more detailed information if needed. The web-browser based interface is also easier for our staff to access while they are out of the office.
We completed transferring 1,700 Jayhawks for Higher Education data records from an external vendor database to our Advance database. We tagged each record with the JHE code and updated their addresses and email addresses as needed.
This time of year we are very busy processing memberships, printing membership cards and sending gifts out for all of our many membership solicitations that are out in the market before the December 31st deadline. It is also a busy time for data requests from departments on campus for mailing and email lists for their year-end magazines and e-newsletters.
One of the Information Systems projects we tackled recently was developing a daily data feed to support our newest member benefit, the KU Alumni National Discount Program. We are also looking into some large-scale data cleansing projects with an external vendor to help us identify alumni who are deceased or have outdated addresses in our database.
Stefanie Shackelford Bill GreenVP for Alumni and Membership Records Sr. VP for Information Systems and Service
Internet Services & Marketing Board Report
January 2016
The end of the calendar year was cause for celebration after our website received unprecedented traffic from our digital media efforts. I’m excited to head into 2016 with momentum to tackle significant projects and new challenges with our talented team of Debbi Johanning, Kara Schwerdt and Mike Wick.
Website smashes record
Traffic to the website continues to grow steadily. Visitation reached a crescendo when we produced a live-stream of the McCollum Hall implosion on our website. More than 2,000 alumni watched it live, and thousands more returned to reach stories from about their experiences living in McCollum. The event set every record alumni we keep when tracking web analytics. For example, the 15,000+ sessions that day eclipsed our daily average sessions of just under 1,000.
We ended the year tracking our top stories of 2015, based on web traffic:
10. April Fool’s Day 2015: Mascot Mayhem
9. KU Alumni Association names Heath Peterson new president and CEO
8. Happy Valentine’s Day, Jayhawks!
7. Presidential visit to the University of Kansas
6. Happy holidays from the staff of the KU Alumni Association
5. A story about KU vs. K-State, or how Dave got a scar on his forehead
4. The original “Aint’ No Seats” story revealed
3. Saying goodbye to McCollum Hall
2. New era begins with old Jayhawk
1. Farewell, McCollum
Email forwarding discontinuation
In October, we made the difficult decision to discontinue offering our @kualumni.org email forwarding service, due to changing DMARC policy issues affecting reliability. We got on top of this issue ahead of KU IT, which was still investigating the issue as it relates to university email. As a result, KU’s chief technology officer asked us to hold off on our plans while KU IT coordinated an institutional response. Our email forwarding service will continue for the time being so alumni can transition to other another email address before the program is phased out entirely at a future date.
2016 major projects
Several planned projects and initiatives will carry over into the new year, including the following:
Results from our Kansas Alumni magazine readership survey are overwhelmingly positive, with 90% of respondents rating our coverage of KU news to be “very good” or “excellent.” Complete results will be shared with the board’s communications, records and marketing committee.
Campus communicators were surveyed in December about their broadcast email needs for communicating with alumni audiences. The results will inform our approach for serving the email needs of campus units, while preserving our role as the central keeper of alumni records.
Dynamic membership forms are being developed in iModules that can be used with promotion codes and appeal codes for better internal tracking. This project is being undertaken in part to decrease our reliance on the current system, made up of hundreds of unique forms developed internally. Once completed, a similar project will begin involving event forms.
A new WordPress platform was installed and tested successfully. During the next few months, parts of our site (kualumni.org) will be moved to the new platform, improving load times, stability and usability, without comprising the design or look and feel of the site.
Advertising rates are being evaluated, along with data from the magazine readership survey, to help us value our primary advertising vehicle. Rates have not changed in more than ten years, so the study is overdue and dovetails nicely with plans to value media assets for future sponsor and revenue development.
New partnerships with ESPN Magazine and Access Development have helped us extend additional benefits to members and boost affinity marketing revenue. This is an ongoing initiative, and we hope to announce another partnership with Fanatics.com in early 2016.
Marketing
At the end of 2015, we partnered with the Lawrence Journal-World and Kansas Athletics in sponsoring a full-page ad celebrating the success of the KU volleyball team that reached the Final Four of the NCAA tournament this season.
As always, your ideas, feedback, complements and critiques are always welcome! Rock Chalk!
