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2008 Auburn University Alumni Attitude Study Executive Summary

A comprehensive survey of alumni was conducted between May and July 2008 by the Performance Enhancement Group (PEG) on behalf of the Auburn Alumni Association. Results from 2,284 responses (15 percent response rate) were analyzed according to association members/non-members, gender, ethnicity and generation. A strength of PEG’s survey is that it shows how AU responses compared with those of 10 selected comparable schools. Study results, including demographic information, can be found online at www.aualum.org/membership/pdf/surveyresults.pdf.

KEY FINDINGS

1. Auburn alumni are extremely loyal—more than alumni of comparable schools—and this is just as true for non-members of the Auburn Alumni Association as it is for members. This loyalty base offers great opportunity to build association membership if the right means and messages can be found to reach non-member populations.

2. The primary thing Auburn alumni want to hear from AU is how their degree is increasing in value, which is generally gauged by academic quality. Also important are the history and tradition of the institution and the opportunity for career networking and advancement. Interestingly, athletics success ranked lowest on a list of things alumni consider important in shaping their view of Auburn University.

3. The Auburn Alumni Association appears to have a “perception gap” among younger alumni (35 and under), who see the “typical Auburn Alumni Association member” as older, wealthy and “rabid sports fans.” This reveals a need for reassessment of programming targeted to younger alumni.

4. Younger alumni appear to value tangible benefits of association membership (discounts, special programs) more than older alumni, for whom association membership offers a way to “provide feedback and leadership” to the institution.

5. Auburn Magazine is the most-read and most valued communication tool among all generations and is the way alumni say they most frequently “interact” with the university, followed by AU’s Office of Communication and Marketing’s eCommons electronic newsletter and the AU Web site. Auburn Magazine is the only communication form that alumni give a positive performance ranking (meaning its quality is perceived to equal its importance).

6. The areas in which alumni consider communication least effective are invitations to university and alumni activities and communications regarding alumni services and benefits. This is true for current association members as well as non-members.

7. Alumni do not feel the university offers adequate means of getting involved, particularly in helping identify job opportunities for graduates, student mentoring, and a method to provide feedback to the university. The only categories in which alumni feel the university is offering adequate means of involvement are fundraising and athletic events.

8. Time, family/job conflicts and geographic distance are the greatest barriers to participation in alumni activities. This would indicate a perceived need for activities targeted to alumni outside a 250-mile
radius of the university.

CONCLUSION

The primary results of this survey will be published in Auburn Magazine, which mails to alumni association members, and will be accessible to all on the Web site of the Auburn Alumni Association at www.aualum.org.

Further review and study of the results will be pursued by the staff of the AU Office of Alumni Affairs. Collaboration with other units and personnel on campus will take place to help meet alumni expectations, such as career development services and student affairs. There is an emerging cohort of young alumni who think quite differently than past generations; efforts to meet their needs are vital to our ability to engage them. New means of promoting membership in the alumni association must be addressed, as membership increases the connection alumni make to Auburn. Previous data also reveals that members are more likely to give financially to AU and at a higher rate than non-members. Opportunities must continue for alumni to provide continuous feedback on their feelings relating to Auburn University and how we communicate with them.

[Last updated: 10/02/08]