A Study of the Definition of Alumni Participation in Religiously Affiliated Private Colleges and Universities

Abstract

This study provides information on a survey conducted concerning the definition of “alumni participation” among randomly selected religiously affiliated private colleges and universities. Additionally, the study confirms the group of people that the same institutions recognize as “alumni”, and provides response as to the degree of importance of alumni to the institutions. Further, attitudinal responses concerning alumni giving and overall participation are also included in this study so as to further gain an understanding of an institutional definition for “alumni participation”. It is recognized that member organizations for higher education attempt to define “alumni participation”, but that this tends to be a controversial definition on the part of both public and private colleges and university alumni associations. The attempt to establish one definition for “alumni participation” for all institutions could prove a strong influencer in the attitudes of religiously affiliated private institutions.