Virtual learning strategy could affect alumni giving
NIKKI PUTRIC
There’s a line in the film Jerry Maguire that goes, “The key to this business is personal relationships.” It’s excellent advice, and colleges and universities should keep it in mind when developing a post-pandemic “virtual learning strategy.”
According to Ontario’s Newsroom, a virtual learning strategy will ensure that post-secondary institutions are “positioned to weather future disruptions,” meaning the time has come for online education. It also means the beginning of the hybrid diploma and degree and possibly the end of alumni giving.
Students are wondering what a hybrid higher education will look like. Will first-year students be required to complete their 101 year entirely online? Will 50 per cent of a program be delivered in person and 50 per cent virtually? Will future students complete one semester on campus and the other remotely? Will lower-cost tuition models be introduced for online courses?
Regardless of the combination, hybrid diplomas and degrees mean students will be receiving less from their campus-based colleges and universities. Ironically, academic institutions will be receiving less too, in the form of future alumni donations. After all, when it comes to the business of alumni fundraising, personal relationships are key, not virtual ones.
It’s no coincidence, then, that the less time a student spends on campus, the less likely they are to develop an attachment to their college or university and become a future donor. The fewer chances a student has to forge friendships, attend social and academic events, and join clubs, sports teams and organizations, the weaker the student’s ties to their school and the less likely they’ll be to contribute as an alumnus. The less time a student spends interacting with their professors and learning in their school’s lecture halls, labs, libraries, historic buildings, or state- of-theart facilities, the less school pride they’ll feel and the less likely they’ll be to one day give.
Essentially, the more online courses a program consists of, the fewer memories a student will form and the less inclined they’ll be to support their future alma mater. Sure, in terms of total annual dollars, alumni donations constitute a small proportion when compared with government funding and tuition revenue, but it’s not insignificant enough to ignore when developing a virtual learning strategy. In fact, it’s a large enough sum to justify colleges and universities employing alumni relations officers and hosting alumni fundraising events.
While colleges and universities figure out how to incorporate online courses into their programs, they should also consider how hybrid diplomas and degrees will affect future alumni giving. If they fail to come up with just the right formula, when they call on their alumni and say, “Show me the money!” I think most will respond like the adorable character Ray Boyd, who answers Jerry Maguire’s cellphone and asks, “Who is this?”