Creating Alumni Connections, Building Business Events

      A good business person knows that networking can be a key to success - the more people you know, the better. People network to advance their careers, to build their business, to increase their impact on the world and to improve their social lives.

No one knows this better than a business school graduate; and after graduation, Broad School alumni go off to find their niche in cities that span the globe from Chicago to China. In many of these cities, alumni can find Michigan State University Alumni Association (MSUAA) regional clubs, which can help make an unfamiliar place seem familiar and can connect people back to their alma mater.

"MSUAA regional clubs promote social and professional networking and pride in the university," says Keith McGorisk (BA Financial Administration '91), president of the MSU Alumni Club of Chicago and program manager at ExtendMed. "They give people a sense of camaraderie...we have a lot of fun."

About three years ago, Broad School staff approached the MSUAA with an idea to partner with these regional clubs in offering business-focused events for all MSU alumni. The Broad School agreed to act as an "independent committee" within the regional clubs using alumni volunteers and resources of the Broad School to offer more business-specific activities in the club community.

"Most major business schools have well-connected alumni who help each other achieve goals and find success in their careers," says Dan Mathews (BA Hotel & Restaurant Management '66), National Automatic Merchandising Association senior vice president and past Broad Alumni Association board member. "Alumni consider career networking important and typically show willingness to attend business seminars and workshops."

Mathews says Broad Business Networks are a win-win for everyone involved - alumni get active and reacquainted while taking advantage of continuing educational opportunities; the college forms connections with alumni that can help with recruiting students, placement and fundraising; and the MSUAA can reap benefits from an increase in membership, since alumni who want to get involved with the networks are also encouraged to become members of MSUAA.

Eli and Edythe L. Broad Dean Robert Duncan can see only positive outcomes for the college from this network initiative. "Alumni satisfaction and perceived degree value strongly influence b-school rankings and endowments," he says. "We've had really positive feedback from alumni involved in our networks."

The drive for networking activities came from the Alumni Networking Committee of the Broad School Alumni Association board, headed by Mathews. After several meetings, the group created the following Broad Business Network goals:

• Establish business networks among alumni in key areas of alumni concentration;
• Increase the value of the business degree and connections for Broad School alumni;
• Engage the alumni in support of recruitment and placement at the Broad School;
• Support development of an expanded volunteer and donor base among Broad School alumni.

"We held several brainstorming sessions and developed a plan of action to publicize Broad Business Networks," Mathews says. "We contacted regional alumni groups and organized initial meetings to explain the concept. We also conducted an alumni survey to determine what alumni want."

The committee developed basic definitions and expectations for the networks based on the size of the area's alumni base. "Large" networks (Broad business alumni population of more than 3,000), "mid-size" networks (Broad business alumni population around 1,000) and "developing" networks (Broad business alumni population of fewer than 400) all start with a Founders' Council consisting of two co-chairs and other alumni members (depending on size) and are expected to host two to three events per year, including a network launch reception during its first year. (See "How to start a Broad Business Network" on page 6.) The college helps the alumni that make up network Founders' Councils by funding one direct mail campaign annually, with an additional financial grant available for activities.

The main event these networks are charged to organize is a Broad Executive Forum - a large event that brings Broad School faculty and cutting-edge speakers and topics to their cities. It's an opportunity for alumni to network while learning new ideas. All events hosted by Broad Business Networks are open to all MSU alumni and their guests.

The first focus of the college's network efforts was in Chicago in late 2004. Broad School staff met with the Chicago Founders' Council to share ideas, and then representatives of the council took the proposal to the MSUAA Chicago Spartans board where they agreed to the partnership. In the spring of 2006, the Chicago network hosted its first successful Chicago Broad Executive Forum. (See "Chicago: Networking opportunities abound" on page 9.)

"It was quite easy for our two groups to come together, because several people on the Broad Network (Founders' Council) had been or were involved with our regional club, so it was an easy transition," McGorisk says. "We really saw the Broad group as an extension of our local group. The Broad involvement strengthens our business networking activities - especially for people who are looking for jobs or who need business-to-business contacts. It's really been an added value for all parties involved."

Other networks that are currently operating or are being developed include Charlotte (N.C.) (See "Charlotte: Making connections with southern charm" on page 6. ), San Francisco, Austin, Atlanta, Denver, Bei j ing (China), Shanghai (China) and South Korea. There are also Michigan networks developed around specific programs, including the Weekend MBA program, the Executive MBA program and the Detroit Broad Executive Forum. (See "Michigan program networks foster continuing education" on page 8.)

For more information about the Broad School's network initiative and about networks that are currently hosting events, visit www.bus.msu.edu/alumni/regional/.