ACSN IMPACT AWARDS

The ACSN Impact awards recognize achievements in the areas of career development programming, alumni engagement, and employer relations. They may encompass communications, programming, and other engagement by ACSN members. Nominees are judged on their innovation, creativity, and impact on their constituents.

AWARD FOR BEST SINGLE PROGRAM

2024 Winner: Megan Hart, Associate Director of Alumni Engagement at Stockton University
Program Title:  Driving Student Success and Alumni Engagement at University Career Fairs

Program Summary:
Alumni Relations created and sponsored a student decompression zone for the Fall 2023/Spring 2024 Career Fairs. Students met with alumni volunteers to practice their elevator pitches, review resumes and help get the jitters out and feel before meeting with employers. They were also provided downloadable career success guides. This was a highly engaged, fun, and successful initiative for the students and alumni and is now a permanent programming event for ongoing fall and spring career fairs.

This was an engaging way to bring Alumni back to campus and meet with students in a welcoming and collaborative manner to help them navigate the career fair by offering their expertise, helping them navigate the tables, providing career preparation resources and care. This zone can be created with a variety of budgets ranges and each semester we hope to make this experience even more engaging and impactful!

For more information about this program contact Megan [email protected]

AWARD FOR BEST SERIES PROGRAM - NEW

2024 Winner: Megan Morey & Laura Day, Williams College
Program Title: The Roads Less Traveled

Program Summary:
The Future of Work traveled to different cities for forward-thinking discussions on employment trends and the ever-evolving future of work, allowing alumni to connect before and after the talks around designated chat hubs, regardless of their field or experience. The Roads Less Traveled was designed to reach industry-specific cohorts among our alumni. These small but mighty groups had over 65% attendance rates, with most participants having 5-6 conversations within the hour-long session

For more information about this program contact Megan [email protected] and  Laura [email protected]

AWARD FOR BEST SERIES PROGRAM- ESTABLISHED

2024 Winner: Alexander Beard, College, Sr. Assistant Director; Michael Steelman, Director of Alumni Career Management and Professional Networks, and Kay Buckley, Director of Career Readiness Pathways at William & Mary College 
Program Title: W&M Professional Development Week

Program Summary:
W&M Professional Development Week encapsulates year-round career development efforts into a compelling, no-cost-to-attend weeklong model for institutional wide professional development. This year, we integrated the student voice with alumni panelists. We saw an impressive turnout with over 1970 event registrations, representing 910 unique members of the W&M community. Participants engaged in a diverse array of events, including nine virtual sessions and eight regional, in-person gatherings focused on networking, career advancement, and personal development. Globally alumni contributed invaluable insights acquired through their career experiences and professional expertise.

For more information about this program contact Alex [email protected]; Michael [email protected]; Kay [email protected] 

AWARD FOR BEST ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT

2024 Winner: Melissa Kelly, Program Manager, Digital Engagement Initiatives at The University of Pittsburgh
Program Title: The First at Pitt Mentorship Program

Program Summary:
The First at Pitt Mentorship Program signifies a significant step towards supporting first-generation college students at the University of Pittsburgh. In collaboration with the Pitt Alumni Association and the Office of the Provost's Student Success Team, the program aims to provide guidance and support to students through 1:1 mentorship on a digital mentorship platform, Pitt Commons.

This semester-long program facilitates discussions on academic plans, post-graduation aspirations, and overall college success. Part of a broader initiative, it celebrates and supports the first-generation Pitt community, fostering a culture of inclusivity and empowerment.

For more information about this program contact [email protected]

2024 Honorable Mention for Alumni Engagement: Wendy Webster Coakley, Assistant Director of Alumni Engagement for Career Connections at Williams College, for curation and frequent delivery of online career-based resourcesincluding anAlumni Holiday Gift Guide, LinkedIn, and Career Commentaries. For more about this program contact  [email protected]

AWARD FOR BEST MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS

2024 Winner: Allison McWilliams, Assistant Vice President and Lauren Beam, Associate Director at Wake Forrest University
Program Title: Leveraging Online Media Channels to Drive Alumni Awareness and Engagement

Program Summary:
Over the past year Alumni Personal & Career Development Center team at Wake Forest University has put increased strategic focus on using multiple online media channels to connect with our alumni constituencies, educate around core career and life competencies, build awareness of resources, and drive engagement with our website and programs.

What is significant about this marketing strategy is that it did not necessarily involve building brand new content but repurposing programs, resources, and offerings that already exist through a variety of channels to reach our broad audience. Each week we take existing content, to include alumni stories, advice pieces, upcoming programs, content from previously implemented programs, and career development tools, and repurpose it as images or video. This provides daily content for our Instagram feed (@LifeAfterWake), weekly content for our Alumni LinkedIn group, and monthly content for our e-newsletter (Beyond the Forest). As a result, alumni are engaged via multiple channels, and they are learning about us, finding and using our website, and using our resources.

For more about this program contact [email protected]

2024 Honorable Mention Marketing and Communications: Patrick Fligge, Director, Temple Professional Network at Temple University for the creation and distribution of a quarterly email newsletter to alumni who have indicated interest in career and professional development programming. Currently, the subscription list contains approximately 50 thousand constituents, mostly alumni. This newsletter is the chief communications vehicle to disseminate career and professional development information, advice, programming, and resources. For more contact [email protected]