Mrs. Miller briefly reviewed the group’s discussion and thanked staff members for providing extensive information. She also noted that Abby Stuke, a Lenexa junior and a member of the Student Alumni Leadership Board, attended the meeting and added valuable comments from a student’s perspective, including the fact that her mother had been a member of the Student Alumni Association as a student in the early 1990s. Key discussion elements included: The Association sent an action alert May 3 to all Jayhawks for Higher Education • members, asking them to urge Governor Brownback to veto a provision in the budget recently passed by the Kansas Legislature. The provision requires that future cuts in higher education funding be based on a percentage of the funds budgets” for all “all Regents universities. The requirement unfairly penalizes KU and Kansas State University, because their total budgets include significant federal research funding, thereby resulting in larger cuts for both universities—despite the fact that research dollars can be spent only for specific projects and cannot be redirected to replace state funding. In a rare joint message to JHE members and Wildcats for Higher Education, Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little and General Richard Myers, interim KSU president, urged alumni of both universities to contact the governor directly. A campaign to recruit members and update biographical records is nearly complete, and • more than 3,000 alumni responded to the direct mail and promotions. The Association has gained 769 members, and 300 alumni had signed up to be mentors. Mr. Johnston shared a summary of the recent digital media staff retreat. • The committee discussed objectives to two of the Association’s strategic goals: • Implement new technology, programs and communications to engage, inform, mobilize and unite Jayhawks around the world and advance KU. Enhance and develop new initiatives to support institutional priorities (recruitment, retention, graduation, diversity/inclusion, membership, philanthropy, legislative affairs, and more accurate records. Objectives include increasing digital content, especially through the alumni app, which will be introduced to recent grads at Commencement, and the student app, which will make its debut in August as part of expanded programs for the Student Alumni Association. Jayhawks for Higher Education will increase its grass-roots efforts and outreach, especially during this election year. FUNDRAISING REPORT: Mrs. Storey distributed copies of a report compiled by Mr. McConnell (see attached) and reported that she is developing a national travel and prospect cultivation strategy with Mr.
Mrs. Miller briefly reviewed the group’s discussion and thanked staff members for providing extensive information. She also noted that Abby Stuke, a Lenexa junior and a member of the Student Alumni Leadership Board, attended the meeting and added valuable comments from a student’s perspective, including the fact that her mother had been a member of the Student Alumni Association as a student in the early 1990s. Key discussion elements included: • The Association sent an action alert May 3 to all Jayhawks for Higher Education members, asking them to urge Governor Brownback to veto a provision in the budget recently passed by the Kansas Legislature. The provision requires that future cuts in higher education funding be based on a percentage of the “all funds budgets” for all Regents universities. The requirement unfairly penalizes KU and Kansas State University, because their total budgets include significant federal research funding, thereby resulting in larger cuts for both universities—despite the fact that research dollars can be spent only for specific projects and cannot be redirected to replace state funding. In a rare joint message to JHE members and Wildcats for Higher Education, Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little and General Richard Myers, interim KSU president, urged alumni of both universities to contact the governor directly. • A campaign to recruit members and update biographical records is nearly complete, and more than 3,000 alumni responded to the direct mail and promotions. The Association has gained 769 members, and 300 alumni had signed up to be mentors. • Mr. Johnston shared a summary of the recent digital media staff retreat. • The committee discussed objectives to two of the Association’s strategic goals: Implement new technology, programs and communications to engage, inform, mobilize and unite Jayhawks around the world and advance KU. Enhance and develop new initiatives to support institutional priorities (recruitment, retention, graduation, diversity/inclusion, membership, philanthropy, legislative affairs, and more accurate records. Objectives include increasing digital content, especially through the alumni app, which will be introduced to recent grads at Commencement, and the student app, which will make its debut in August as part of expanded programs for the Student Alumni Association. Jayhawks for Higher Education will increase its grass-roots efforts and outreach, especially during this election year. FUNDRAISING REPORT: Mrs. Storey distributed copies of a report compiled by Mr. McConnell (see attached) and reported that she is developing a national travel and prospect cultivation strategy with Mr.
bd_minutes_may2016.docx