Building an LDT Alumni NetworkTeam Members:

Heidi Boruszewski & Krisha Moeller

ED 795/Spring 15Final Presentation

WHY THIS PROJECT…

LDT wishes to engage alumni and increase ties to the community in order to:

• Attract new students to the LDT program.

• Provide internships for current students.

• Share/showcase job opportunities for graduates.

• Increase alumni giving.

GOALS

• Develop a more in-depth and overreaching understanding of alumni expectations and needs

• Include current LDT students and faculty in the conversation

• Knowledge of professional LDT organizations’ services and features

• Knowledge of best practices from other alumni networks

• Develop prototype network aligned with research by the end of the spring semester, 2015.

PHASE 1 WORK (Fall 2014)

1) Regular meetings with key stakeholders:

•LDT faculty--specifically Dr. Bober-Michel and Dr. Marshall

2) Online Focus Group Discussions with:

•Alumni and Current Student Volunteers

•Analyze the data

3) Research Tools for the Network:

•Existing online directories such as eDirectory

•Website tools such as Sertify and RebelMouse

4) Research Existing Best Practices:

•Alumni Professionals on LinkedIn

•University Alumni Websites

PHASE 2 WORK (Spring 2015)

1) Report findings/ research to Stakeholders

2) Research tools and integration

3) Build prototype website

4) Usability Test via Skype using 14 alumni and student volunteers

5) Incorporate feedback from test

6) Launch website by year-end

Decisions by Faculty Vote

• Independent host: HostGator

• Logo for the website:

• Web address: www.sdsuldtalumni.com

Tools, Plug-ins, Extensions, Add-on’s

• Base website template from Envato

• Content Management System from Joomla

• JomSocial (allows Social Networking)

• Hello Maps (works with Google Maps for locations)

• YouTube for Joomla (allows for video downloads)

• Rebel Mouse (news gathering tool using #hashtags)

CHALLENGES

• Limited time-frame

• Choosing the right tools• Complexity of the build

• Budget constraints could limit features

Presenting the Final Prototype

Link to the website: http://sdsuldtalumni.com

Presenting the Final Prototype

Link to the website: http://sdsuldtalumni.com

Register Here!

Presenting the Final Prototype

Link to the website: http://sdsuldtalumni.com

LDT Department Info and SDSU Alumni Site

Presenting the Final Prototype

Link to the website: http://sdsuldtalumni.com

News and Updates

Presenting the Final Prototype

Link to the website: http://sdsuldtalumni.com

LDT Job Postings

Presenting the Final Prototype

Link to the website: http://sdsuldtalumni.com

Scholarships

Presenting the Final Prototype

Link to the website: http://sdsuldtalumni.com

Mentoring Offers and Requests

Presenting the Final Prototype

Link to the website: http://sdsuldtalumni.com

Map of Alumni and Event Locations

Presenting the Final Prototype

Link to the website: http://sdsuldtalumni.com

Upcoming Events

Presenting the Final Prototype

Link to the website: http://sdsuldtalumni.com

Member Profiles

Presenting the Final Prototype

Link to the website: http://sdsuldtalumni.com

Member Log-in

Presenting the Final Prototype- YOUR WEBSITE!

Link to the website: http://sdsuldtalumni.com

Usability Tester Comments

Very Professional!Love the logo and color choices!Very Interesting News

Feeds!

Love the Connections with the various social media!

THANK YOU!

QUESTIONS?