Strengthening bonds with Alumni before and after graduation: Using LJMU Connect to foster lifelong connections

Abstract

LJMU Connect is the university’s Alumni community platform, helping create relationships between Alumni, students and staff. With close to 14k registered users all of whom have either attended LJMU, the Poly or one of the founding institutions. We ask, how can we foster this association into an ongoing community for the benefit and betterment of all connected?

Over the last 6 years our LJMU Connect community has grown, there is a desire within the university to build these relationships and not say goodbye after graduation, but to keep students engaged with LJMU. We do this by staying connected and providing a service to our Alumni, we partner with people and teams throughout the university. We have ongoing career support, gym membership, library access, Graduate Futures, Start-up Hub, etc.

LJMU Connect gives these teams a voice, reaching students whether they graduated last year or in the 60's. This year already we have grown new groups within Maritime, Business, Sports & Exercise Science each with its own common and unique needs but with the overwhelming desire to stay connected, share experience, knowledge and opportunities which benefits the whole LJMU community.

The next big step is a digital mentoring programme which allows the community to share in that knowledge, whether that be to give help toward an internship, guidance on getting your CV right for the company or industry you wish to work in, or even helping with interview techniques, Working with Organisational Development to help guide mentors to get the best out of this programme, and develop a supportive network for future career development.

The bicentenary gives us the perfect opportunity to share the stories of our Alumni, to get them to come 'home' and to reconnect. As a member of the LJMU community signup to LJMUConnect and participate in a bigger and wider community.

Strengthening bonds with Alumni before and after graduation: Using LJMU Connect to foster lifelong connections, PowerPoint. Only LJMU staff and students have access to this resource.