FALL 2012 | St. Lawrence University Magazine 9
On Campus
Communications
Social media and the web continue to
grow in importance but alumni still value
printed materials. The University’s most
popular communication continues to be
the St. Lawrence magazine.
• 99
percent of those who responded to
the survey said they read the maga-
zine.
•
A third reported reading it “always
and immediately after receiving it.”
These findings, similar to those from
the 2008 survey, supported the Univer-
sity’s decision to bring back the winter
issue of the magazine after many years’
absence.
The magazine’s Class Notes remain by
far the most popular content of
St. Lawrence communications, cited by
92
percent of respondents as being a
topic of high or medium interest. News
about alumni achievements (81 percent)
and alumni events (81 percent), reports
from the president (73 percent), aca-
demic department news (69 percent) and
sports news (67 percent) followed. Based
on this and other feedback, a redesign of
both the University and alumni com-
munity websites, and plans to better
promote both, are under way.
Alumni still prefer email to all other
forms of communication for staying in
touch with the University. Fewer alumni
prefer regular mail than in 2008. At the
same time, more alumni prefer social
media, which was not measured four
years ago.
Social media platforms are becom-
ing increasingly important, particularly
among younger alumni, though their use
among all generations is growing. The
most used are Facebook, LinkedIn and
Twitter, in that order.
Events, Affinities
More than half of all alumni said they
had visited campus within the last five
years; 78 percent indicated having at-
tended at least one on- or off-campus
St. Lawrence event since graduating.
Survey respondents also expressed a
high interest in multiple affinity groups:
•
Academic major (48 percent)
•
Athletics (41 percent)
•
Greek life (31 percent)
•
Study abroad (28 percent)
•
Singing groups, such as the Lauren-
tian Singers and Singing Saints or
Sinners (6 percent).
“
The investments we have been making
in student experiences and engagement
efforts once students become alumni
have begun to show results in the high
satisfaction ratings and increasing levels
of alumni engagement,” says Kim His-
song ’94, executive director of Annual
Giving and Laurentian Engagement.
“
The survey results support our continu-
ing to invest time and resources in this
area.”
More than 3,700 alumni, or 23 percent
of alumni with email, responded to the
online survey, including a representative
cross-section of class years and gender.
The project was a collaboration between
the Alumni Executive Council and the
offices of Annual Giving and Laurentian
Engagement, University Communica-
tions and Institutional Research.
—
TE
Four people have been elected to
St. Lawrence University's Board of
Trustees, with terms that began June 1,
2012.
Samantha Semerad Guerry ’88
,
of
Bethesda, Md., is an entrepreneur and
corporate marketing strategist and founder
and director of the TurnFirst Founda-
tion, a healthcare organization dedicated
to providing information and support to
patients newly diagnosed with multiple
sclerosis, and of Rose River Studio, where
she designs silver jewelry and wearable art
on commission.
Eric H. Hanson ’70
,
of Burlington, Vt.,
is president of Hanson & Doremus Invest-
ment Management and board chairman of
the Vermont Chinese School.
David S. MacAllaster
,
of New York
City and Southport, Conn., is president
of MacAllaster Pitfield Mackay Inc. and
managing partner of MacAllaster Invest-
ment Partners L.P. He is the son of the late
Archie F. MacAllaster ’50n, a University
trustee from 1977 to 1999, and grandson
of Arthur S. Torrey ’24, chairman of the
Board of Trustees from 1968 to 1978.
Michael Ranger ’80
,
of New York City,
is co-founder and senior managing director
at Diamond Castle Holdings. Ranger was
a University trustee from 1993 through
2004,
serving as vice chair, board secre-
tary and chair of the budget and finance
committee. Ranger is also chairman of the
board of The Seeing Eye, Inc.
At its June meeting, the board elected
Mary Fishel Bijur ’65 and Carol Pratt
Hecklinger ’64 to emerita status.
Welcome Aboard, New Trustees
Left to right, top: Guerry, Hanson,
Bottom: MacAllaster, Ranger
(
SURVEY, from page 3)