Rice University

MarketPoint worked with Rice University to conduct research among its alumni, to gain insights into what alumni expect of the University and how Rice could drive greater engagement within this population. During its Centennial year celebration, Rice had drawn significant involvement from alumni for many of the special events, communications, and experiences developed to honor the University’s milestone year. As a result, the University recognized a need to explore further the perceptions of alumni, what motivates them to engage with the University, and how events, resources, and opportunities could be improved to strengthen relationships and better serve the needs of the alumni population.

We worked with Rice to conduct one-on-one, in-depth interviews among internal staff and with a cross-section of alumni across generations. The findings from this work were translated into a quantitative online survey conducted among all alumni. MarketPoint analyzed the results of the survey, looking at differences across generations, geographic distribution, residential colleges, and levels of study. We interpreted the data in the context of Rice’s objectives and developed recommendations associated with increasing alumni engagement, reaching alumni through preferred communication channels, improving relevance of specific programs and initiatives, and building relevance with different segments of the population