Research Symposium
25th annual Undergraduate Research Symposium, April 1, 2025
Emily Tully Poster Session 4: 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm/ Poster #51
BIO
Emily Tully is a second year student from Long Island, New York. After finding her passion for Education and Public service at a young age, her desire to serve in the areas of curriculum development and higher education administration have only grown through her collegiate pursuits. Emily values leading a driven and well rounded lifestyle that allows her to grow, learn, and thrive so that she can be a leader, mentor, and driver of progress within her academic, professional, and social communities.
Alumni Engagement and Student Success through Shared Affinities
Authors: Emily Tully, Jacey DarrahStudent Major: Social Science Education and Political Science Dual Degrees
Mentor: Jacey Darrah
Mentor's Department: Alumni Association Mentor's College: Division of Undergraduate Studies Co-Presenters: Jasmeen Santos-Ramirez
Abstract
This research project aims to investigate the relationship between alumni engagement and student success at Florida State University. We investigated the reasons and methods behind alumni remaining connected to the university, and determined which student groups alumni are most likely to engage with. Over a five-month period, we collected qualitative data in interviews, conducted 40 interviews with students and 40 interviews with alumni. This consisted of collecting qualitative data on the involvement of each constituent at the university during or after graduation, based on the constituent we spoke to. The interviews were examined with our research mentor, Ms. Jacey Darrah, in one-on-one meetings to determine the correlation between different methods of participation as alumni, the spaces in which they were involved, and any limitations to participation. In addition, we received data from Undergraduate Studies (UGS) event surveys and UGS email communications. The project demonstrates that alumni who were heavily involved with affinity programming during their undergraduate years are more likely to remain active post-graduation, and similarly, engaged students are more likely to interact with alumni. The findings suggest that inviting more alumni to campus events and encouraging student participation in professional development organizations can broaden the university’s alumni base.
Keywords: alumni engagement, student success, affinity