Abstract

This paper investigates challenges of alumni associations at Traditional South African Universities, particularly the role of alumni associations as an alternative income for universities. Main aims of an alumni association are to create a desire among ex-students to identify themselves with their university; to generate and sustain interest and participation in the affairs of their alma mater; to contribute to the developments of the university; and to promote the university’s name and reputation. With ever-increasing costs, South African universities always look for alternative sources of income to address the need for development. Hence, alumni are seen as an important alternative source of income. Other aspects that will receive attention include alumni activities in future; student transformation at Traditional South African Universities; alumni as an important source of alternative income for universities; alumni culture in the South African school set-up; the feeding ground of student intake of South African Universities; and the value of philanthropy (“giving”) within the alumni culture. This study showed that alumni offices/associations in general are of the opinion that the traditional universities are aware of the alumni as an important source of income, but is uncertain what will happen to alumni income in the future after transformation. The outcome will assist alumni associations and the universities to strategise and prioritise its actions in order to improve or stabilise the income for the benefit of the university.

Key words: Alumni, university management, alternative income, fund-raising, relationship marketing, transformation, student profile.