For this edition of Almabase Spotlights, we shine the light on a thoughtful initiative by the Oregon Institute of Technology that connects with the institute's alumni at their workplace. 

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💡 A Thoughtful Initiative To Engage The Alumni At Their Workplace

Alumni engagement often involves those who have graduated from an institute convening at a designated venue for an event that celebrates them, offers them the resources they need as professionals in various industries and much more. However, the alumni office at the Oregon Institute of Technology takes a different approach. 

They focus on the various organizations the university's alumni work in and bring an event into the workplace. Be it at Nike, Boeing, HP, or Intel, the alumni office organizes a luncheon for them and brings in the institute's president, deans, and career services team to interact with the former students. 

Such an approach offers them several benefits. For starters, young professionals often work long hours in the early years of their careers. Organizing luncheons at their workplaces means they can avoid taking time outside work to attend such an event. In addition, it allows the alumni to engage with senior leadership members, instilling a strong sense of community after graduation and ensuring the bond remains strong for years. In return, the leadership team gets a tour of alumni workplaces to understand the work they are involved in and how they are furthering their career goals after graduation.

Oregon Tech’s personalized industry lunch events range from intimate gatherings at smaller businesses to larger events at companies like Boeing, the largest employer of the university's alumni. 

The Alumni Industry Luncheons at Oregon Tech have served as a great way to keep the alumni community of Oregon’s polytechnic university well-connected while also respecting their time.

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🌟Our Source of Inspiration:

‍Rebecca Burkeen is the Director of Alumni Relations at the Oregon Institute of Technology and has held this position for over five years. She earned her Bachelor's in Liberal Arts/Bilingual Elementary Education at the University of San Diego and also studied Training/Development and Public Relations at Marylhurst University. Rebecca runs a one-person office that manages everything to do with the university's alumni relations, from managing all the social media channels, publishing the monthly alumni newsletter, working with the Oregon Tech Foundation on fundraising efforts, event planning, and more.