• Alumni awareness and participation in PennDesign programs;
• Sources used by alumni to obtain information about PennDesign programs;
• Likelihood of participation in future PennDesign alumni program offerings;
• Things the PennDesign Alumni Association could do to benefit alumni;
• Other Penn areas supported by PennDesign alumni

Methodology
On January 28, 2004, a link to the online survey was emailed to the 2,471 PennDesign alumni for whom email addresses are available. As of March 1, we had received 522 responses (a 21% response rate).


Results
Participation of PennDesign alumni in the past five years has been in Penn alumni receptions or events (33%), PennDesign events (20%), and PennDesign Alumni Association (PDAA) conferences, symposia, or events (20%). Very few have participated in student reviews (5%) or other programs (7%).

Alumni learn about School or alumni organization events mostly from email from PennDesign (81%), and Penn in Ink (66%). Nearly one-fourth learn about events by word-of-mouth or email from others (24%). Very few said they don't find out (3%).

Nearly half were aware of PennDesign alumni gatherings at professional conferences (49%), and PennDesign sponsored conferences or symposia (48%). Only 33% were aware that Penn Career Services provides an opportunity for alumni to be listed as resources for recent graduates. Even fewer were aware of using Penn Career Services as a resource for a job search or career change (28%).

Alumni are highly likely to participate in alumni gatherings (58%), serve as mentors (49%) and be listed as a resource for recent graduates (44%), participate in alumni gatherings (39%), and use Career Services as resource (34%). Fewer than one fourth are highly likely to participate in conferences (18%).

PennDesign alumni offered a number of comments on ways the PennDesign Alumni Association could benefit alumni, most notably in the improvement and maintenance of PennDesign's communication with its alumni regarding alumni gatherings and news of the School, and in the creation of more local chapters.


Next Steps
In response to the PennDesign Alumni Survey, the PDAA Board aims to:

-> obtain email addresses for all alumni to broaden the reach of the monthly email newsletter, PennDesign Online, and other communication

-> appoint Regional Directors in major metropolitan areas of the U.S. and abroad over the next three years

-> increase the Annual Fund participation rate from 10 to 20%


Be Involved
If you are interested in helping with alumni initiatives, contact the PDAA Board by email: pdalumni@design.upenn.edu.


PennDesign Development and Alumni Relations can be reached at:
215-898-2539
University of Pennsylvania
School of Design
102 Meyerson Hall
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6311
pdalumni@design.upenn.edu