Association des anciens élèves d`Imperial College

Mémorandum
À:
DE :
DATE :
Note pour le dossier
François Glémet
le 12 juin 2008
Association des anciens élèves d’Imperial College
Cette note résume les points les plus importants des entretiens réalisés le 12 juin 2008
avec Emma Jones et Liz Gregson, d’une part et Nicole Stirnberg d’autre part. Toutes
trois travaillent au sein de l’administration d’Imperial College : Emma est « Alumni
Relations Manager » et Liz est « Head of Alumni Relations and Communication » ;
quant à Nicole, elle est chargée des relations avec les partenaires d’IDEA League. Il
n’y a apparemment pas de « président de l’association des anciens élèves ».
Je décris en premier lieu la genèse de l’association, puis ses principales dimensions et
activités. Je conclus par quelques remarques additionnelles.
GENÈSE DE L’ASSOCIATION
L’association dans sa forme actuelle a été créée il y a 20 ans et, en 2001, a bénéficié
d’une très forte accélération de ses activités, avec l’arrivée d’un nouveau recteur qui a
voulu remédier aux faiblesses du système antérieur. Celui-ci était basé sur des associations au niveau des « colleges » individuels qui, malgré leur appartenance à la même
institution (Imperial College) n’étaient ni coordonnées ni interpénétrées. Qui plus est,
elles n’avaient de contacts qu’avec environ 10 pourcent des anciens élèves. La nouvelle association dépend intégralement de l’université, est financée par celle-ci et ne
demande aucune cotisation aux anciens élèves.
L’intention du recteur était aussi de mieux connaître les 140.000 anciens, en particulier
pour pouvoir lancer des campagnes de levées de fonds et de recrutement d’élèves
étrangers. Il faut noter que les études coutent 12.000 £ sterling par an, ce tarif étant
ramené à 3.000 £ sterling pour le nationaux britanniques. Pour la « Business School »,
le tarif annuel est de 30.000 £ sterling. Ces chiffres étaient pratiquement nuls il y a
seulement trois ans. Leur augmentation n’a conduit ni a une « chute des vocations » ni
à une auto-sélection sociale ; en revanche, elle assure que les élèves qui s’inscrivent
ont mûrement réfléchi aux implications de leur choix d’études, puisque celles-ci ne
sont plus « gratuites ».
Il est à noter que la nouvelle organisation de l’association des anciens élèves suivait de
près une réorganisation semblable de l’université qui est passé d’un modèle par « college » à un modèle par « faculté », dans le but d’améliore l’interdisciplinarité de la recherche et de mettre fin au syndrome des « silos qui ne communiquent pas entre eux ».
PRINCIPALES DIMENSIONS ET ACTIVITÉS
Elles sont résumées par les chiffres suivants :
¶ Enseignement :
y 12,129 étudiants à temps plein dont 3.500 étrangers (2006-07) ;
y 235 cours enseignés ;
y Personnel : 5,895 (1.114 enseignants ; 1.856 chercheurs ; 2.925 appui) ;
y 123 nationalités pour les étudiants ;
y 14 Prix Nobel ;
y Budget 2006-07 : 556 millions de £ sterling (environ 750 million d’euros).
¶ Anciens élèves : 141.647 dans la base de données, dont :
y 98.500 joignables (courrier postal ou courriel) ;
y 90.166 par courrier postal ;
y 64.339 par téléphone ;
y 39.380 par courriel ;
y 39.748 « perdus de vue » ;
y Anciens élèves présents dans 190 pays ;
y 60 « groupes spéciaux » (par intérêts spécifiques, faculté ou localisation géographique).
¶ Association :
y Budget annuel : 613.000 £ sterling en 2007-2008 (environ 800.000 euros),
hors frais de personnel ;
y Personnel : 7½ au total : 3½ pour les activités administratives et d’appui et 4
pour l’organisation d’évènements et les contacts avec les anciens élèves.
y Services clefs : Site Internet ; Annuaire électronique ; adresse courriel à vie ;
revue semestrielle ; appui (internet et autres) aux 60 « groupes spéciaux ».
REMARQUES ADDITIONNELLES
Imperial College a créé un club d’ambassadeurs internationaux : il s’agit des professeurs qui ont le plus fort charisme et sont chargés, lors de leurs déplacements à
l’étranger, d’agir comme ambassadeurs, en particulier pour recruter des nouveaux étudiants et établir des contacts prometteurs avec des professeurs étrangers.
Imperial organise chaque année des « réunions de promotions », à l’occasion des anniversaires décennaux. Ces réunions ont lieu sur le campus et l’université fournit les locaux et les conférenciers, ainsi que tout l’appui logistique.
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Le bureau des carrières de l’université est une entité séparée de dix personnes à temps
plein. Son activité est consacrée aux anciens élèves ; les services fournis sont gratuits
pour les anciens qui ont quitté l’école depuis trois ans ou moins ; elle est payante pour
les autres.
L’université connait la liste des ses « Gold Alumni » qui ont quitté l’université depuis
moins de dix ans ; elle les convie deux fois par an à une réunion amicale (apéritif avec
conférence d’un professeur célèbre, sur un sujet d’intérêt général).
Au sein d’Imperial College, c’est la faculté d’ingénierie qui est la plus influente / prestigieuse.
***
En annexe, la note d’information préparée à mon intention par mes interlocutrices.
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Background
Historical perspective (date created; major points of inflexion; etc.)
Facts & figures
y 1851–1890 – Establishment of Constituent Colleges
y Founded 1907 (from the merger of three constituent colleges:
o Royal College of Science, (founded in 1881)
o City and Guilds College, (founded in 1878)
o Royal School of Mines), (founded in 1851)
y Other mergers have occurred since then:
o Mergers with other London Medical Schools
1988 – St Mary’s Hospital Medical School (founded in 1845)
1995 – National Heart & Lung Institute
1997
–
Charing
Cross
and
Westminster
Charing Cross Hospital Medical School founded in 1834
Westminster Medical School also founded in 1834
Schools merged in 1984
o 1997 – Royal Postgraduate Medical Schools
o 2000 – Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology
o 1990 – Business School officially formed (management science/studies
taught through the City and Guilds College prior to that)
o 2000 – Merger with Wye College
y Faculty structure introduced in 2001 (constituent colleges no longer form part of
the College structure also alumni continue to identify with the colleges, as well as
former departments etc.)
o Faculty of Engineering (RSM and CGC)
o Faculty of Medicine (all former medical schools)
o Faculty of Natural Sciences (RCS and Wye)
o Tanaka Business School
y 14 Nobel Laureates associated with the College
y 235 taught courses
y AAB average A level entry
y 2006-07 financial year: £556.2m income; £555.9m expenditure
y 5,895 staff (1,114 academic; 1,856 research; 2,925 support)
y 12,129 full-time students (2006-07)
y 11.2 student/staff ratio (2006-07)
y Students from 123 countries (8,500 home and EU; and 3,700 overseas)
League tables
Overall
3rd in Europe and 5th in World
Technology
2nd in Europe and 6th in World
Life Sciences and Biomedicine
3rd in Europe and 7th in World
Natural Sciences
3rd in Europe and 13th in World
Source: (Times Higher Education Supplement 2007)
Key dimensions (number of members; funding; % contributors; annual budget;
etc.)
y 142,000 former students on database:
o 98,500contactable (with mail and/or email addresses)
o 90,200postal addresses
o 39,400email addresses
Alumni data (April 2008)
Total alumni
Living alumni
Contactable alumni (have mailing address,
telephone number and/or email address)
Alumni with mailing address
Alumni with telephone number
Alumni with email address
‘Lost’ alumni
Alumni with current business details
Alumni who made an address update in 2007
Alumni who have a registered website account
Alumni who attended an event
Alumni who have made a philanthropic gift
Alumni who have requested ‘no contact’
Alumni who have requested ‘no fundraising’
(all alumni were asked to make a gift in 2007)
Number
of
alumni
151,424
141,647
101,899
As a %age of
total living
alumni
As a %age of total contactable
alumni
100%
71.9%
100%
90,166
64,339
39,380
39,748
37,058
15,323
15,553
7,634
4,166
2,473
246
63.7%
45.4%
27.8%
28.1%
26.2%
10.8%
11.0%
5.4%
2.9%
1.7%
0.2%
88.5%
63.1%
38.6%
39.0%
36.4%
15.0%
15.3%
7.5%
4.1%
2.4%
0.2%
y Communications, web and database support is provided to the alumni relations
function from within the department
y 7.5 full-time members of staff support alumni relations activities within the Office
of Alumni and Development – 4 AR and 3.5 support
y Alumni network activities and services funded by the College together with income from event ticket sales
y 2007-08 forecast budgeted spend on central alumni relations activities will be
£613,000
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y £2.19 non-staff spend per living alumnus; 0.53 staff members per 10,000 living
alumni
y Event ticket sales are nominal and generally only cover variable event costs (food,
drink etc.) plus a very small proportion of fixed costs (venue and equipment costs,
marketing)
International scope (chapters abroad; % foreign nationals; partners; etc.)
y International students number 3,300, a rise of 67% over the last five years.
y Alumni in 190 countries
y 32,600 alumni with residential address outside of the UK (36.0%)
y Top non-UK countries of residence:
USA
Malaysia
Greece
Germany
France
Australia
Hong Kong
Canada
Singapore
Italy
y C. 50 active alumni groups/contacts who organise regular events
y Most active groups in east Asia (Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Japan), and
Germany.
y More social groups in Australia and US
y Up coming networks being established in China (new) and India (resurrecting
previous activity)
Key activities and meetings (“clubs”; “reunions”; recent evolutions; etc.)
y Regular events programme, which includes:
o Annual Alumni Reunion
o Annual Alumni Lecture
o Other social events (eg. Christmas events)
o GOLD Alumni Drinks
o Imperial College Union Summer Ball
o Individual class reunions
o International Ambassador events
o Alumni group events (UK and overseas)
y Interactive alumni website: alumni can register for a secure account whereby they
can access a number of online services, including access to and ability to update
personal data and preferences, catch-up entry, classmate and careers searches, job
postings for experienced hires, e-forwarding email address
y Other benefits include:
o Access to Careers Advisory Service
o Conference and Accommodation discounts
o Discounted membership of Ethos Sports Centre
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o Library access
o Union membership
o Online memorabilia purchases (Union shop)
y Alumni can join special interest/geographically based groups (c. 60 volunteer led
groups)
y GOLD (graduates of the last decade) programme, with specific events and communications – to encourage involvement and engagement from graduation onwards
Governance and operations
Governing bodies; decision-making processes
The College is committed to exhibiting best practice in all aspects of corporate governance.
The College endeavours to conduct its business in accordance with the seven Principles
identified by the Committee on Standards in Public Life (selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership), and with the guidance to universities from the Committee of University Chairmen in its Guide for Members of HE Governing Bodies in the UK.
Imperial College is an independent corporation whose legal status derives from a Royal
Charter granted under Letters Patent in 1907. In 2007 a Supplemental Charter and Statutes was granted by HM Queen Elizabeth II. This Supplemental Charter, which came
into force on the date of the College’s Centenary, 8th July 2007, established the College
as a University with the name and style of “The Imperial College of Science, Technology
and Medicine”.
The Charter and Statutes require the College to have three separate bodies, each with
clearly defined functions and responsibilities, to oversee and manage its activities as follows:
The Council is ‘the governing and executive body of the College’, and is responsible for
the finance, property, investments and general business of the College, and for setting its
general strategic direction. There are 19 members of the Council, the majority of whom
are lay members, including the Chairman and Deputy Chairman. Also included in its
membership are representatives of the staff of the College and of the student body. None
of the lay members receive any payment, apart from the reimbursement of expenses, for
the work they do for the College.
The Court is a large, mainly formal body. It offers a means whereby the wider interests
served by the College can be associated with it, and provides a public forum where members of the Court can raise any matters about the College. The Court normally meets once
a year to receive the College’s Annual Report and audited Financial Statements. In addition, major changes to the College’s constitution require the approval of the Court before
they can be submitted to the Privy Council. The Court consists of some 160 members
most of whom are from outside the College and appointed by appropriate bodies
representing educational, research, international, regional and local interests. Its member-
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ship also includes representatives of the College’s staff and students.
The Senate is the academic authority of the College and draws its membership entirely
from the academic staff and the students of the College. Its role is to direct and regulate
the teaching and research work of the College.
The principal academic and administrative officer of the College is the Rector who has a
general responsibility to the Council for maintaining and promoting the efficiency and
good order of the College. Under the terms of the formal Financial Memorandum between the College and the Higher Education Funding Council for England, the Rector is
the Designated Officer of the College and in that capacity can be summoned to appear
before the Public Accounts Committee of the House of Commons. The financial management of the College is prescribed in the Financial Regulations approved by the Council and conducted in accordance with the Financial Memorandum with the Higher Education Funding Council for England.
As Chief Executive of the College, the Rector exercises considerable influence upon the
development of institutional strategy, the identification and planning of new developments, and the shaping of the institutional ethos. He is supported by a Management
Board comprising the Rector, the Principals of the Faculties and the Tanaka Business
School, the Chief Operating Officer and the College Secretary; and by an Operations
Committee, which comprises the Rector and Deputy Rector, the Heads of the College’s
Administration and the Faculty Administrators.
The Council is responsible for the College’s system of internal control and for reviewing
its effectiveness. Such a system is designed to manage rather than eliminate the risk of
failure to achieve business objectives and can only provide reasonable and not absolute
assurance against material misstatement or loss.
The Council is of the view that there is an ongoing process for identifying, evaluating and
managing the university’s significant risks that has been in place for the year ended 31
July 2005 and up to the date of approval of the annual reports and accounts, that it is regularly reviewed by the Council and that it accords with the internal control guidance for
directors on the Combined Code as deemed appropriate for higher education.
The Council meets at least four times a year and has two committees: the Audit Committee and he Remuneration and Nominations Committee, which are formally constituted as
committees of the Council with written terms of reference and specified membership, including a significant proportion of lay members. All are chaired by lay members of the
Council. The decisions of both these committees are formally reported to the Council.
Strategic Intent
To remain amongst the top tier of scientific, engineering and medical research and teaching institutions in the world.
To harness the quality and breadth of our research capability, across multiple disciplines,
to address major challenges.
To continue to attract and develop the most able students and staff worldwide.
To develop our range of academic activities to meet the changing needs of society, industry and healthcare.
To communicate widely the significance of science in general and the purpose and ulti5
mate benefits of our activities in particular
Mission
Imperial College embodies and delivers world class scholarship, education and research
in science, engineering and medicine, with particular regard to their application in industry, commerce and healthcare. We foster interdisciplinary working internally and collaborate widely externally.
Human resources (pro bono; salaried; subcontracted; etc.)
y 7.5 full-time members of staff support alumni relations activities within the Office
of Alumni and Development – 4 AR and 3.5 support
y Four additional members of salaried staff work on alumni relations within the College (two in the Faculty of Engineering and two in the Business School)
y All alumni groups are run by volunteer committees, made up of alumni members
Physical facilities
The College now has nine campuses in London, Kent and Berkshire, including its main
campus in South Kensington. The College is formed of the largest estate in the UK university sector, equivalent to 133 football pitches.
The central alumni office (part of the Office of Alumni and Development) is situated in
the Faculty Building within open plan facilities. Apart from meeting space within the Faculty Building, there is no real physical space on campus dedicated to alumni.
Fund raising (sources; methods; results; etc.)
College is currently ‘in campaign’:
Centenary Campaign tasked with raising £207 million over 10 years (2000-2010)
Public launch in college’s Centenary year (2007) with c. £80m left to raise (now c. £53m)
Fundraising is carried out through the Office of Alumni and Development
Two core teams:
Individual Giving and Annual Fund – targeted mainly at alumni (but also staff and
Friends of Imperial)
Mechanisms
y Annual Fund
y Legacies
y Low level named scholarships and prizes (fixed period)
Methods
y Telethon
y Direct mail
y Events
y Face-to-face meetings
y One-off sponsorship opportunities (eg. London marathon)
Annual Fund Projects
y Student Opportunities Fund
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y Library
y Imperial College Union
y Unrestricted giving
Major Projects – targeted at major philanthropic sources
Prospect audiences
y Wealthy individuals (could be alumni)
y Trusts and Foundations
y Corporates
Methods
y Events
y Face-to-face meetings
Projects
y Centenary campaign is divided into three areas:
o Campus renewal
o Student support
o Academic direction
Publications
y Imperial Matters (bi annual alumni magazine)
y Building the Connection (bi annual fundraising publication targeted at alumni)
y Monthly alumni e-bulletin
y Annual Fund publications
y Legacy publications
y Centenary campaign publications (and publications related to specific projects)
y College publications (Reporter, online news summaries)
Links With the SCHOOL
Presence in school governance
Some members of Court and Council are alumni of the College, however, there is no
formal link between the alumni relations function and College governance.
10 out of 21 members of the College’s Development Advisory board are alumni (advises
and supports the College on fundraising)
Alumni also sit on the Tanaka Business School Advisory Board
Influence on school key decisions ; contribution to school funding
Through the boards.
Contribution to school funding through philanthropic gifts (Annual Fund, major gifts and
legacies)
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“Intimacy” of association with school / of school with association
y International Ambassador Programme – involves senior staff and faculty
y Links with faculty representatives (Tanaka Business School, Faculty of Engineering, Faculty of Medicine).
y Friends of Imperial College
y Relationships with alumni group committee members
Outlook and priorities
Major changes foreseen (school; association)
y International alumni relations expected to grow and increase in importance
y Increased visibility on Campus and building relationships with students
y Strengthening of GOLD alumni network and activities (graduates of the last decade)
y Greater segmentation of offering with respect to geography, special interest, discipline studied, age, career – through development of website functionality
Practical implications
Further staff and financial resources will be required as more demands are placed on the
alumni relations function.
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