Key Moments

In 1999 a group of alumni directors from 8 private colleges and universities in the United States and Canada began working together to devise a rating system to give them, their constituents, and their university leadership a more in-depth measurement and benchmarking system for their alumni relations programs.

For many years, the rate of annual giving by alumni to any given school in a single year has been the only way alumni relations programs were judged. If annual giving is up, the alumni must be happy, and therefore the alumni relations program must be working.

But these founders felt that was only part of a bigger story.

This small group began twice-annual meetings, organized purely through a sense of community and without formal structure.

Early participants included: University of Denver, TCU, SMU, Rice, Northeastern, Syracuse, Miami, Pepperdine, University of Rochester, Rochester Institute Of Technology, Villanova, George Washington, Carnegie Mellon, Washington University, Howard, Boston College, Tulane, Abilene Christian, and Case Western Reserve

The beginning of a common benchmarking standard took shape under the name "Minimum National Standards" (MNS).

The group officially incorporates and grows from 8 to 36 members

With a full contingent of members and growing data management needs, the group brings in technical assistance to automate ARAMP data collection and reporting.

The new members-only portal launches at the Summer 2005 meeting to rave reviews.

With a full contingent of members and growing data management needs, the group brings in technical assistance to automate ARAMP data collection and reporting.

The new members-only portal launches at the Summer 2005 meeting to rave reviews.

The PCUAD salary survey is put online, saving weeks of data reconcilation and report preparation.

ARAMP is also updated to improve performance and accommodate a number of new questions.

A new survey engine, a new website, and an expansion of services to staff members within member institutions greeted the members at their Winter 2015 meeting.

Kristi Hoban takes on new responsibilities, ending her time serving as the representative for TCU. The July 2016 conference was the first without a founding member present. Thank you, Kristi, for your dedication!