The Client

Clark University is a private research university with a strong tradition of liberal arts education. With a global network of graduates, the university is focused on redesigning the alumni experience to foster deeper connections and lifelong value beyond the campus years.

The Challenge: Overcoming “Donor Fatigue” and Distance

Clark University aimed to redesign its alumni strategy but faced a disconnect between institutional goals and alumni sentiment. Traditional engagement metrics (event attendance, open rates) showed what was happening, but not why.

The team faced three specific friction points:

• The “Transactional” Trap: Alumni perceived communications as primarily focused on fundraising (“The ATM Effect”). This caused skepticism and fatigue, obscuring the genuine value of the university community.
• Barriers to Participation: The university needed to understand why alumni weren’t showing up. Was it lack of interest? The research needed to uncover hidden barriers like “time constraints” and “lack of awareness” that standard surveys often miss.
• Diverse Needs: With a global base, a “one-size-fits-all” newsletter wasn’t working. Clark needed to understand the varied interests of different demographics—from those seeking mentorship to those wanting social affinity groups—without conducting thousands of manual interviews.

The Goal: Move beyond assumptions and gather deep, qualitative data to build a strategy based on what alumni actually value.

The Solution: Listening at Scale

Clark University deployed Dactic to facilitate an asynchronous, wide-reaching interview campaign. The AI engaged alumni in open-ended conversations about their relationship with the university, their fondest memories, and their current frustrations.

The Process:

1. Emotional Mapping: The AI probe went beyond satisfaction scores, identifying core emotional themes. It surfaced that alumni define their relationship with words like “interconnected,” “growth-oriented,” and “nostalgic”.
2. Identifying Gaps: Dactic specifically explored the “Communication Gap,” revealing that while alumni loved updates on campus life, they felt disconnected by the lack of transparency in fundraising goals.
3. Actionable Enablers: The platform synthesized thousands of responses to identify specific “enablers” for engagement, such as the desire for alumni-driven affinity groups and career networking rather than just reunions.

The Results: A Relationship-First Strategy

The insights from Dactic drove a fundamental pivot in Clark’s alumni relations strategy.

Key Outcomes:

• Strategic Pivot: The data empowered leadership to shift focus from “Solicitation” to “Connection.” The new strategy prioritizes transparent storytelling and community support over direct asks.
• New Programming: Based on the finding that alumni crave “growth-oriented” connection, Clark is doubling down on mentorship programs and affinity groups as key engagement vehicles.
• Re-engaging the Disconnected: By understanding that “time constraints” are the biggest barrier, the team is developing more flexible, low-commitment volunteer opportunities to bring busy alumni back into the fold.

The Voice of the Customer

“Dactic helped us hear the heartbeat of our community. We learned that our alumni don’t just want to be donors; they want to be partners. The insights gave us the confidence to stop ‘selling’ to them and start building the community they were actually asking for.”

— Rigoria Tejada, Director of Alumni & Friends Engagement, Clark University

Conclusion: The Power of Listening

For Higher Education institutions, the “engagement gap” is often a “listening gap.” Clark University used Dactic to bridge this divide, turning passive graduates into active partners.

This case study demonstrates that when institutions use AI to listen with empathy rather than just to extract data, they can transform skepticism into advocacy and build a sustainable, loyal community.