The University of Minnesota’s Alumni Association  is hoping to keep members connected by revamping some of its services. 

 

The association has created several programs and built on previous ones in an attempt to attract new members and keep current ones interested and engaged.

 

The fresh and redefined programs include an alumni webinar series, events  with special member access and volunteering opportunities  around the metro.

 

The Gold Mind, a new webinar feature, is an online collection of more than 90 University expert- and staff-created videos, which is meant to help members keep up with common issues  they may face, like providing healthy meals to children and how to use social media in their careers.

 

Lisa Lewis , the CEO of the Alumni Association, said the Gold Mind videos were created because of requests from alumni for new programs.

 

The Alumni Association’s Vice President of Marketing and Communications Jerry Abrams  said the videos are generally popular with association members.

 

Upcoming  live webinars include how to effectively manage a team and how to use LinkedIn .

The Alumni Association has more than 445,000  members and is looking to expand their numbers, Lewis said.

 

“We have over 5,500 people registered in 45 states and 15 countries using the webinar series,” said Lewis.

 

Nine association webinars received 2,342 live attendees, according to a presentation from association members at a July  Board of Regents  meeting.

 

The service gives the alumni the ability to stay connected long after graduation, said Lewis. “These programs make it easier for alumni to access the ‘U.’”