In 2002, Tufts realized that, as an institution focused on international studies, it needed to expand its international alumni networks. At that time, there were only three overseas Tufts Alumni Chapters in existence. Now, six years later, that number has ballooned to 22, and the Tufts international network is still growing.
Tufts' recent focus on reaching out to alumni abroad has greatly benefited the university and, despite budget cuts, should continue to be a priority. Until 2002, networking with international alumni was a backburner issue — the university failed to seize the many opportunities that connecting with Tufts alumni abroad has to offer. The university was not even considering the financial and education benefits of networking with international alumni.
When Larry Bacow took office as Tufts' president in 2002, he took a deep interest in expanding Tufts' international profile and network. In retrospect, it is obvious that his initiatives have not only garnered financial support from previously untapped sources, but have also reaffirmed Tufts' place as a top-ranking, internationally focused institution.
The year he took office, Bacow, along with Provost Jamshed Bharucha, launched the Beyond Boundaries capital campaign with the goal of raising $1.2 billion for the university by 2011. One of the major components of the program is broadening international alumni outreach. Gretchen C. Dobson, the current senior associate director of domestic and international programs in the Office of Alumni Relations, was put in charge of opening international Tufts alumni chapters and cultivating a Tufts donation network with a global reach. Tufts in the World — an offshoot of the Beyond Boundaries campaign specifically focused on increasing Tufts' global admissions, strengthening its alumni base and raising its profile — has proven to be a success. With the assistance of its alumni abroad, the Tufts capital campaign has raised 1.03 billion dollars to date and is well on its way to reaching its $1.2 billion goal despite the current economic downturn.
In addition to improving the university's financial standing, the support of international alumni opens educational doors for Tufts students across the globe. Tufts, as a university that prides itself on its globally focused education, has done an exceptional job of providing students with opportunities abroad. According to the Undergraduate Admissions Web site, 40-45 percent of students study abroad during their time at Tufts. Additionally, the university has made it easy for students to contact alumni across the globe, as the international chapters of the Alumni Association — as well as the e-mail addresses of the heads of those chapters — are listed online. The new worldwide Tufts network has the potential to unite students with teachers and alumni who will provide them with a new, previously unavailable global perspective.
Though the Tufts in the World program has temporarily stopped expanding due to budget cuts, the capital campaign continues to thrive and maintain the international chapters built over the past six years. These new networks have not only increased financial support for the university but have also improved Tufts' reputation around the world. Tufts should be lauded for its initiative to strengthen international alumni support, and it should to continue to strengthen these ties in the future.
