"Everything Engagement"

For Auburn’s Kurt Sasser, connection is mission critical.As the Chief Engagement Officer for Auburn University's Advancement team and the Director of the Auburn Alumni Association, he works daily to develop meaningful and impactful ways to engage the Auburn Family – and connect them back to the university.“The Auburn Family means all our 252,000+ living Auburn alumni, but it's much more than that,” explained Sasser. “We have parents who went to another school who are sending their son or daughter to Auburn, we have corporations, foundations, friends, family, and other stakeholders who are all in the Auburn Family.”The pride that comes with belonging to the Auburn Family is something Sasser knows firsthand. He’s a two-time graduate of Auburn’s Harbert College of Business, earning his bachelor’s degree in 2011 and master’s degree in 2016. As an undergraduate, Sasser served as Auburn’s Student Body President 2010 to 2011.“I think that defines Auburn in some sense,” said Sasser. “And what I mean by that is you can take a Sheffield, Alabama guy that graduated with 16 people in his high school senior class, put him in an environment of 25,000 and he's able to get involved and engaged.”Enhancing Engagement OpportunitiesIn an age of constant contact—and constant distraction— Sasser is spearheading a transformative expansion of Auburn’s alumni relations structure, positioning the university to better connect with its growing, nationwide community of multi-generational family, friends and stakeholders.“It's our job and our responsibility to go and meet them where they are, regardless of their stage of life, regardless of their geographical location,” said Sasser. “We think of our alumni and our friends in segments, and we call them life stages. It all begins with students, and then it goes to younger alumni, then midlife and then seasoned.”Under Sasser’s leadership, Auburn’s Advancement Engagement team is working to expand the framework of programming and networking opportunities, offering a more accessible way for the Auburn Family to connect through local chapters nationwide. In October, Sasser’s team appointed five regional engagement officers to better leverage their club and affiliate network as a part of the Auburn Alumni Association. “These officers go out, connect and utilize our volunteer network to meet Auburn Family members who are otherwise not connected back to the institution and find out what they’re passionate about,” he explained.The Auburn Club and Affiliate Program supports more than 100 active groups. These clubs and affiliates are spread across 32 states and a handful are based on common interests such as military veterans or specific areas of study.Fostering Lifelong PartnershipsSasser and company are able to tap in to a multipronged outreach approach that embraces high-tech while maintaining high-touch efforts.“Auburn Athletics, famously quoted by David Housel, is the front porch to the institution,” said Sasser. “Engagement means inviting you from the front porch inside the house.”Fostering lifelong partnerships ensures the Auburn Family continues to serve as powerful ambassadors for the university’s brand, ensuring Auburn’s legacy and mission endures for generations to come.“We want our alumni and friends to not just be connected to Auburn at a certain point in time, we want them to be connected and engaged on an ongoing basis,” he said.Visit the Auburn Alumni Association website to learn more!Check out our Everything Auburn Podcast Hub!