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  • 1.  Honorary Degree noted on record?

    Posted 02-06-2024 11:51 AM

    How does your Advancement Dept currently note Honorary Degree holders in your database? 

    We are on Blackbaud Raisers Edge / NXT.  We do not have honorary degree holders in our database, yet. 

    Where is the most appropriate place to note Honorary Degrees on a constituent record? 

    • As a new Constituency type? (If yes, what do you use or recommend?)
    • As an attribute? (If yes, what do you use or recommend?)
    • On the Education tab? (Only here, or in addition to one of the above? If you are noting on Ed Tab, how are you marking this? As "Honorary Doctorate" ?)

    Your feedback is appreciated. 

    Thanks, 

    Katie



    ------------------------------
    Kathryn Rusak
    College for Creative Studies
    krusak@collegeforcreativestudies.edu
    ------------------------------


  • 2.  RE: Honorary Degree noted on record?

    Posted 02-06-2024 12:00 PM
    Hi Katie,

    We've been tracking honorary degrees as a constituency type and as an award.

    Terri


    Terri Beutel
    Assistant Director of Advancement Information Resources
    Advancement & Alumni Engagement Office
    St. Ambrose University
    518 W. Locust Street, Davenport, Iowa 52803
    563-333-6282

      
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  • 3.  RE: Honorary Degree noted on record?

    Posted 02-06-2024 12:17 PM
    And I should note there is nothing inherently wrong with creating a unique constituency type!

    But, I shy away from creating too many constituency types. It makes things really confusing for data entry. It's very possible for someone to "qualify" for multiple constituent categories. You then run into the issue of prioritization - which "type" is more important than another?

    I also have seen organizations with over two dozen types - which makes reporting more complicated.

    John
    John H. Taylor, Principal
    John H. Taylor Consulting, LLC
    2604 Sevier Street
    Durham, NC     27705

    919.816.5903 (cell/text)

    Serving the Advancement Community Since 1987







  • 4.  RE: Honorary Degree noted on record?

    Posted 02-06-2024 12:01 PM
    Hi Katie,

    We've been tracking honorary degrees as a constituency type and as an award.

    Terri


    Terri Beutel
    Assistant Director of Advancement Information Resources
    Advancement & Alumni Engagement Office
    St. Ambrose University
    518 W. Locust Street, Davenport, Iowa 52803
    563-333-6282








  • 5.  RE: Honorary Degree noted on record?

    Posted 02-06-2024 12:07 PM
    I would NOT create a new constituency type.

    I do not know whether NXT has an "Honors" tab, but if it does, that's what I would use.

    An attribute could work but might get lost in the shuffle - these honorary degrees are a BIG deal! Therefore, absent an honors tab, I would create new degree codes in the Education tab - and one for each possible degree so you can report on those.

    John

    John H. Taylor, Principal
    John H. Taylor Consulting, LLC
    2604 Sevier Street
    Durham, NC     27705

    919.816.5903 (cell/text)

    Serving the Advancement Community Since 1987






  • 6.  RE: Honorary Degree noted on record?

    Posted 02-06-2024 12:20 PM
    Please note there may be two distinctions of honorary alumni depending on your institution: an honorary alumnus/a as designated by your alumni association vs. a Doctor of Humane Letters bestowed by the institution.

    We don't have a designation for the former but only keep track of the latter, and this is done just like any other degree under an education relationship. Additionally, these individuals are given the constituency of Alum, but for CASE VSE and AEM purposes, we also have a constituent attribute of [Alumni Category (CASE)] = [G - Honorary, postdoc, or "other" alumni].



    Matt Bain

    Executive Director, Advancement Services

    Division of University Advancement

    Kennesaw State University

    470-578-7719






  • 7.  RE: Honorary Degree noted on record?

    Posted 02-06-2024 12:21 PM

    Hi Katie,

     

    We may have gone overboard when we converted our data into RENXT from our prior system:

     

    • we create degree records and preface the degree with an "H", e.g. "HDCS"
    • apply a Campus of "HN" (we use Campus heavily in grouping our multiple schools, undergrad and graduate)
    • apply an attribute
    • AND use a Constituent code for ease in viewing and reporting

     

    Not sure I'd use the Education attribute if we were starting from scratch but it may be more helpful for you in terms of how you do business.

     

    Best,

    Lisa

     

     

    Lisa Keaney

    Sr. Director, Advancement Services

    Office of Advancement

    Suffolk University

    73 Tremont Street

    Boston, MA 02108

    617-573-8045

    lkeaney@suffolk.edu

    Suffolk University