Basic Concept Of Graduates

BASIC CONCEPT OF GRADUATES A. Definition of Alumni Alumni are people who have completed an education or who have graduated from an educational institution. Alumni as special school citizens have a strong emotional bond with the educational institution that has graduated them. Alumni as the final product produced by the school are expected to help improve the quality and existence of the educational unit that has graduated them (Prihatin, 2011). There are various ways that alumni can contribute to their school. One of them is by sharing alumni experiences with the school. Providing training or information needed by the school based on the experience that alumni have gained becomes valuable capital to provide input and new ideas for the school. Another way that alumni can do is by providing moral and financial support for improving quality and providing scholarships to underprivileged students. Alumni are also expected to be able to develop networks outside the institution and improve the good image of the alma mater in the community (Prihatin, 2011). B. Benefits and Roles of Alumni Alumni as one of the stakeholders of educational institutions have an important role and benefits for schools. The benefits of alumni for educational institutions are the sustainability of long-term processes in various ways, for example the existence of alumni who have strategic positions in government, companies, organizations, and in society. This strategic position is expected to help schools improve the quality and existence of schools in society. In addition to benefits, alumni also have an important strategic role for schools. Alumni include acting as catalysts, contributors, and iron stock, which can be further explained as follows: 1) The role of alumni as a catalyst has a strong emotional connection in society, including a. Alumni and alma mater. Educational institutions as alma maters that have alumni, the synergy of both can be mutualistic symbiosis because they have a very strong relationship with mutual benefit and mutual benefit between the two. b. Alumni and prospective students Educational institutions every year need new students, alumni can indirectly act as sales promotions or someone who can promote their educational institutions to invite prospective new students to be interested in studying at their alma mater. c. Alumni and society. A good educational institution is the dream of society and becomes the choice to send their children to study at the educational institution, with the hope that they will have competence and become qualified. Alumni become a strategic focal point for society because they are seen and interact directly with their environment in the community. d. Alumni and other institutions. Educational institutions have alumni who are active in various fields in government agencies, companies, institutions, and others. Alumni who are in that position are very strategic and urgent for the development of the educational institution in the future. e. Alumni and other alumni. The role of educational institutions towards alumni is very important, including facilitating alumni to meet. In this meeting, alumni have a conducive interaction. For example, there are alumni who have been successful who can help alumni who have not been successful by providing a way, opening opportunities, and helping according to their competence and existing needs, so that the interaction of these alumni has benefits for helping each other in goodness. 2) The role of alumni as contributors, namely material and immaterial contributions to the alma mater, including: a. Material contribution That is a physical contribution that can be utilized by educational institutions, such as building construction, purchasing computers, printers, LCDs, cars, motorbikes, and so on. Of course this is without coercion and compulsion, but the contribution is full of sincerity and awareness that is built from within the alumni. However, what is valuable is not the size of the contribution, but the enthusiasm for sharing alumni is very important for the goodness that continues to flow and will later become charity. b. Immaterial contribution That is a contribution in the form of thoughts that can be useful for the development of the educational institution. Such as contributions of thoughts in the form of suggestions and constructive criticism; activities in the form of training, workshops, seminars, book reviews, dialogues, discussions, and scientific studies as well as friendship, congregational prayers, and so on. 3) The role of alumni as iron stock, namely educational institutions require human resources for regeneration, then alumni can be recruited according to the disciplines possessed by the educational institution. Recruitment from alumni has been facilitated in the selection because they already know the capacity, capability, and quality of alumni as needed, even to be improved and beneficial for the alma mater.