When Jennifer Maroney, School of Accountancy (SOA) manager of alumni relations, was hired, she had a dream of creating an alumni network that would rival those at Harvard or Yale. “Here in the SOA, we have one of the largest alumni networks within BYU, with close to 16,000 alumni,” Maroney says. “The end goal has always been to provide a way for our alumni to be connected to each other, to our current students, and to the SOA.”
After meeting with several alumni relations managers from top-ranked schools, Maroney recognized that there was a missing piece in the SOA’s current network. She needed to provide a platform to connect both alumni and students and house all communication in one location. Armed with this information, Maroney envisioned the SOA ‘Ohana platform.
In 2014, before the platform was created, the first step in connecting alumni was building a LinkedIn group page where all alumni news, jobs, and events were posted. While the page started the process of connecting alumni and students, there were limitations to what the site could do. In addition, the evolving needs of alumni and students came to light, such as better avenues for mentoring, varied groups for alumni interests, and easier ways to communicate.
Maroney imagined that a new platform would incorporate the best features of the LinkedIn page and give users more options to curate their experience.
This dream was finally realized in 2024 with the launch of SOA ‘Ohana (www.byusoa.org), the new alumni platform created by Gravyty, a software platform developer that specializes in alumni engagement. Drawing meaning from the Hawaiian term ‘ohana, the name of SOA’s alumni platform encapsulates the studentled ‘Ohana program in the SOA. Both the student program and the new alumni initiative work to inspire a feeling of family in the SOA community.
Within the SOA ‘Ohana network, each user can personalize their profile with biographical and professional information, look for or post job positions, and directly message other users without having to be connected, like on LinkedIn. In addition, a business directory is available for users to advertise their personal or professional companies.
One highlight of the platform is the affinity groups, where users can join specific groups based on professional and personal interests (e.g., lawyers, retirees, junior core cohorts, alumnae, etc.). Within these affinity groups, users can network, ask questions, and hold town hall meetings to discuss current topics.
The new platform also helps users indicate areas in which they can help out in the SOA, including mentoring. Users can identify themselves as mentors or as someone who would like to be mentored, and they can search for mentors or mentees based on different criteria (e.g., areas of expertise, location, corporations, etc.).
Other platform features include embedded social media content, a feed with alumni news postings, and an easier way for alumni to donate back to the SOA.
Now, alumni have a platform with many ways to connect with each other and to the SOA, and Maroney feels the SOA ‘Ohana platform will f inally become the world-renowned alumni network she has dreamed of since 2014. “I always knew the platform would be the final piece of the puzzle that would take our alumni network to the next level,” Maroney says. “With the SOA ‘Ohana platform, connecting alumni and students has never been easier and will help bring everybody together as ‘ohana.”
Innovative Initiatives
Over the past 100 years, the SOA has always focused on the goal of creating a world-class accounting program founded in and permeated by the gospel of Jesus Christ to foster student success. With many accomplishments and innovations (e.g., the world-renowned junior core program), the school continues to evolve and progress. This past year, the SOA strategically developed and formalized several initiatives to continue attracting quality students and provide them with an outstanding SOA experience. These initiatives include the Freshman Initiative, the Belonging Initiative, the Student Experience Initiative, and the Women’s Initiative.
Troy Lewis, associate director of the SOA, recognizes how these new initiatives have helped the SOA keep its focus on the success of its students. “The initiative programs have helped the SOA better direct our limited resources on things that truly matter the most,” he says. In keeping students as its primary focal point, the SOA hopes that students will perceive the program’s commitment not only to their academic success but also to their personal happiness.
Belonging Initiative
The Belonging Initiative’s purpose is to provide information and opportunities to future BYU students who belong to underrepresented demographics. Partnering with BYU Multicultural Student Services, the SOA participated in its summer SOAR program. SOAR, a week-long college preparation program, invites rising high school seniors to come and learn about BYU. During the SOAR program, the SOA presented about the accounting program and connected with more than 300 students. Afterward, the SOA maintained correspondence with these students during their application process. Once BYU admission decisions were made, the SOA sent out 198 congratulatory emails and invited them to attend the upcoming fall accounting information session.
Women’s Initiative
The Women’s Initiative aims to increase the enrollment, involvement, and connection of female students, faculty, and alumnae in the SOA. In 2013, women made up 17 percent of those enrolled in the junior core program. In 2023, the number of junior core female students nearly doubled, reaching 36 percent. Even with this increase, SOA leadership, along with the Board of Advisors, felt that female recruitment and alumnae connections could be strengthened. Thus, the Women’s Initiative was introduced.
Freshman Initiative
For the past three years, the SOA has reached out to freshmen the moment they start their college career at BYU by participating in different university freshman outreach projects and events. In fall 2023, the SOA combined its current efforts with new freshmen outreach projects to formalize the Freshman Initiative within the program. One of these new measures involved placing 5,000 welcome bags in the freshmen dorms, which included flyers about the SOA programs, an invitation to attend an upcoming accounting info session, and a small SOA-branded power bank. In addition to the welcome bags, the SOA also set up information booths in front of the freshman dorms and a booth at new student orientation. This Freshman Initiative has allowed the SOA to keep in touch with these students as they explore different majors at BYU. Last year, the SOA admitted more than 50 students who were attracted to the program through the freshman outreach efforts.
Student Experience Initiative
The Student Experience Initiative encourages students’ personal, spiritual, and professional growth. At the beginning of the school year, the SOA implemented the back-to-school social, organized a department devotional, and sponsored SOA student intramural teams. In the future, the SOA is considering opportunities to invite students to family home evening activities at faculty members’ homes and to attend BYU arts or sporting events together.
