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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 members 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. Quite an accomplishment for a young man who hails from a small town in north Alabama.
"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. Not by my own doing, but by what Auburn's doing in terms of, we don't care where you come from, we don't care who you are, you are family."
Sasser began his career as a development director for Auburn's Office of Student Affairs in 2011. He left Auburn in 2017 to spread his wings, taking a sales executive position at Delta Air Lines in Nashville, Tennessee. After a couple of years, Sasser said he began to miss Auburn, so he, his wife Kelly and his growing family boomeranged back to The Plains in 2020.
The charismatic thirty-something has been in his current role for about a year. He says even though the campus has changed architecturally, Auburn still gives him a warm, at-home feeling. Something he's passing down to his own two young children.
"This is not just another higher education institution," said Sasser. "Regardless of our record, we're packing out Jordan-Hare Stadium, we're packing out Auburn Arena, we're packing out Plainsman Park. Auburn has a soul to it."
In an age of constant contact—and constant distraction—Sasser and his team are finding new, innovative ways to keep the Auburn Family connected. 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.
Sasser knows when Auburn students graduate, the student-university relationship does not end. Rather, it continues to evolve as needs and expectations change.
"We think of our alumni and our friends in segments, and we call them life stages," he said. "It all begins with students, and then it goes to younger alumni, then midlife and then seasoned."
Despite whatever phase of life they're in, Sasser is working to create engaging experiences that bring the spirit of the Auburn campus directly to alumni and friends wherever they are. These custom experiences are designed to be more personalized and dynamic, producing more connective interactions that many crave in today’s fast-paced culture.
Under Sasser's leadership, Auburn's Advancement Engagement team is working to expand the framework of programming, events and networking opportunities, offering a more accessible way for the Auburn Family to connect through local chapters nationwide.
"With our region engagement model, we cover the entire country," said Sasser.
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 across the country. Many host game watch parties and tailgates for sporting events, bringing together members of the Auburn Family to cheer on their Tigers. 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 like veterinary medicine and pharmacy.
With the digital transformation of higher education, Sasser and company are able to tap into an infinite number of opportunities to advance their programs. Theirs is 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. They are the backbone of the university, proudly wearing their orange & blue, cheering at sporting events and helping place new Auburn graduates into jobs.
They also give back. Last fiscal year, through the generosity and giving spirit of Auburn alumni and friends, 437 scholarships, valued at $839,694, were awarded by the Auburn Alumni Association to Auburn University students for the 2022-2023 academic year.
Sasser says it's this thriving community of the Auburn family that will ensure the university'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.
Sasser's group maintains a vibrant Auburn Alumni Association website, packed with the latest campus news, interesting stories and spotlights on alumni. There, the Auburn Family can access a digital version of Auburn Magazine, information on initiatives and award programs, an events calendar and career resources. Alumni can update their records, locate clubs and connect through social media platforms.
"You can stay connected and engaged right where you are, regardless of your ability from a time standpoint," said Sasser.
Are you a member of the Auburn Family looking to connect with fellow Auburn Family members? What better time than the holiday season! Visit the Auburn Alumni Association's website to learn how you can get engaged in upcoming events, regional clubs and more.
Missed an episode of Everything Auburn? Visit our Everything Auburn Podcast Hub to catch up past episodes, plus tune in next year as Carter Gustin and Dalton Odom bring you a behind-the-scenes look at the amazing work being carried out by Auburn men and women from the WEGL 91.1 FM Studio - Auburn University's student-run radio station.
