Crap, and I just complained about someone else having too many words…. but here goes.
(10-09-2015 10:49 PM)emanoh Wrote: So does any of that outreach inspire you to give?
Professors and TA's took care of that. They were incredibly busy, smart, people that by their actions made it clear they were dedicated to MY education. They were fun people. They were available people. They educated people who went out and raised the profile of the school so far, that today I couldn't even get accepted into my own university with the credentials I brought from high school. There's a sad aspect to that but also an aspect of success and it’s where I target my donation dollars, to programs that help kids like I was, get accepted to and be able to afford what I received.
This is the target UT needs to hit in my opinion. Raising the academic and research reputation of the school, raises the value of diplomas given decades ago. Alums want more for the current students because students are the refection of who they were. They want a higher quality graduate so that they will go out and raise the profile of the University. I think it wise to note not the athletic donation dollars but the non-athletic. They built a new business school and a new teacher education facility but these apparently were the brain-child and donations of the 4%ers. The 96% will participate given a vision and leadership but that takes direct contact, out-reach. I’m a minor (but yearly) donor and of course they regularly send campus “invites” but my University also sends people or arranges meeting between alums to talk about what is going on at campus. Sat down at Packos and just talked about the university. A (not so cleverly) disguised sales pitch but also fun reminiscing.
My first post on this conversation noted what I feel the most important things the university can do when raising funds: target improved instruction, commitment, skill and availability. Target on campus entertainment (theatre, concerts…) and extra-curricular activities. I’ll add a possible function of the new alum center, an entity assigned to search and apply for business and fund-raising opportunities for their Professors and researchers so that the Professors and researchers are spending less time politicking for funds and more time raising the profile of the University.
What things do you remember most about your time at UT? Wouldn't you want to read about those things, see photos and videos about those things, as well as the present and the potential future at UT? Don’t you want to know what that person down the hall at the dorm got on to? I remember most the things exposed to, not available to me in a small closed neighborhood growing up: intramurals, plays, concerts, theatre, research, seeing and even meeting famous people and the cultures and skills of fellow students from all over... I remember those really smart kids or creative kids and I wonder what they got up to. Old photos and future potential pull more money out of my pocket than athletic wins.
I didn’t spend near as much time at UT but one of MY favorite memories was attending a FREE talk by some guy who had presented to the Supreme Court the day before (free pizza and pop provided).
What out-reach would do for UT is show all those forgotten alums, the non-4%ers, they are part of the University, whether they are running a company, teaching, doctoring or driving a truck. It puts magazines and calendars on the desks and walls of alums with color and imagination. It puts conversation items on the desks of business people and teachers. Not forgetting to mention, the students helping to put together the publications get valuable experience.
It puts UT into the general conversation of their alums so they can talk more about life at UT. It inspires new generations to consider the University.
Ultimately as much as I loved attending athletic events, it was atmosphere, not my campus life. Promote campus life, the good the University does so that the alums are proud to talk about UT. Promote the local chapters of alum clubs. Send people from the University regularly to talk to alums spread over the country and now the world. Keep connected to those that have made the stage. There are more Jayrone's out there who simply need a little invitation to know how much it means to wear a t-shirt or make one little mention of the university.
From what I've read about this new Pres and the Alum guy, I would bet right now they are carpet bombing alums anywhere near Massachusetts to get them to that game to talk first hand. Those people will re-connect.
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