Was searching for news about whole Buffalo fb staff allegedly going to Kansas with Leipold (see other thread) and ran across this ...

https://www.buffalo.edu/ubnow/stories/20...llion.html

Makes me so freakin' jealous, like old Capt. Binghamton I could just scream. They went for $650 million and got $711 million. Can we hire their asst. asst. asst. asst. fund-raiser? And is that where all our hot dogs went?

(05-05-2021 05:48 AM)pvk75 Wrote:  Was searching for news about whole Buffalo fb staff allegedly going to Kansas with Leipold (see other thread) and ran across this ...

https://www.buffalo.edu/ubnow/stories/20...llion.html

Makes me so freakin' jealous, like old Capt. Binghamton I could just scream. They went for $650 million and got $711 million. Can we hire their asst. asst. asst. asst. fund-raiser? And is that where all our hot dogs went?

Well, for starters, I'm sure that Buffalo treats their donors and potential donors with dignity and respect rather than as fleas to be flicked off and stepped on.

(05-05-2021 05:48 AM)pvk75 Wrote:  Was searching for news about whole Buffalo fb staff allegedly going to Kansas with Leipold (see other thread) and ran across this ...

https://www.buffalo.edu/ubnow/stories/20...llion.html

Makes me so freakin' jealous, like old Capt. Binghamton I could just scream. They went for $650 million and got $711 million. Can we hire their asst. asst. asst. asst. fund-raiser? And is that where all our hot dogs went?
:pissed::weeping:

I'm not sure we have the money to hire their Asst. Asst. Asst. Asst. Fund-raiser's Asst. An intern would simply cost too much.

(05-05-2021 08:43 AM)HawaiiToNIU Wrote:  

(05-05-2021 05:48 AM)pvk75 Wrote:  Was searching for news about whole Buffalo fb staff allegedly going to Kansas with Leipold (see other thread) and ran across this ...

https://www.buffalo.edu/ubnow/stories/20...llion.html

Makes me so freakin' jealous, like old Capt. Binghamton I could just scream. They went for $650 million and got $711 million. Can we hire their asst. asst. asst. asst. fund-raiser? And is that where all our hot dogs went?

I'm not sure we have the money to hire their Asst. Asst. Asst. Asst. Fund-raiser's Asst. An intern would simply cost too much.

Maybe we could have him/her multi-task. Raise funds and clean the urinal troughs.

Wow!

This is stunning!

Congratulations to them!

Yes, I agree--- let's hire their asst asst asst asst fundraiser!!!!

The vast majority of alumni at NIU don't give a ****. They got a degree and moved on

(05-05-2021 10:33 AM)klake87 Wrote:  The vast majority of alumni at NIU don't give a ****. They got a degree and moved on

True. Many of them did not want to be at NIU, did not enjoy their experience there, and could not wait to get out and away from DeKalb. Some of the fault rests with NIU for not doing proper marketing to instill a sense of pride in the student body. DeKalb is DeKalb, but there should be more city amenities for students. But, no matter what school you attend, you should be proud and make the best of it.

I had a great time at NIU, marketing has a lot to do with it I think. I've been to many colleges - our campus, town, education and events could be improved, but are competitive with many solid schools that raise way more $ than us. Michigan grads love to boast about U of M and support it, we need to create an atmosphere that gives our students and alumni social ease to do the same.

Our foundation has 132 million or so, but our actual endowment sits at $91.7 mil. They should do some form of 100-150 million raise, with much of the $ going to our endowment. Its an oddity for a large research university to have an endowment under 100 mil, let alone 250 or 400 mil. I'm sure that missing decimal spot in our endowment makes it easy for rankers in the media to place us lower as they fly through the meat of the list.

Bad time to fund raise? Maybe, but apparently Buffalo found a way.

(05-05-2021 10:41 AM)Dog Fan Wrote:  

(05-05-2021 10:33 AM)klake87 Wrote:  The vast majority of alumni at NIU don't give a ****. They got a degree and moved on

True. Many of them did not want to be at NIU, did not enjoy their experience there, and could not wait to get out and away from DeKalb. Some of the fault rests with NIU for not doing proper marketing to instill a sense of pride in the student body. DeKalb is DeKalb, but there should be more city amenities for students. But, no matter what school you attend, you should be proud and make the best of it.

Sigh. I had my blinders on for so long, because I had a terrific experience at NIU and truly believe the school helped me get to where I am today. But it's true, there is no pride in the school or the city of DeKalb. For many it was just a place to get a piece of paper after 4 years. So much so, that it truly was the backpack school many kept speaking of.

I pray they continue to make big changes to at least get back to the level they were at in my undergrad years. There's something different about the kids who go to NIU. I hope this institution can continue to foster the minds of young professionals for years to come.

It was a suitcase school in 80s. Most went home on week ends

(05-05-2021 10:53 AM)NIUfilmmaker Wrote:  I had a great time at NIU, marketing has a lot to do with it I think. I've been to many colleges - our campus, town, education and events could be improved, but are competitive with many solid schools that raise way more $ than us. Michigan grads love to boast about U of M and support it, we need to create an atmosphere that gives our students and alumni social ease to do the same.

Our foundation has 132 million or so, but our actual endowment sits at $91.7 mil. They should do some form of 100-150 million raise, with much of the $ going to our endowment. Its an oddity for a large research university to have an endowment under 100 mil, let alone 250 or 400 mil. I'm sure that missing decimal spot in our endowment makes it easy for rankers in the media to place us lower as they fly through the meat of the list.

Bad time to fund raise? Maybe, but apparently Buffalo found a way.

Because of the visibility on a national level, much of the pride comes from success of the sports teams - or being in a major conference (such as the Big 10). People walk around campus actually wearing T-shirts supporting their own school! That's why I was so pissed that nothing - nothing! - was done when we made the Orange Bowl. We were on the national stage, and yet nothing was done to pick up the sizzle of pride and run with it. It seems like everyone went on a long vacation after the bowl.
A missed golden opportunity.

(05-05-2021 11:13 AM)Dog Fan Wrote:  

(05-05-2021 10:53 AM)NIUfilmmaker Wrote:  I had a great time at NIU, marketing has a lot to do with it I think. I've been to many colleges - our campus, town, education and events could be improved, but are competitive with many solid schools that raise way more $ than us. Michigan grads love to boast about U of M and support it, we need to create an atmosphere that gives our students and alumni social ease to do the same.

Our foundation has 132 million or so, but our actual endowment sits at $91.7 mil. They should do some form of 100-150 million raise, with much of the $ going to our endowment. Its an oddity for a large research university to have an endowment under 100 mil, let alone 250 or 400 mil. I'm sure that missing decimal spot in our endowment makes it easy for rankers in the media to place us lower as they fly through the meat of the list.

Bad time to fund raise? Maybe, but apparently Buffalo found a way.

Because of the visibility on a national level, much of the pride comes from success of the sports teams - or being in a major conference (such as the Big 10). People walk around campus actually wearing T-shirts supporting their own school! That's why I was so pissed that nothing - nothing! - was done when we made the Orange Bowl. We were on the national stage, and yet nothing was done to pick up the sizzle of pride and run with it. It seems like everyone went on a long vacation after the bowl.
A missed golden opportunity.

And now we are here. We can't even field a D1 looking baseball team. Every North Suburban Prairie Conference school has nicer baseball facilities than us. Reavis Hall is an eye sore, it's amazing nothing's been done to fix that place since it was built.

(05-05-2021 11:13 AM)Dog Fan Wrote:  

(05-05-2021 10:53 AM)NIUfilmmaker Wrote:  I had a great time at NIU, marketing has a lot to do with it I think. I've been to many colleges - our campus, town, education and events could be improved, but are competitive with many solid schools that raise way more $ than us. Michigan grads love to boast about U of M and support it, we need to create an atmosphere that gives our students and alumni social ease to do the same.

Our foundation has 132 million or so, but our actual endowment sits at $91.7 mil. They should do some form of 100-150 million raise, with much of the $ going to our endowment. Its an oddity for a large research university to have an endowment under 100 mil, let alone 250 or 400 mil. I'm sure that missing decimal spot in our endowment makes it easy for rankers in the media to place us lower as they fly through the meat of the list.

Bad time to fund raise? Maybe, but apparently Buffalo found a way.

Because of the visibility on a national level, much of the pride comes from success of the sports teams - or being in a major conference (such as the Big 10). People walk around campus actually wearing T-shirts supporting their own school! That's why I was so pissed that nothing - nothing! - was done when we made the Orange Bowl. We were on the national stage, and yet nothing was done to pick up the sizzle of pride and run with it. It seems like everyone went on a long vacation after the bowl.
A missed golden opportunity.

I remember the alumni association took out a full page ad in the trib after the game, but yes, more could have been done.

According to wikipedia NIU has the 2nd smallest endowment in the MAC, most schools falling in the 150-400 mil range. None of them are P5, no reason we shouldn't be sitting at 200 mil+. What has been the issue in decades past that led us to fall behind?

(05-05-2021 11:19 AM)NIUfilmmaker Wrote:  

(05-05-2021 11:13 AM)Dog Fan Wrote:  

(05-05-2021 10:53 AM)NIUfilmmaker Wrote:  I had a great time at NIU, marketing has a lot to do with it I think. I've been to many colleges - our campus, town, education and events could be improved, but are competitive with many solid schools that raise way more $ than us. Michigan grads love to boast about U of M and support it, we need to create an atmosphere that gives our students and alumni social ease to do the same.

Our foundation has 132 million or so, but our actual endowment sits at $91.7 mil. They should do some form of 100-150 million raise, with much of the $ going to our endowment. Its an oddity for a large research university to have an endowment under 100 mil, let alone 250 or 400 mil. I'm sure that missing decimal spot in our endowment makes it easy for rankers in the media to place us lower as they fly through the meat of the list.

Bad time to fund raise? Maybe, but apparently Buffalo found a way.

Because of the visibility on a national level, much of the pride comes from success of the sports teams - or being in a major conference (such as the Big 10). People walk around campus actually wearing T-shirts supporting their own school! That's why I was so pissed that nothing - nothing! - was done when we made the Orange Bowl. We were on the national stage, and yet nothing was done to pick up the sizzle of pride and run with it. It seems like everyone went on a long vacation after the bowl.
A missed golden opportunity.

I remember the alumni association took out a full page ad in the trib after the game, but yes, more could have been done.

According to wikipedia NIU has the 2nd smallest endowment in the MAC, most schools falling in the 150-400 mil range. None of them are P5, no reason we should be sitting at 200 mil+. What has been the issue in decades past that led us to fall behind?

My wife and I were at NIU in the early to mid-1970s. (Okay, so we're old!) Until recent years, we never received any marketing materials for donations. This should have started in the mid-1970's right after we left NIU. That did not happen. The solicitations came when I started making donations to the school on my own, and it really picked up after I started making large donations to Athletics.

I got my undergrad degree at Northwestern. As soon as I graduated, the donation solicitation letters started coming. It has sort of dried up in recent years because I never gave anything to Northwestern because of my love for NIU and desire to make my contributions there.

(05-05-2021 11:35 AM)Dog Fan Wrote:  

(05-05-2021 11:19 AM)NIUfilmmaker Wrote:  

(05-05-2021 11:13 AM)Dog Fan Wrote:  

(05-05-2021 10:53 AM)NIUfilmmaker Wrote:  I had a great time at NIU, marketing has a lot to do with it I think. I've been to many colleges - our campus, town, education and events could be improved, but are competitive with many solid schools that raise way more $ than us. Michigan grads love to boast about U of M and support it, we need to create an atmosphere that gives our students and alumni social ease to do the same.

Our foundation has 132 million or so, but our actual endowment sits at $91.7 mil. They should do some form of 100-150 million raise, with much of the $ going to our endowment. Its an oddity for a large research university to have an endowment under 100 mil, let alone 250 or 400 mil. I'm sure that missing decimal spot in our endowment makes it easy for rankers in the media to place us lower as they fly through the meat of the list.

Bad time to fund raise? Maybe, but apparently Buffalo found a way.

Because of the visibility on a national level, much of the pride comes from success of the sports teams - or being in a major conference (such as the Big 10). People walk around campus actually wearing T-shirts supporting their own school! That's why I was so pissed that nothing - nothing! - was done when we made the Orange Bowl. We were on the national stage, and yet nothing was done to pick up the sizzle of pride and run with it. It seems like everyone went on a long vacation after the bowl.
A missed golden opportunity.

I remember the alumni association took out a full page ad in the trib after the game, but yes, more could have been done.

According to wikipedia NIU has the 2nd smallest endowment in the MAC, most schools falling in the 150-400 mil range. None of them are P5, no reason we should be sitting at 200 mil+. What has been the issue in decades past that led us to fall behind?

My wife and I were at NIU in the early to mid-1970s. (Okay, so we're old!) Until recent years, we never received any marketing materials for donations. This should have started in the mid-1970's right after we left NIU. That did not happen. The solicitations came when I started making donations to the school on my own, and it really picked up after I started making large donations to Athletics.

I got my undergrad degree at Northwestern. As soon as I graduated, the donation solicitation letters started coming. It has sort of dried up in recent years because I never gave anything to Northwestern because of my love for NIU and desire to make my contributions there.

We need more alumni like you. They're out there, a lot of my NIU buddies are very well off, we have plenty of successful alumn.

I also think from 1800's-1935 or whenever, the vibe in Illinois was that the U of I should endowment build as the flagship, and for the teachers colleges it wasn't stated as a necessity, you accepted the random occasional gift if presented. We need to continue to change the culture and make up for lost time.

(05-05-2021 11:35 AM)Dog Fan Wrote:  

(05-05-2021 11:19 AM)NIUfilmmaker Wrote:  

(05-05-2021 11:13 AM)Dog Fan Wrote:  

(05-05-2021 10:53 AM)NIUfilmmaker Wrote:  I had a great time at NIU, marketing has a lot to do with it I think. I've been to many colleges - our campus, town, education and events could be improved, but are competitive with many solid schools that raise way more $ than us. Michigan grads love to boast about U of M and support it, we need to create an atmosphere that gives our students and alumni social ease to do the same.

Our foundation has 132 million or so, but our actual endowment sits at $91.7 mil. They should do some form of 100-150 million raise, with much of the $ going to our endowment. Its an oddity for a large research university to have an endowment under 100 mil, let alone 250 or 400 mil. I'm sure that missing decimal spot in our endowment makes it easy for rankers in the media to place us lower as they fly through the meat of the list.

Bad time to fund raise? Maybe, but apparently Buffalo found a way.

Because of the visibility on a national level, much of the pride comes from success of the sports teams - or being in a major conference (such as the Big 10). People walk around campus actually wearing T-shirts supporting their own school! That's why I was so pissed that nothing - nothing! - was done when we made the Orange Bowl. We were on the national stage, and yet nothing was done to pick up the sizzle of pride and run with it. It seems like everyone went on a long vacation after the bowl.
A missed golden opportunity.

I remember the alumni association took out a full page ad in the trib after the game, but yes, more could have been done.

According to wikipedia NIU has the 2nd smallest endowment in the MAC, most schools falling in the 150-400 mil range. None of them are P5, no reason we should be sitting at 200 mil+. What has been the issue in decades past that led us to fall behind?

My wife and I were at NIU in the early to mid-1970s. (Okay, so we're old!) Until recent years, we never received any marketing materials for donations. This should have started in the mid-1970's right after we left NIU. That did not happen. The solicitations came when I started making donations to the school on my own, and it really picked up after I started making large donations to Athletics.

I got my undergrad degree at Northwestern. As soon as I graduated, the donation solicitation letters started coming. It has sort of dried up in recent years because I never gave anything to Northwestern because of my love for NIU and desire to make my contributions there.

I am very appreciative to have a fan like yourself choose us over Northwestern. Not many would have done the same, since they best us in all sports and academics. What made you choose Tom and Jerry's and Fatty's over Mustard's Last Stand and Edzo's?

I used to work in Evanston amongst 95% Northwestern Grads. I know the area and people pretty well.

(05-05-2021 11:56 AM)HawaiiToNIU Wrote:  

(05-05-2021 11:35 AM)Dog Fan Wrote:  

(05-05-2021 11:19 AM)NIUfilmmaker Wrote:  

(05-05-2021 11:13 AM)Dog Fan Wrote:  

(05-05-2021 10:53 AM)NIUfilmmaker Wrote:  I had a great time at NIU, marketing has a lot to do with it I think. I've been to many colleges - our campus, town, education and events could be improved, but are competitive with many solid schools that raise way more $ than us. Michigan grads love to boast about U of M and support it, we need to create an atmosphere that gives our students and alumni social ease to do the same.

Our foundation has 132 million or so, but our actual endowment sits at $91.7 mil. They should do some form of 100-150 million raise, with much of the $ going to our endowment. Its an oddity for a large research university to have an endowment under 100 mil, let alone 250 or 400 mil. I'm sure that missing decimal spot in our endowment makes it easy for rankers in the media to place us lower as they fly through the meat of the list.

Bad time to fund raise? Maybe, but apparently Buffalo found a way.

Because of the visibility on a national level, much of the pride comes from success of the sports teams - or being in a major conference (such as the Big 10). People walk around campus actually wearing T-shirts supporting their own school! That's why I was so pissed that nothing - nothing! - was done when we made the Orange Bowl. We were on the national stage, and yet nothing was done to pick up the sizzle of pride and run with it. It seems like everyone went on a long vacation after the bowl.
A missed golden opportunity.

I remember the alumni association took out a full page ad in the trib after the game, but yes, more could have been done.

According to wikipedia NIU has the 2nd smallest endowment in the MAC, most schools falling in the 150-400 mil range. None of them are P5, no reason we should be sitting at 200 mil+. What has been the issue in decades past that led us to fall behind?

My wife and I were at NIU in the early to mid-1970s. (Okay, so we're old!) Until recent years, we never received any marketing materials for donations. This should have started in the mid-1970's right after we left NIU. That did not happen. The solicitations came when I started making donations to the school on my own, and it really picked up after I started making large donations to Athletics.

I got my undergrad degree at Northwestern. As soon as I graduated, the donation solicitation letters started coming. It has sort of dried up in recent years because I never gave anything to Northwestern because of my love for NIU and desire to make my contributions there.

I am very appreciative to have a fan like yourself choose us over Northwestern. Not many would have done the same, since they best us in all sports and academics. What made you choose Tom and Jerry's and Fatty's over Mustard's Last Stand and Edzo's?

I used to work in Evanston amongst 95% Northwestern Grads. I know the area and people pretty well.

I chose NIU over Northwestern because I feel that I got a better education at NIU (albeit at the graduate level). Unlike at Northwestern, NIU's faculty were approachable and not full of themselves. Also, I met the girl who would become my wife at NIU, and the times were happy.

I valued my NIU education tremendously and from that came a sense of pride. I was given a job at NIU as well as the opportunity to teach classes. I taught big lecture classes with over 200 students each for a few years, while taking a full grad course load. That experience was invaluable. The combination of what I learned at NIU, academic and social experiences, and the caring, approachable faculty cemented my love, respect, and appreciation for NIU.

It always seems that we have great opportunities at our doorstep that we never capitalize on. About 20 years ago there was talk about an atomic accelerator under the I-88 corridor and NIU would be a focal point, but we didn't get that project. We were going to be the centerpiece of the technological I-88 corridor for new business and manufacturing, but that fizzled out. We have a top business program of US Universities, but the marketing of NIU and athletics is non-existent.
As Dog Fan said, we were at the freakin Orange Bowl, but our athletics did not take advantage of it. We have the largest program of South East Asian studies, an area of the world that is starting to boom, but we are not involved.

The brass ring has always been there, we just don't grab it.

(05-05-2021 12:12 PM)Dog Fan Wrote:  

(05-05-2021 11:56 AM)HawaiiToNIU Wrote:  

(05-05-2021 11:35 AM)Dog Fan Wrote:  

(05-05-2021 11:19 AM)NIUfilmmaker Wrote:  

(05-05-2021 11:13 AM)Dog Fan Wrote:  Because of the visibility on a national level, much of the pride comes from success of the sports teams - or being in a major conference (such as the Big 10). People walk around campus actually wearing T-shirts supporting their own school! That's why I was so pissed that nothing - nothing! - was done when we made the Orange Bowl. We were on the national stage, and yet nothing was done to pick up the sizzle of pride and run with it. It seems like everyone went on a long vacation after the bowl.
A missed golden opportunity.

I remember the alumni association took out a full page ad in the trib after the game, but yes, more could have been done.

According to wikipedia NIU has the 2nd smallest endowment in the MAC, most schools falling in the 150-400 mil range. None of them are P5, no reason we should be sitting at 200 mil+. What has been the issue in decades past that led us to fall behind?

My wife and I were at NIU in the early to mid-1970s. (Okay, so we're old!) Until recent years, we never received any marketing materials for donations. This should have started in the mid-1970's right after we left NIU. That did not happen. The solicitations came when I started making donations to the school on my own, and it really picked up after I started making large donations to Athletics.

I got my undergrad degree at Northwestern. As soon as I graduated, the donation solicitation letters started coming. It has sort of dried up in recent years because I never gave anything to Northwestern because of my love for NIU and desire to make my contributions there.

I am very appreciative to have a fan like yourself choose us over Northwestern. Not many would have done the same, since they best us in all sports and academics. What made you choose Tom and Jerry's and Fatty's over Mustard's Last Stand and Edzo's?

I used to work in Evanston amongst 95% Northwestern Grads. I know the area and people pretty well.

I chose NIU over Northwestern because I feel that I got a better education at NIU (albeit at the graduate level). Unlike at Northwestern, NIU's faculty were approachable and not full of themselves. Also, I met the girl who would become my wife at NIU, and the times were happy.

I valued my NIU education tremendously and from that came a sense of pride. I was given a job at NIU as well as the opportunity to teach classes. I taught big lecture classes with over 200 students each for a few years, while taking a full grad course load. That experience was invaluable. The combination of what I learned at NIU, academic and social experiences, and the caring, approachable faculty cemented my love, respect, and appreciation for NIU.

That's amazing. I'm glad it worked out that way for you. I hope to have a similar story, and one day come back to teach at NIU. That would be a life goal for me. I got my undergrad and masters from there.

(05-05-2021 12:14 PM)Schaefer Beer Wrote:  It always seems that we have great opportunities at our doorstep that we never capitalize on. About 20 years ago there was talk about an atomic accelerator under the I-88 corridor and NIU would be a focal point, but we didn't get that project. We were going to be the centerpiece of the technological I-88 corridor for new business and manufacturing, but that fizzled out. We have a top business program of US Universities, but the marketing of NIU and athletics is non-existent.
As Dog Fan said, we were at the freakin Orange Bowl, but our athletics did not take advantage of it. We have the largest program of South East Asian studies, an area of the world that is starting to boom, but we are not involved.

The brass ring has always been there, we just don't grab it.

NIU was described as a sleeping giant in the 90's, being in the Chicago market, having 25k students an eyeing 30k in the near future. We were also supposed to be part of a a major cancer proton-therapy center that fell apart.

https://www.niu.edu/protontherapy/news/T...20Star.pdf