AFTER speaking with, writing to, e-mailing and phoning thousands of fourth-year students, we've heard all the excuses: I'm not rich; I pay out-of-state tuition; I don't have a job; my gift won't matter. The response to each of these statements is simple and straightforward. The University needs your support.
In a year of crashing economies, budget constraints, political upheaval and first-round ACC losses to N.C. State, every dollar counts. Chew on this: If every graduating College student pledged a mere $10, the University could fund five new 100-person classes. If all 539 engineers gave $13.14, the Engineering School could provide seven new grants for undergraduate research. And if each of the Wall Street-bound Commerce kids sacrificed $15 of their "relocation" bonus, Dean Zeithaml could afford to add a stress management course to the rigorous ICE curriculum.
But, as fourth years ourselves, we know the deterioration of Virginia's daily operations doesn't really concern you. You probably don't care how many sections of Symphonic Masterworks the budget will allow next year. If Alderman runs out of paper, it's no points off your late midterm. After all, you're graduating.
There is one thing you should keep in mind. The value of your degree is contingent upon your continued support of the University. As far as U.S. News & World Report is concerned, that support is measured by a single variable: alumni giving participation. As that variable drops, so does the value of your degree. So does the value of all of our degrees. We're in this together.
Consider this. Fifteen years from now, you walk into an interview, ready to score that job you've always dreamed of. It doesn't matter that U.Va. happened to be the top-ranked public school when you took your degree in 2002. It matters if U.Va is still the top-ranked public school when you apply for that job in 2017. It's simple: Either you are number one or you're not. Whether or not you were is unimportant.
Still not satisfied? State funding provides only 12.4 percent of the University's revenues. In 2000-2001, Virginia's state support per student was $13,005, well below that of peer institutions such as UNC Chapel Hill, which received $24,764 per in-state student. Twenty years ago, the Commonwealth of Virginia provided three times the support that they do now. Yet, the University has only gotten better in that time. Why? Definitely no props to tuition, which only constitutes 22.4 percent of our revenues. Twelve and a half percent (state support) plus 22.4 percent (tuition) is a far cry from 100 percent. The difference lies in - you guessed it - alumni gifts.
That's where you come in. Forego that last pitcher of beer on Friday (we all know you don't need it) or opt to eat-in one night, and you can now do something with those five bucks that really can make a difference: Donate it to the University. Your $5 gift will help our participation numbers climb, which will boost our national ranking, which in turn increases the value of all our degrees.
Granted, the University could put larger gifts to use - after all, the average fourth-year gift is $25 - but such a small sacrifice as $5 would be greatly appreciated. Plus, think how good you'd feel about yourself. You could pat yourself on the back for having given to a good cause. Heck, you could even deduct your "charitable contribution" from your 2002 tax returns when you get a job (and, yes, you will get a job - all U.Va. graduates get jobs).
So, how do you do it? It's easy, really. This week, every graduating student who has not given will receive a phone call from a class trustee. Help your classmates out - answer the call and participate. Or, just go to www.hoo-02.com/pledge. Choose the amount you want to donate and the places where you want it to go to - like the Engineering School, the International Student Union, the physics department, the Club Softball team, The Cavalier Daily, your fraternity or any other CIO - and click submit. You'll be billed before graduation. It's that simple.
As if you still needed convincing, consider the opportunities you've uncovered, the people you've discovered, the goals you've achieved, and the crazy fun you've had in your four years here. You couldn't have found that at any other school. After all, this is Virginia.
(Melissa Meyers, class giving chair for the Class of 2002, and Portman Wills, president of the Class of 2002, are fourth-year College students.)
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