I used to give to my school after I had some extra money. I even supported the xc team when the traveled to CA years ago for the Div. II championships.
A few years ago in their alumni quarterly magazine they had a wedding announcement and a picture of two dudes.
This was a Methodist affiliated school.
Needless to say I have stopped sending checks. I'm not homophobic, but I don't think a religiously affiliated institution should support broke back mountain type behavior.
I donate to charities, not businesses.
I guess it depends on the school.
I watch my school blow money on more and more absurd things while continuing to raise the prices on students.
I don't want to be a part of that. Sure there are plenty of great things that they do and I make a small donation to the track team because they get no funding form the school.
But as a student who paid his way through school I was incredibly frustrated when I saw the amount of waste on campus each year.
They ask me- I tell them if they can guarantee the money will go to XC/Track and Field I will. They say it HAS to go into a general athletic fund.
No way I send them one red cent. They sold something, I purchased it. If they need me to give more, then they need to charge more or be more efficient with their money.
The ONLY way I'd give to them would be if I could guarantee the money went to the XC/Track team, but short of that no freakin' way.
Trump2020 wrote:
I used to give to my school after I had some extra money. I even supported the xc team when the traveled to CA years ago for the Div. II championships.
A few years ago in their alumni quarterly magazine they had a wedding announcement and a picture of two dudes.
This was a Methodist affiliated school.
Needless to say I have stopped sending checks. I'm not homophobic, but I don't think a religiously affiliated institution should support broke back mountain type behavior.
I like it. Good for you to stand up for what you believe is right.
Whattt? wrote:
I guess it depends on the school.
I watch my school blow money on more and more absurd things while continuing to raise the prices on students.
I don't want to be a part of that. Sure there are plenty of great things that they do and I make a small donation to the track team because they get no funding form the school.
But as a student who paid his way through school I was incredibly frustrated when I saw the amount of waste on campus each year.
No doubt. Costs to educate should be very low. The basics cost very little outside of the fancy machinery in the sciences.
You don't owe them anything, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't give back.
I give back to my university, but not a lot of money. Started giving $100 every fall to the XC team and eventually started doing that twice a year. I like to think that the money is used to buy a pair of shoes, but probably used to pay for the mail my team mates get asking for their money. :)
Based on this thread and some of my team mates attitudes after graduation, I do think the expectation needs to be better communicated and communicated early. For example telling recruits and walk ons before they join the team that it is expected that they give back every year for the rest of their lives.
Don't donate to my undergrad school - like others, every year they raised my tuition and cut my aid.
Don't donate to my grad school on the academic side - like others, that was a business transaction.
Do donate every year to my grad school on the athletic side - specifically to fund T&F scholarships. Was able to train with the team when in grad school and feel that was a privilege.
Do have a provision in my will to donate funds to that same T&F scholarship fund. Not a huge amount, but one which will help build the pot.
Personally think anyone who received some form of athletic aid does have an obligation to give back to the athletic fund. It isn't marketing to have had you run there, it was funded by other donations. If you benefited, you should give when you have the means to do so. If you got shoes and meals while running for the school, why not donate the price of a pair of shoes every year. Even if your school has a shoe deal - it's just a proper and considerate thing to do.
Whattt? wrote: I guess it depends on the school.
As I read through many of the "hell no" responses on this thread, I would agree that it depends on the circumstances. In retrospect, I should not have written (and judged) based only on my perspective of the situation at my own alma mater.
Perhaps many universities are flush with cash; I'm simply not personally familiar with anything so fortunate. My alma mater offers a quality education at a reasonable price, and some of the sports programs have had a great deal of success at the conference level. Yet, the athletic programs are in serious danger of being cut and the university is struggling financially.
I think someone else put it better when they said it's more about "giving" back than "paying" back. Obviously many people disagree -- and, yes, there are more important things on which to spend charitable contributions -- but I remain steadfast in believing that alumni should feel some sense of pride in their alma mater and have a willingness to help support the institution and environment that was such a significant part of their lives and growth.
Support T&F for the kids wrote:
Don't donate to my undergrad school - like others, every year they raised my tuition and cut my aid.
Don't donate to my grad school on the academic side - like others, that was a business transaction.
Do donate every year to my grad school on the athletic side - specifically to fund T&F scholarships. Was able to train with the team when in grad school and feel that was a privilege.
Do have a provision in my will to donate funds to that same T&F scholarship fund. Not a huge amount, but one which will help build the pot.
Personally think anyone who received some form of athletic aid does have an obligation to give back to the athletic fund. It isn't marketing to have had you run there, it was funded by other donations. If you benefited, you should give when you have the means to do so. If you got shoes and meals while running for the school, why not donate the price of a pair of shoes every year. Even if your school has a shoe deal - it's just a proper and considerate thing to do.
I suppose you also donate to your high school athletic program as well?
"alumni should feel some sense of pride in their alma mater"
Why? It's just a school.
And to you guys sending in $100 donations.... man, let me tell you something YOU need that $100 waaaaaaaayyyy more than that school does. I guarantee you that paltry amount means N O T H I N G to them.
ugus... wrote:
I attended a state university, so I "donate" to them via my taxes. I've never felt compelled to give them more on top of that.
Best answer. My alma mater receives support from the state, has a multi-million dollar endowment, plus tuition and fees from students WHO ARE BUYING THEIR PRODUCT. If they want more on top of all that, they're the ones that are greedy, not me.
So many people in our society have been utterly brainwashed by academia, like it's sacred and virtuous beyond measure. Good grief. It's just school and it's just four years of your life. I went to a good school, but I learned a lot more out of school than in school. I think that's the case for most people.
Frankly, too many people are enrolled in "higher ed". There is no need for this. It's a waste of time and money for most people. There should be more vocational training in our country. Writing essays discussing the central consciousness and narrative voice of Moby Dick isn't doing anyone any good.
I'm glad you continue to support the growing bloat and gluttony of the administrators at colleges OP. Maybe if you had just graduated 2 years ago as I have, you would see how incredibly screwed up the education system has become. Many of our universities do not prioritize educating undergrads. So after you pay everything you can for four years while taking out loans to cover the rest, and continue to pay off those loans for the subpar experience you purchased (at a top school, mind you), there is zero desire to donate to the business university model.
OP is a sucker wrote:
I'm glad you continue to support the growing bloat and gluttony of the administrators at colleges OP. Maybe if you had just graduated 2 years ago as I have, you would see how incredibly screwed up the education system has become. Many of our universities do not prioritize educating undergrads. So after you pay everything you can for four years while taking out loans to cover the rest, and continue to pay off those loans for the subpar experience you purchased (at a top school, mind you), there is zero desire to donate to the business university model.
No joke. Academia is totally out of control and vigorously resists any kind of real world application of financial responsibility and mission direction. But that certainly does not stop them from relentlessly asking anyone and everyone to fund the black holes of cash.
Says it all wrote:
http://68.media.tumblr.com/8b4eea89de15e5fa5e41655bbcb54a68/tumblr_nvb3wbyf0S1twiwvzo1_500.jpg
Yep, I should have taken CEO in college.
Paying Back wrote:
a person who is posting wrote: Would you call someone who donates thousands to the poor, destitute and hungry as cheap and selfish? Why is your pet charity more deserving than his?I donate a small amount to my alma mater's athletic department, but only because it's required to purchase football season tickets. I give a lot more to my church, to a charity that feeds the poor, and a crisis pregnancy center. Am I cheap and selfish? Please advise. I'm dying to know how I stack up in your eyes.
Kudos for donating to multiple charities. I do the same...in addition to supporting my alma mater's programs.
You're a fool for donating to a church. Probably just goes to finance Father Pederast's legal fund.
So donating to a church is bad but donating to Federal Institutions of Liberal Brain-washing is ok?
I too have yet to give any money to my University. If I ever do, it'll be specifically to the XC-Track programs.
different perspective wrote:
Paying Back wrote:Kudos for donating to multiple charities. I do the same...in addition to supporting my alma mater's programs.
You're a fool for donating to a church. Probably just goes to finance Father Pederast's legal fund.
So donating to a church is bad but donating to Federal Institutions of Liberal Brain-washing is ok?
I too have yet to give any money to my University. If I ever do, it'll be specifically to the XC-Track programs.
Academia is now most certainly a church. The church of liberal extremist indoctrination. That applies to anything outside of business and engineering.
Went to a private D3 school. My tuition was raised 4 to 6.5 percent each year I attended. I never received aid directly from the school to help cover the cost of tuition despite being a good student and having a family that is not by any means wealthy.
I have quite a bit of pride for cross country and track programs and my degree program. However, with the amount of loans (~$40K) accrued while there, knowing that tuition has nearly doubled in the 15+ years since I was a freshman and that they have ~$500 million in endowment (that they accrue earnings on tax free), I do not feel the need to donate at this time until I have the means to do so comfortably without affecting my financial goals (i.e. healthy retirement account, kids college fund, and current charities that actually help people).
