How do you give back to your University?

As a Sport Management degree-holder, they don’t bother calling me. They know none of us have actual jobs.

Law school = the best example yet of a blessing and a curse.

Friends of Alec calls me every year or so. I always tell them I’m in grad school and don’t have any money. I think actually donate when I get a real job though, because I got some scholarships through the engineering dept in undergrad.

I treat them like any other telemarketer—I tell them I’m a maniac and, after a short, stunned silence, they hang up.

Nice write-up, Nero. A decade ago, university fund-raising offices were in despair: they thought the demise of landlines would sever them from new generations of alumni.

Apparently they found out how to get your cell-phone number.

I’m an engineer, and my UT degree (and the engineering recruiting office) gave my career a very good start. Also, about half my bills were paid for by scholarship. I feel the right thing to do is to give UT a little more than I gave the Longhorn Foundation that year.

Funny story- I bet an Ag on the Texas/TAMU game in 2000. The bet was for $20, with the money to go to the winning school’s scholarship fund (my idea). When Texas won, I brought in the info he needed to send UT a check. 6 months later, he complains to me that Texas just won’t leave him alone, and keeps asking for more money. I told him that I knew that would happen, and if TAMU had won I had planned to put a $20 bill in an envelope with no return info and mail it direst to TAMU.

College of Engineering here as well. Nothing to the School of Law or Longhorn Foundation. I give fairly steadily and not earth shaking amounts. Oddly enough I have given enough over the years that I periodically get a slob job from the Development Office.

I loved undergrad; law school almost ruined UT for me; and I attended during close to if not the worst seven years in UT football history (84-91). Therefore undergrad gets my ducats.

Friends of Alec always call me and I always give money. I love the engineering school, since I am where I am because of the generosity of ECE and the University of Texas. I love UT and if I get a call from Friends of Alec, I always give. My wife does too.

I have also started giving to the Management school, more so because of the strides they have made in making my MBA more relevant. The evening MBA program is now #5 in the country. I thank them for that, and will give to them as well.

Longhorn forever…

Yes the phone calls can be annoying. I am VERY proud of my BBA-Business school degree. Very prestigious; one of the top business schools in the country. Albeit, I am a professional sales consultant and can pick up on sales strategies quickly. Sincere versus sincere is important. I think some text book teacher is providing direction to the young pups. What they dont realize that it does not reflect sincere and direct intent. I do give but give more to the Texas EX foundation and I request that the money is directed into the business school. It is good to give and support the business school is VERY IMPORTANT. Have a good day. Hook’em Horns and lets keep the business school on the top business schools in the country.

I need to add. I always give money to the business school and UT because I chose the University of Texas-Business school. The accepted me into the business school and gave me a chance to earn my degree. So YES, they always get some monetary contribution. Thank you UT and the business for accepting me into school to earn my degree. I will tell you that the business school is very difficult to get into and makes you earn it.

Dude, you tried to kill Spock. Fuck off.

My wife and I give every now and then to our respective schools (me: Natural Science + Liberal Arts, her: Engineering). Not very much at all in the grand scheme of things but we are young and I suspect that we’ll ramp it up as we get older.

The LHF will never get a penny from us. If we have money to give to the University, it will always go to academics. I realize that may be an uncommon (unpopular?) viewpoint on a Longhorn sports blog, but that’s our priority and it’s not going to change. I’m not about to judge what anyone else does with their hard-earned money. We will, of course, continue to be lifelong supporters of UT athletics through our presence at games via non-LHF tickets, our eyeballs on the TV, and occasional merchandise purchases.

Oddly enough, the schools we give to don’t really bother us at all. We get a mailing every couple months and that’s about it. I think I’ve been called exactly twice by anyone associated with the University since I graduated (May 2007). I don’t consider that excessive considering how much other junk mail and sales calls modern life seems to generate these days.

I give only where I get quid pro quo: the Longhorn Foundation whereby I get my football and baseball season tickets, my ou tickets and my parking passes.

I worked my way thru UT engineering school and never got a fucking dime from anyone. Same for our two kids. The professors never paid any attention to anyone but the A+ students. Then or now. We don’t owe them anything. I consider “giving back” a bizarre concept coming from a public university.

Needless to say, they learn fast and don’t bother us anymore.

If I win big in the lottery, I plan to walk into the Longhorn Foundation offices with a giant novelty check and make it out for however much I need to to get excellent football seats, rock-star parking, and quality OU tickets.

But that’s all for purely selfish reasons. And it’s the only conceivable possibility where I would consider donating any money to the Scrooge McDuck-looking bank vault that is DKR.

College of Liberal Arts/UT Giving Fund Calls me every other month, like clockwork. Last night they decided to try at 9 pm. However, they call from the same ‘hotline’ number every time, so all I’ve had to do is save the name in my address book. I think I’d be more apt to give if they didn’t call, or if it was a fund drive once a year; it just irks me that there’s a telemarketing strategy involved that’s constantly turning.

I paid for my degree. BS in Chem E. I had a similar experience to Boxley. I once went to office hours because I was having real trouble understanding some things even though I was really working hard at it. I ask the professor a question. He looks at me and says “You need to read your textbook then come ask me a question.” I was shocked. So shocked that I just left the room speechless. Someday I may give to the college of Engineering but I think it’s better to give to my children right now.

The guys in those cozy little Plan II and Honors classes are the ones that need to “give back.” They get the equivalent of a private school education for next to nothing at the expense of Texas taxpayers. Fuck them, too.

I figure as long as I’m still paying back tuition loans, then I can just stick to contributing through the Foundation for my football tickets.

Your comments are all interesting. What I conclude is that receiving a scholarship in any form is more likely to make a graduate a donor in later life. Those of you that paid your own way seem to expect the same from others.

So I propose UT give way more “scholarships” of like $1,000. Just spread it around, and germinate a feeling of guilt/reciprosity in the student body, so that over a graduate’s earning lifetime, UT will make that $1,000 back tenfold.

So, are monahorns and Bill Boxey the academic equivalent to ransom’s athletic musings?

Friends of Alec call me regularly, and I always equate the call to various wineries that are trying to sell me something because I left my name or ordered something from their little piece of dirt in Napa.

I put myself through school via merit-based scholarships and working as a Jester East RA for two years. I also received a few merit-based scholarships during the summer for being a smart mother fucker, which provided nice walking around money.

My in-laws give to the Longhorn Foundation every year and I pay them for my two Longhorns tickets to the home games and OU game. I’ll take over the foundation payment in the future (hopefully in the middle of a few years of suckitude so the “fair value” price will be lower than it is now – it still burns me that they donate every year and buy tickets, and the face value for the damn CU game is $80 and you can’t even give them away on game day if you have an extra – awww…that’s in the upper deck? fuck you I’m not paying for that).

I called the scholarship office a year or so ago to see about setting up an endowment, which I plan to do later in life. I think the sum was $25k for a regular endowment and $50k for the presidential endowment. I received one of those (walking around money like I said above) and I’d like to be able to provide that to some other kid in the future – but I’ve got to make sure he or she is not just some loser that studies all the time to get all As, but someone that studies and gets laid and goes to sporting events (aka, like myself). That will be the tough part to figure out how to accomplish.

I did sign up to be a Life Member right when I graduated (and had no money or income as I was headed to grad school), so I consider that my donation until the big money comes in for the endowment.

The good folks at Stanford don’t call very often, but they send stuff in the mail regularly.

You can take my experience how you like. I am not bitter. I love UT. My degree has given me opportunities that I wouldn’t have had otherwise. I love the department I graduated from. The fact is though that a significant % of my professors were not that interested in teaching. It is a weakness that I would like to see improved. It may already have been. I didn’t receive any scholarships while there maybe that truly changes the outlook of a student. I don’t know.

I am a Lifetime Member of Texas Exes.

Just yanking your chain a little monahorns…ransom provides similar comments about all manner of athletics.

One thing to keep in mind (and it’s not a great thing for undergrad students, and I’m not saying it is right) is that most of the professors at top research universities are not in their positions because of their great ability to teach – they are there because they bring in money. I had a number of excellent professors, I had a few that thought they were excellent, and I had a few that I would still like to kick in the pants.

Nero’s point about the ‘in-school’ scholarships is definitely true – it changes your perspective.

NERO… This is like college football. You can only hand out so many scholarships. You can walk on the team but cannot give a scholarship. This is life. I am surprised of some of the attitides. I can understand.. However, if there is bitterness or resentment. I wish that person would have gone somewhere else to get their degree. Someone else would have filled the space and been happy. Sorta like recruiting football players. Very interesting.

If you cannot run faster than a 4.6 then we do not have a scholarship for you. I guess education works the same. However, if someone is resentful, remind them that nobody force them to attend UT. Go to some other secondary school and try to get a scholarship there too. Then complain and put a positive light on post experience. It does seem that the law, business, etc are very pleased people. The liberal arts segment post graduates are not satisfied. Interesting comments and this is an interesting correlation.

“If I’m going to give money to the academic side of the university, it will be to the school of social work or some other school that really needs it.”

Thank you for putting that out there. My wife works for the school of social work and they scratch and claw for every cent they raise. Most social work graduates dont make enough to give back so they have to rely on people like you that understand that the business school is doing just fine for itself.

Seems like the liberal segment needs to find ways to raise funds. If the alumni of the liberal arts segment do not give money to support then they will have to claw for every cent. Makes sense.

I wish it was easy in life but that is how the world works. I do know the businness school will only accept a certain amount of students per year. So yes, the class size shrinks greatly when accepted in the business school segment. Fresh and sohp years huge classes. If a person gets accepted into the business school the nclasses go to 100 to 20 in a class. If not accepted into the business school you transferred or found a new major. Just like recruiting in football or the game itself.

I wish people would not have resentment. I am proud of my UT degree. Not everyone can get accepted to a school like UT and even fewer graduate. Do not know how the liberal segment graduate program works so not able to comment. However, the business and law programs are very strict and limited to how many students can be accepted. Just like UT football can only give 25 scholarships. By the limited selection you have the most “talented” (not always the case but in generic form) and eventually they move to corporate USA. Football – college to the NFL. Pehaps, this is why the business and law segment graduates are much more pleased and more than willing to contribute because they are thankful that UT accepted them into the specialized law and business school segment. I am sure those that did not get accepted into the law or business school after attending UT for two years are not as satisfied. Albiet, they were good enought to get into UT so should thrive at some other college. Texas atm business school is not as difficult to get into when compared to UT. THis is life and resembles UT football recruiting.

A comment to raise some eyebrows. Congress not passing unemployment extensions… That is shame. My neghbor was laid off becasue of downsizing company. Very good at his job and credentialed. He is afraid to put down higher education and expereince because companies will not hire knowing that down the road eventually a better fitting job he wil find. He paid taxes and the congress will not even aid while he searches and it takes a lot of time. I feel for him. Yet we can give money and breaks to people who have not worked in 5 years and award them for a new first home purchase. How will my neighbor remain in his home. What a shame. He paid more taxes over the years than the average person and the goverment cannot even aid in time of need. Why pay taxes…. Think about it. If you lost your job what would you do. Your savings after 6 months to year becomes exhausted. Then what.. cannot even find a company to have an income because you are “over qualified”. Sad situation. Rather not pay taxes that paid for unemployment benefits and would have more money longterm for such scenarios. Disappointed in the fed government.

It’s interesting to see people’s rational for their giving or not giving. I give to A&M’s Former Student Association because the money goes towards scholarships for average joes such as myself (I had a small A&M academic scholarship while there). My Dad (also an Aggie) has funded several scholarships at A&M and he is far from wealthy. The mindset behind this I guess is loyalty to the institution and support for those trying to graduate who may not have been as fortunate as us. I have given far more monetarily than I ever received even adjusting for inflation. It would never cross my mind not to give to A&M even though I got a higher degree at a UT Medical School (I give to the med school as well to help needy students – about the same total amount as A&M even though the medical degree is far more “valuable”)

I give a lot to the 12th Man Foundation but I do that to get perks like great seats and opportunities for bowl and NCAA BB tickets. I do this because it’s the system if you want guaranteed good seating. I also contribute to caipital campaigns not because I’m worried the players don’t have a nice lounge but because it all counts toward ensuring the nice tickets.

I’m always astonished that someone would not join the UTexes or give money to your athletic foundation (or A&M’s for that matter) even if said gift is only the minimum level. How can anyone calling themselves a fan think that tickets and tee shirts are enough giving to an institution that you hold dear?

“The mindset behind this I guess is loyalty to the institution and support for those trying to graduate who may not have been as fortunate as us.”

I agree, AL. I went through a lot of (beneficial, imo) changes while at UT, both intellectual and philosophical. I have incredibly positive feelings about the school because of this. I give to UT, both to the foundation and to various academic areas. Not a huge amount but enough to feel like I am repaying UT for the positive things it did for me.

I stopped giving to UT when Major got benched for that blond Yankee interception machine.

I didn’t have any bad experiences with profs in ME or elsewhere in undergrad, really law school either. ME was a big happy family. Then again I had good grades but wasn’t an A plus type. I didn’t usually rely on profs for help instead my colleagues.

I didn’t like law school. Classmates were largely dickwads and the atmosphere was fairly dishonest. I guess if that were my only experience at UT I wouldn’t give shit either.

After reading subsequent posts, I realized that my initial one (telemarketers, I tell them I’m a maniac and they hang up) was flippant, so I’ll add another.

I was at UT in the 60s, graduated in ’69, and paid my way with the GI Bill ($155/mo) and temporary jobs like Manpower. I lived in the Brackenridge married student apartments, which was $28.75/mo, bills paid.

My take on UT is that it was a wonderful institution that provided an environment for my education as well as a place to live cheaply (thank God for that!). I love UT and am very proud of my degree from there. I sent my own daughter to UT and she received three degrees from UT.

All that being said, I have to add that my interactions with professors in my major field were brief and, generally, unsatisfactory. They tended to be disrespectful, dismissive and uncaring if you weren’t a designated “star” pupil, as noted by Boxley above. (Aside: some 20 years after I graduated, I visited UT on business with one of my direct report employees, who was also a UT grad, same department. The difference was that he was a National Merit Scholar and I wasn’t. The dean of the department, who had instructed both of us, clearly remembered my employee—but not me). Now, my feelings weren’t hurt and I’m not saying I am (was) a memorable person. It’s just that that seemed to be the prevailing attitude, as several have noted. Whatever.

So, while I have made contributions in the past, I really hated that they were on me like flies on shit for months and years afterward, which increases my reluctance. Also, being retired and having been whip-sawed by the stock market several times since retiring, I am less able to contribute.

Nevertheless, Hook ’em, Horns!

Yes, the calls…if the 512 number has a 475 prefix, you know it’s coming from campus, most likely from the bowels of Red’s House. So I don’t give back to the Business School, because I’m still paying off my student loans. While I am a Native Texan, born and raised, my Dad was a tenured professor and taught graduate classes at UT for 20 plus years, I was a UT undergrad, etc., I was away for 3 and a half years, and UT made me pay out-of-state tuition for my 2 years at McCombs. It was worth the money, in most respects, but not any more than what I have already paid them (even if they were ranked #1). Hook’em!

Somebody has to take some responsibility for how I turned out. My parents blame it on the Frau who was my nanny when we lived in Munich, but that seems awfully convenient. If UT is willing to acknowledge me, then I must return the love. Although if they get a hold of my cell number – and use it – all bets are off. Do the decent thing and call me at home like my sister does, so I can ignore it and let it go to voice mail. It ’s the way these things are done.

Life Member of the Exes, LHF and season ticket holder for 20 years plus. Eyes of Texas club (although I don’t really know where that money goes – they did send me a nice paperweight however so I’m content). We’ve funded a scholarship for a vet (Army in recognition of my Dad, sorry squids), and I try to hire a couple of interns every summer. Hosted a couple of receptions for the then-chancellor and then-President on their West Coast alumni visits/fundraising-and-why-don’t-we-spend-a-night-or-two-in-Napa-while-we’re-here trips. Got my last firm to start interviewing on campus at UT and we made a half dozen or so hires, which made the incoming analyst class only 49 percent Princeton and 49 percent Stanford. Which was an improvement. But not enough of one.

I paid 120,000 for my education. The only way I show allegiance to Bates is by consuming a lobster each summer.

A point that I find interesting about the donations game is that the undergrad schools are scored by the final arbiter of education quality, US News, on the % of students that contribute to the school. Princeton dominates this metric. They are a rival, but I admit that every person I know that attended that school has great things to say about it. I hold degrees from 3 other Ivy League universities and give not a penny to any. We give to an overseas orphanage that I worked at, a local church, and a medical research foundations.

Unless you specifically tag your donations, and at my schools you have to give a LARGE donation to do so, your dollars go to whatever they want. I’m still in academia, and from my knowledge of the grants office at my current institution and from a friend that worked in the grants office at my undergrad institution, the percentage of money that goes to administrative use at universities is shocking, well over 50%.

I had fun at college, but I went to class, prepared for my career, and work hard currently. I am proud of my degrees, but Ivory Tower doesn’t need another marble walkway.

UT’s already gotten all the will get out of me in the form of tuition paid for an ex-wife’s graduate degree.

To be clear, I am a TexasExes Life Member since graduation and a long time LHF member with season tickets for football and baseball. I love UT and readily sent my kids to school there knowing the realities of the sink or swim culture dominated by weed-out classes and the indifference of the professors and staff.

Since we paid our own way and graduated almost despite the faculty and staff of UT, we see nothing to “give back.”

In response to quigley…no gifts go toward university operational expenses at UT. Gifts, if not designated to a particular cause, will go into an “unrestricted fund” for a Dean’s use or the president’s, depending on where you gave. The dean or president can then use those funds for a particular project, scholarship, fellowship, etc. So rest assured, your gifts are not used for marble walkways and light bills.