N.C. State University’s class of 1963 celebrated its Golden Anniversary at the University’s Reunion Weekend from Thursday to Saturday. It was inducted into the Forever Club, which consists of alumni who have celebrated their 50th class reunions. But, besides reaching this number, the class of 1963 is special for another reason: It has donated more to N.C. State than any other class — $856,105.
It is commendable that the members of the class of 1963 have given back to their alma mater in such a measure. We encourage current students to retain ties — financially or otherwise — to the University after graduation in the same way this class has. Alumni giving has always been an important part of the university’s funding and is a core part of what it means to be a proud, successful alumnus. Some gifts from alumni even fund projects that normal means of University revenue cannot provide for, such as the Hunt Library.
However, although we acknowledge that the donations are extremely important and appreciate all alumni donors, we would like to point out that in the greater scheme of things, alumni giving is not the most consequential part of a land-grant university’s revenue. Our University’s functioning should not and cannot depend on alumni giving (and tuition).
The amount of money this class has given is in a way even more valuable considering the dire financial situation universities are in, including N.C. State. However, alumni donations would not be even this crucial if universities were funded better. But they aren’t — instead, budget cuts, whether under Gov. Bev Perdue or Gov. Pat McCrory, are slashing funding to public services such as education. To make up for the $138.5 million cut to education in McCrory’s first proposed annual budget to the UNC-System, we would need 162 times half a century’s worth of 1963-class-esque donations. In this situation, each penny an alum donates becomes all the more important — but this shouldn’t be so.
A well-funded university is in fact necessary for securing more donations from alumni. After all, if a university is well-funded, its students will receive a good education, will be more likely to prosper economically and will thus be better able to give back to the university. However, if a university doesn’t get the funding it needs, soon there will be reduced alumni donations as well, so the university will also lose that source of funding.
We aren’t against donations. We are against budget cuts. In our ideal world, alumni will give back money to their alma maters, but this money will be a bonus to graciously-funded universities. While economic circumstances — and legislators — may not allow the ideal right now, we would only like to point out that we can have funding for education without alumni donations, but not the other way around. The Class of 1963 may be a role model for other classes, including current ones, but more than us, it’s the state government that needs to learn a lesson about how to give to the University.
