US News College Rankings
- Thread starter UR Fan 2
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Just noticed it...up from #32 last year. Nice bump.
http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-liberal-arts-colleges/spp+50
http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-liberal-arts-colleges/spp+50
#3 in "up and coming" liberal arts colleges and #9 best value.
http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-liberal-arts-colleges/up-and-coming
http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-liberal-arts-colleges/up-and-coming
Unfortunately, the two positive and four negative comments (everyone should read) are probably authentic. Even though U.S.News says they do not consider these comments in their ratings we might be better off if they did considered them as the “happiness factor” rather than alumni giving, which they do consider. This (unrepresentative) sample translates into 33% “happiness” as opposed to the 22% “happiness” represented by our alumni giving
When it comes to giving, we do not compare well to fellow Virginia schools in our category. For example, VMI (ranked 71st) has a 36% giving rate; Hampden Sydney (ranked 94th) has a 28% giving rate; Sweet Briar (ranked 99th) has a 33% giving rate, and Hollins (ranked 116th ) has a 32% giving rate. I raised our comparably poor giving rate on this board last year with little response, but I will try again this year. Does anyone have any ideas about how we can go about trying to increase our alumni giving?
When it comes to giving, we do not compare well to fellow Virginia schools in our category. For example, VMI (ranked 71st) has a 36% giving rate; Hampden Sydney (ranked 94th) has a 28% giving rate; Sweet Briar (ranked 99th) has a 33% giving rate, and Hollins (ranked 116th ) has a 32% giving rate. I raised our comparably poor giving rate on this board last year with little response, but I will try again this year. Does anyone have any ideas about how we can go about trying to increase our alumni giving?
jr, this isn't something that's going to change over night. Part of the problem is the size of our endowment. For a long while, UR didn't really feel it was necessary to go after the "small donor." You had families giving extraordinary amounts, so who cares about the 100 alums per class that give $50?
The first part in changing this is by educating the alums as to why it's necessary to give, despite the large endowment. The second is to create a culture of giving. This has begun to happen.
My senior year was just the second year for the revamped senior gift campaign. Our 5 year reunion was last year. We aimed at setting a new record for participation by reaching 30% participation. This was a record that stood for 18 years. We ended up, in the middle of the "Great Recession" with a new record of 36% (or 20% higher than the previous record). That record was then smashed by the class of 2006 this year (I do not have that number on hand, but their senior year, 61.5% of them gave). For comparison sake, in 2007, the record participation for the 20th reunion class (people in prime earning years, prior to a recession) was also 36%.
Some info I could find on UR's senior class gift had it starting in 2000 with just over 10% participation. The class of 2007 had more than 68% participation. W&M's senior campaign typically has ~65% participation. JMU's most recent one that I could find had a goal of 13% participation. Georgetown's young alumni participation is only 25%, so UR seems to be doing much better on this front.
As the educational process continues, and UR continues to make positive strides academically, the alumni support will continue to increase. The participation percentages among the young alums certainly is encouraging.
The first part in changing this is by educating the alums as to why it's necessary to give, despite the large endowment. The second is to create a culture of giving. This has begun to happen.
My senior year was just the second year for the revamped senior gift campaign. Our 5 year reunion was last year. We aimed at setting a new record for participation by reaching 30% participation. This was a record that stood for 18 years. We ended up, in the middle of the "Great Recession" with a new record of 36% (or 20% higher than the previous record). That record was then smashed by the class of 2006 this year (I do not have that number on hand, but their senior year, 61.5% of them gave). For comparison sake, in 2007, the record participation for the 20th reunion class (people in prime earning years, prior to a recession) was also 36%.
Some info I could find on UR's senior class gift had it starting in 2000 with just over 10% participation. The class of 2007 had more than 68% participation. W&M's senior campaign typically has ~65% participation. JMU's most recent one that I could find had a goal of 13% participation. Georgetown's young alumni participation is only 25%, so UR seems to be doing much better on this front.
As the educational process continues, and UR continues to make positive strides academically, the alumni support will continue to increase. The participation percentages among the young alums certainly is encouraging.
when Mr. Robins gave his initial gift in 1969 part of that was funds he would give if matched by alum giving and we got down on the grass root level to try and get every penny we could. i wrote letters as did other young alums at that time to encourage our class mates to give, even small amounts. guess we got away from that thinking, looking at out %s
05 thanks for responding (again) and I’m glad to hear younger alumni are supporting our school; it seems like older alumni may be benefiting from the increasing prestige of the school on the shoulders of the younger alumns, and that is too bad. If the school has traditionally failed to target all alumni because of our endowment it has made a big mistake. Williams and Amherst, the 1st and 2nd ranked schools in our category, have 1.5 and 1.3 billion dollar endowments with respective giving rates of 57% and 56%. Harvard and Princeton, the 1st and 2nd ranked National Universities, have 27.5 and 14.3 billion dollar endowments with respective giving rates of 35% and 61%.
Last year our giving rate was 25%, this year it is 22%; maybe the decrease is due to the economy, but for old folks like me this is the wrong direction. It would be nice if something could energize our alumni. Spinner you said that once upon a time classmates took it upon themselves to write to other classmates possibly something like that could be revived. Maybe we would see an increase in giving if the school, for example, announced some kind of goal and called upon everyone to support it and explained why support (over and above the endowment) was necessary
Last year our giving rate was 25%, this year it is 22%; maybe the decrease is due to the economy, but for old folks like me this is the wrong direction. It would be nice if something could energize our alumni. Spinner you said that once upon a time classmates took it upon themselves to write to other classmates possibly something like that could be revived. Maybe we would see an increase in giving if the school, for example, announced some kind of goal and called upon everyone to support it and explained why support (over and above the endowment) was necessary
actually jr, i was contacted by the admin to see if i would do it and i agreed. again there was an incentive by Mr. Robins to mach alum giving and so they made an attempt to increase the numbers in that way. they sent me a list of names from my class to send my letters to and also provided a sample of what i might say, was very easy and was glad to do it. i do not know if the results were what they were looking for or not but maybe is something to think about....personal contact by your peers is nice.
jr, the reunion classes have committees that are comprised of alums reaching out to other alums. I believe we had 8 or so in my class reaching out to fellow alums for donations.
Up to #25 this year. They re-worked the rankings a bit and it appears as though we benefited a bit.
http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-liberal-arts-colleges/spp%2B50
http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-liberal-arts-colleges/spp%2B50
Forgive me for being dense, but where are the comments? On the page with the rest of the profile?
could be way off on this but it seems to me that vmi, sydney, not sure about the briar, all have student bodies mostly of Va students who will mostly stay in state and thus be more connected to their schools. our VA rate is very low and most students migrate back to the northeast, back to their native countries or elsewhere, leaving our alums away and thus less connected. am sure someone can prove me wrong if my thoughts are skewed.
Spinner, not sure what relevance that has to the thread.
That said, after graduation, more Richmond students call Richmond home than any other. The second most common destination is DC, then NYC.
It's anecdotal evidence, but some of the most die-hard UR people I know don't live in town (yourself included). I believe we have three people from my class on this board, and I'm the only one still in town. A lot of the '05ers that are in town are pretty disconnected.
And again, just anecdotal evidence, but I'm a transplant. Granted, my wife being from here helped keep me around after school, but the job opportunities in Richmond are really what kept me here. If we provide quality opportunities for our graduates around town, we'll succeed in keeping more of them local, no matter where they're from.
That said, after graduation, more Richmond students call Richmond home than any other. The second most common destination is DC, then NYC.
It's anecdotal evidence, but some of the most die-hard UR people I know don't live in town (yourself included). I believe we have three people from my class on this board, and I'm the only one still in town. A lot of the '05ers that are in town are pretty disconnected.
And again, just anecdotal evidence, but I'm a transplant. Granted, my wife being from here helped keep me around after school, but the job opportunities in Richmond are really what kept me here. If we provide quality opportunities for our graduates around town, we'll succeed in keeping more of them local, no matter where they're from.
am saying that if our local alum base is eroding, you say it is not though it seems to be to me, no numbers just a gut, you may have numbers that would refute, and that absent alums are not as active as local ones. that has to do with the % of contributors to the annual fund thus relevant. not sure looking at three people from one class has any merit but nonetheless, if those guys out of town contribute $$$ as well as participate here then that is great and hope that is indicative of all but the low % of contributors speaks otherwise but realize there are many reasons.
For those asking what they need to do to get more giving -- for having made a donation at some point, I was offered a "UR Luggage Tag" if I sent my business card. It was as if they passed it through a laminating machine with some sort of UR sheet of paper attached to the opposite side. There are low cost luggage tags (my business in Ecuador gave out some leather ones that cost ~$3/tag) and there are no cost luggage tags. I would NEVER use the tag they sent me. A shame, but it's just SO FREAKING CHEAP.
Did anyone else get this? I travel a ton, so a luggage tag wasn't a bad idea.
Did anyone else get this? I travel a ton, so a luggage tag wasn't a bad idea.
have received lots of items for giving but certainly have never given to receive anything in return and not suggesting you do either KW. i give because i love my school, certainly do not always agree with a direction or thing they may be doing but love my school and if i give, even $25, and it helps UR, then that is great. not sure how or why this is such a big deal, should be something that all alums should want to do, even $25 and feel proud about doing, a no brainer.
No, it's not giving to receive. It was something that was offered "for free" well after I had given something. Nevertheless, being in the field of higher ed development myself, I am constantly looking for ideas that help people give. And it was so poorly implemented that I would rather they not have done it. I won't use it.
Anyway, it's part of the university's image, and they failed big time in this instance.
Anyway, it's part of the university's image, and they failed big time in this instance.
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