VCU alumni start $50 million fundraising campaign
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the campaign
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available at http://www.advancement.vcu.edu.
Noting the steep drop in state financial support, yesterday Virginia Commonwealth University alumni launched a campaign to raise $50 million for scholarships and fellowships for the academic and medical campuses.
The VCU and Medical College of Virginia alumni associations said the money raised for Opportunity VCU would support undergraduate and graduate scholarships and fellowships for graduate students across all academic units.
In announcing the campaign, the groups noted that VCU will receive $25.4 million less in state support this year than it did in fiscal 2000 while enrolling nearly 9,000 more students.
About 70 percent of VCU's entering full-time freshmen apply for need-based financial aid, but only 11 percent have that need fully met, the groups said. VCU undergraduates receive on average $10,685 in financial aid annually, and 70 percent work full or part time.
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Reader Reactions
Richmond Sage,
You posted no facts that I could dispute. Instead, you posted opinions regarding an administrative issue that has been resolved, perhaps not to your liking and satisfaction, but resolved nonetheless. The administrators who made the decision no longer work at the university and the Board of Visitors have taken all actions available to them under law. The university’s actions were investigated by JLARC and other state regulatory bodies, the accreditation organization and a variety of other agencies and no additional charges or punishment was deemed necessary or appropriate. These are the facts and they are indisputable. Your prior personal differences with the alumni associations is of little consequence to anyone other than yourself, which is why I referred to your posting as bitter, petty and self absorbed. I find the alumni associations’ announcement and commitment to raising funds for scholarships for current and future students during these almost unprecedented economic times, to be an inspiring and selfless act of leadership and citizenship. It is exactly what I hope and expect alumni association’s to do. You are certainly entitled to disagree, but to attempt to tie your lack of support for this effort, to an obscure and inconsequential administrative screw up from a couple of years ago, strikes me as simply sour grapes from someone who didn’t get their way. There have been many times, in and out of uniform, when my advice or opinion hasn’t been accepted, or things didn’t go my way, but I never quit looking for the bigger picture. I urge you to let go of the past and reconsider your decision to withhold support from these deserving students. Failing that, I urge you to make your own decision but refrain from speaking ill of others who don’t share your personal biases and wish to invest in our future leaders.
To the veteran:
I have always found it quite interesting that many people resort to name calling when faced with facts they can not dispute. However, if expecting the University to act in an ethical manner and award degrees based on their stated requirements is petty, then I’m petty. If expecting a University to right a wrong (because they did not follow their own degree requirements), then I guess I’m bitter and petty. And if not wanting to contribute to a University that defended their inappropriate actions to the bitter end forces one student to obtain financial aid from another university in order to receive a real degree, then I would say my job is done here.
One other thing, if you are a veteran (as your name implies), I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your service. While you may think I’m self absorbed, bitter and petty, I do understand and appreciate the sacrifices you must have made just as I understand firsthand the sacrifices every VCU student makes to earn a legitimate degree.
I have a different perspective from Boston, Mass.
I will send a check today for $1000s as an Edward E. West, Jr. memorial for the Andrew Gehr West, VCU memorial scholarship fund, from Miyata-san, Tokyo, Japan. The Miyata-san’s are glad to be apart of the 2009 VCU alumni scholarship fund drive.
Richmond Sage,
You are clearly a bitter and self absorbed person. I plan on helping the alumni help more students achieve their dreams. Hopefully they won’t end up with the your petty perspective on life!
I plan on supporting the Alumni Association the way they supported all alumni during the Rodney Monroe episode. That’s right with a big fat $0. So go ask Monroe for money since his degree is the only one worth anything. It is obvious that the rest of our hard earned degrees were not valuable enough for the Alumni Association or the University to protect. The nerve .....
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