Upfront: A Few Myths Debunked
A FEW MYTHS, DEBUNKED
First, let me thank all of you for the tremendous support you have shown me since I was named executive director of your alumni association. I've been very appreciative of your positive feedback. From the many conversations I've had with all of you, two very distinctive themes have stood out. One is how much you care about your alma mater. I've been very impressed by your concern about us and, more importantly, your great willingness to help us succeed. The other theme, surprisingly, has been the number of misconceptions that you harbor about the MSU Alumni Association. Some of these myths actually deter from your full involvement as alumni and friends in the university's activities, so I would like to take the opportunity here to 'debunk' some of the myths that seem to recur most often.
Myth No. 1: I paid for my education, therefore I have already contributed financially to the university.
The truth is that full tuition at MSU does not cover the cost of education. Tuition covers roughly only one-third of the real cost. If you paid your full tuition as a student, you essentially covered only a third of the cost of your education. The rest was covered by state appropriations, gifts and grants.
Myth No. 2: I do not have large sums of money to contribute at present, therefore I have no reason to be active as an alumnus or alumna.
All financial contributions received by the university, big or small, serve critical needs. Whatever the amount, contributions help to maintain the quality of our university. Moreover, there are many ways besides donating money that one can help the university. In an future column I will write in depth about my plan to have alumni see themselves as critical resources for the university. Let me enumerate a few examples besides development of how you can become involved in our cause:
- finding jobs for our graduates
- securing summer jobs and internships for our matriculating students
- helping identify and recruit outstanding students for MSU; helping to develop scholarships
- idendifying MSU alumni or friends in the media
- helping strengthen links between MSU and our legislative and community leaders
- identifying alumni leaders to serve on the alumni National Board or on the boards of our constituent associations and regional clubs
Myth No. 3: The regional club in my area is not very active.
Our alumni regional clubs are run by volunteers. Club activity depends on many factors, but foremost among them is the availablilty of volunteers who can provide the leadership in running a successful club.
Myth No. 4: I contribute to the university but do not receive the MSU Alumni Magazine.
Contributions to the university are tax deductible gifts. Membership in the MSU Alumni Association is not; association members receive the magazine as a benefit of membership. Chuck Webb, former alumni director and vice president for development, and I are working to find an arrangement whereby major donors can be counted among our alumni association membership consistent with tax deductible issues.
Myth No. 5: I do not receive any mail from the alumni association, either from my regional club or from my constituent association.
Based on what I have learned from having to find an answer for this oft repeated concern, I would wager that at some time you requested either directly from the university or from a national service that no mail solications be sent to you. Whatever the case, you can have this situation readily rectified by calling the alumni association to have us check the alumni data base to determine why you are are not receiving mail.
Myth No. 6: The only tours offered by the Alumni Association are far beyond my price range.
Have you checked our recent tour offerings? The Alumni Association offers a number of medium-priced domestic and overseas tours. Travel is not inexpensive, but I think you will find a wide range of price options in our annual line-up.
Myth No. 7: I did not graduate from Michigan State, so I can't be a member of the MSU Alumni Association.
The membership of the MSUAA consists of 'alumni and friends.' The word 'alumni' refers to any person who attended or graduated from MSU. (By the way, the usage of the plural noun has traditionally included both sexes.) The word 'friends' means anyone who has taken a positive interest in MSU--including parents of students, fans of MSU athletics, and donors to the university.
I hope I have clarified some misconceptions that you may or may not have had. Periodically, as these things occur, I will try to present them here. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please let us know.
Let me thank you again for your support. The bottom line is that we all want the same thing--we want Michigan State to have success. And we want you to become as active as possible to help us achieve success.
