University grads: how often do they ask you for money?

[Rishi]

How frequently do you get phone calls/emails/letters from your alma mater soliciting donations?

[NiMSo]

I get phone calls fairly regularly. They don't seem to realize I'm still in school doing grad studies!!!

[KorruptioN]

I've yet to get any calls. I will flat-out refuse to give any more of my money to my school... but that's a story for another thread.

[Dimension]

The Uni. of Calgary calls me 0-5 times year asking for donations. I know that "older" institutes call grads (about giving) more frequently.

[gordholio]

I went to Georgian College in Barrie and I have yet to receive any solicitation.
I doubt that they have my current address and phone number, plus I don't know if they solicit funds from alumni.

[Nikita]

I get a letter once a year, and sometimes if they're having a fundraiser for some particular cause or event. Not often, now that I think of it.

[Shaner]

1-2 times per year at the most.

[nhui06]

1-2 times a year.. no way I am giving them any more money, especially since Commerce tuition is more that some grad school programs (at UT)

[manixc]

Maybe once since I grad in 07. yea, I'm not donating until I'm better off.

[Octavius]

How frequently do you get phone calls/emails/letters from your alma mater soliciting donations?

They called me once. I just told them:

"Listen, I'm working at McDonalds now because I haven't been able to find any jobs with my degree and I can barely make ends meet, do you really think I can afford to give you guys more of my money?"

At that point they apologized for calling me and hung up. I haven't been harassed by them since.

When I get more on my feet, then I'll probably consider donating...but until that happens, I'd rather they not bother me.

[illusion81]

3+ per year. There was one time where I actually did consider giving them a small donation, but the lowest option the guy on the phone quoted was $500. I laughed and hung up.

[Hairball]

I graduated from Queen's this year, and God they are aggressive. I've received mail from them like two or three times already, even more on email.

And I remember they even asked for donations (although from my parents, but I picked up) even when I was still studying there!

[dragon_drift]

None that I know of. My uni never called me, but I think they did send me some in the mail, but I never get around to reading it since i just throw it out if it's not important.

[KorruptioN]

3+ per year. There was one time where I actually did consider giving them a small donation, but the lowest option the guy on the phone quoted was $500. I laughed and hung up.

Seriously? That much? Wow.

[df329]

queens nags at least monthly by mail

[Ziggy007]

I love the fact that universities expect you to mortgage your life for 4-5 years to get a degree, and just when you finally start making some money for all your work, they call you and ask for some more, just because.

[Rx-87]

lol

This thread reminds of the positions that are almost always posted at UofT. Asking for someone well-versed in English and also French (preferably)...

To call Grads for donations etc etc...

I was about to apply but then I reconsidered thinking.... now if I was an alumni.... do I REALLY want to be called by someone asking for donations...

[Dimension]

3+ per year. There was one time where I actually did consider giving them a small donation, but the lowest option the guy on the phone quoted was $500. I laughed and hung up.

Did you donate previously? If you did, they keep asking for more the following years.

I think my uni. asks for a donation of $120 ($10 a month for 12 months). IMO, that's not too bad, and it is tax deductible.

[manixc]

Did you donate previously? If you did, they keep asking for more the following years.

I think my uni. asks for a donation of $120 ($10 a month for 12 months). IMO, that's not too bad, and it is tax deductible.

honestly, I'd rather donate to red cross or world vision than my uni, also tax deductible.

I just feel that they have taken enough of my money already.

[Dimension]

I just feel that they have taken enough of my money already.

Haha, I do too. But the student callers are quite persuasive! They tell me that my donation will make a BIG difference in the quality of their education, etc.

[manixc]

From the very selfish point of view, should I even care about their (students) education? :lol:
I will donate when I am making better money than now and/or when I forget how much I paid in tuition.

[boyoflondon]

Western raped me enough during my 4 years ... why would I give them more of my $$$. They got enough .........

$50 letter of permission
$50 letter for program change (even though I did it on time)

and the list of useless charges just goes on ......... don't pay and you don't graduate. :evil:

[Evil Baby]

thankfully my school doesn't have my current phone number or address but they do hassel my parents. I'd never give them money and I told my parents to never give them money either.

Not until there is an actual process where you can complain about your teachers and how they teach. If the teacher can't speak English, they shouldn't be a teacher in computer science. If the person has never taken any teaching cources, even just seminars they shouldn't be a teacher. I'm sick of teachers just reading out of their book, throwing up slides and that's it. There's nothing to learn from them.

Also my school happen to waste money on a lot of things which annoyed me.

[Dimension]

From the very selfish point of view, should I even care about their (students) education? :lol:

The (student) callers told me that my education experience was made possible by alumni that donated. Now it is my turn to enhance their learning experience, by giving back. Nevertheless, they convinced me.

I will donate when I am making better money than now and/or when I forget how much I paid in tuition.

I wish I have amnesia, tuition is so expensive, I doubt I'll forget it.
Haha, I'm still paying off student loans. :cry:

[Nikita]

They called me once. I just told them:

"Listen, I'm working at McDonalds now because I haven't been able to find any jobs with my degree and I can barely make ends meet, do you really think I can afford to give you guys more of my money?"

At that point they apologized for calling me and hung up. I haven't been harassed by them since.

When I get more on my feet, then I'll probably consider donating...but until that happens, I'd rather they not bother me.

Why the pi$$y attitude Octavius? Higher education requires funding, what's so unusual or 'harassing' about this? I've always donated to my Uni but that's really not the point here, you can choose to donate or not, but the fact of them asking is not what I'd call harrassment, especially since they only called you once!

I love the fact that universities expect you to mortgage your life for 4-5 years to get a degree, and just when you finally start making some money for all your work, they call you and ask for some more, just because.

Not 'just because'. It's because they need it and who better to give back than alumni?

thankfully my school doesn't have my current phone number or address but they do hassel my parents. I'd never give them money and I told my parents to never give them money either.

Not until there is an actual process where you can complain about your teachers and how they teach. If the teacher can't speak English, they shouldn't be a teacher in computer science. If the person has never taken any teaching cources, even just seminars they shouldn't be a teacher. I'm sick of teachers just reading out of their book, throwing up slides and that's it. There's nothing to learn from them.

Also my school happen to waste money on a lot of things which annoyed me.

I don't know what shcool you attend(ed) but I've been out of Uni many years now and even back then every single prof had to be evaluated by all of their students. And when I teach (or taught, I sometimes do semester stints), I was always evaluated by my students. I can't imagine your school doesn't have student-teacher evaluations, I believe it might even be mandated by the regulatory body.

All in all, I'm really surprised that so many people (alumni) are so against donating back to their alma mater.:confused:

[red120]

Zero.

I moved to another country and didn't bother updating my contact records with the university.. what's the point? I don't network through the administration, and all they do is call to ask for handouts.

Besides, Schulich can blow me.. best b-school this, highest ranking that.. I get to the states, and the most common response I get from coworkers is "Schulich what?"

Interestingly enough, that was one of our frosh chants..

[Nyte]

Not 'just because'. It's because they need it and who better to give back than alumni?

I hate how people use that word when asking for donations. To give back implies you were given to in the first place. I'm sure not that many people felt that their school has given them much. Emphasis on the give and not got because it was paid for by the student.


I don't know what shcool you attend(ed) but...

Being evaluated is one thing, having good instructors is another.


All in all, I'm really surprised that so many people (alumni) are so against donating back to their alma mater.:confused:
I'm not all that against it myself, but I can see why many people are considering the kind of stuff the schools do.

[Legend24]

I'm not a grad yet but I'll throw my 2 cents in anyways.

University has inadvertently made my life a lot better, but nothing to do with the actual school has really benefited me yet. I pay for tuition, and I receive "lectures" from either 1) profs who could barely speak english or 2) profs who use their indoor voice when speaking to a class of 300 or 3) teaching assistants who only know the "how" and not the "why" with regards to the material being taught. I have had a few good profs, but outside of the athletics department, nothing to do with my school has really put a smile on my face. I learn what they promise to teach, so they are fulfilling their obligations but I don't think that merits a $500 donation, especially after we fork over $40000+ in tuition, books and residence.

They just recently screwed me over big time, so unless they hand me a pot full of gold (or a good job) after I graduate, they probably won't be seeing any free money from me for a longgg time.

[MP3_SKY]

Concordia JMSB call every year, they ask for 200$ last year and I said I don;t have extra money, then they ask for 50$. I denied.

They call me again this year, I saw the caller display and ignore it. Then they keep calling every 1-2 days even on a Sunday. I went back to my profile and change to the school number, then they haven't call back since then.

I paid enough when I was in campus. :twisted:

[dragon_drift]

by the way, don't unis make money via high tuition? why would they need "donations?"

[MP3_SKY]

by the way, don't unis make money via high tuition? why would they need "donations?"

I believe it's the departments that call you for donations and not in behalf of the University. Those dept didn't get enough budget from the University for events and upgrades that they try to ask graduates for money.

[Evil Baby]

Why the pi$$y attitude Octavius? Higher education requires funding, what's so unusual or 'harassing' about this? I've always donated to my Uni but that's really not the point here, you can choose to donate or not, but the fact of them asking is not what I'd call harrassment, especially since they only called you once!



Not 'just because'. It's because they need it and who better to give back than alumni?



I don't know what shcool you attend(ed) but I've been out of Uni many years now and even back then every single prof had to be evaluated by all of their students. And when I teach (or taught, I sometimes do semester stints), I was always evaluated by my students. I can't imagine your school doesn't have student-teacher evaluations, I believe it might even be mandated by the regulatory body.

All in all, I'm really surprised that so many people (alumni) are so against donating back to their alma mater.:confused:

My experience is form Geulph University and Seneca College. Yes you were able 'evalutate' your profs, but it was nothing more than a bs scantron card, with bs questions. No place to explain why somebody sucked or did not.

[Hairball]

by the way, don't unis make money via high tuition? why would they need "donations?"

Tuition is already heavily subsidized, the $5000 or so you pay covers only about a half to a third of the actual cost. So they don't really "make money" on your tuition.

[manixc]

Subsidized or not, it still burns a big hole in our pockets.

[felix]

I graduated from Queen's this year, and God they are aggressive. I've received mail from them like two or three times already, even more on email.

I agree. After many years I finally emailed the registrar office to stop sending me those alumni magazines (waste of paper and postage). Will ask my parents if they're still receiving spam and phone calls from the university, thanks for the reminder!