Issue date: 4/17/03 Section: Opinion

[Noel Fahden/The Daily Pennsylvanian] [Click to enlarge]

It's a glaring embarrassment on Penn's campus -- one of those points where the tour guides hustle their groups of unsuspecting prospective students past. The sign sits conspicuously enough on Locust Walk so that any frequent traveller probably blows past it without thinking twice.

When the Senior Class Gift drive billboard was first placed on College Green at 36th and Locust Walk, it seemed like a good idea. Bolster school and donation spirit by placing a visible reminder at a visible location on campus. Have it track the progress of the campaign throughout the year and compare that to other Ivy League schools like Harvard, Princeton and Yale. Nothing like a little Ivy League rivalry to induce participation.

But along the way, one major problem has come up -- Penn seniors just aren't giving.

The numbers speak for themselves. Thus far, Penn has only been able to solicit donations from less than 20 percent of the senior class. According to the billboard on Locust Walk, 70 percent of Yale's graduating class has already donated, in addition to 59 percent of Harvard seniors and 61 percent at Princeton.

Clearly, Penn has fallen behind its Ancient Eight competitors. But what's worrisome about this situation is not that the dreaded Princeton Tigers have beaten us once again.

There's a much larger issue here -- Penn students are not eager to donate to the institution that will be handing over their diplomas in less than a month.

Surely, the structure of the senior class campaign is to blame in some ways. Publicity is not strong, and many seniors will graduate without really even knowing what the Senior Class Gift is. But there are two underlying problems that are more likely to explain a modest turnout of 480 donors.

Penn, unlike many of its peer institutions, has risen rapidly in only a few short years to the top of the national rankings. For schools like Harvard and Princeton, there is a long-standing tradition of excellence and pride for those institutions. Part of this precedent is the concept of giving back to the institution, which is pushed for students at Harvard, Yale and Princeton from day one.

Becky Hashim and Joe Mangini, two of the three student chairs for the Senior Class Gift drive, point to this tradition of giving -- or lack thereof -- as one of the key components to a waning Penn campaign.

"I think a lot of people are so misinformed," Hashim said. "Those other schools start education right at convocation. This is really the first time that we as alumni can ever give back to Penn."

The Office of Alumni Relations and University President Judith Rodin are both aware of this problem and, according to Hashim, have begun to implement changes in that respect -- but it's not something that will change overnight.

The biggest problem is that many seniors just don't want to give back to Penn. Not yet, at least. The satisfaction of graduating seniors is not high enough for them to feel compelled to support Penn monetarily. We're handing over our life savings and then some just to reach the point of graduation, so why contribute financially to the future of Penn?

Making progress on this problem will be a multi-pronged effort. The administration needs to make sure that students are happy while they are here. Putting in a Ben & Jerry's is heading in the right direction, but there needs to be more, and the undergraduate student population needs to see a commitment from the University.

In addition, Penn alumni need to know why their money is needed and what they are contributing to. Educating students and even recent graduates about the virtues of donation is crucial -- and putting a sign up on Locust Walk comparing us to our rivals isn't going to cut it.

The University's administration should implement these changes for the sake of its student body, but there are other compelling reasons, too -- like U.S. News and World Report rankings. Whether we like it or not, that's something that catches President Rodin's eye.

Part of the annual ranking is based on alumni support, which is one of the only ways of measuring student satisfaction. If they liked the school, the report figures, they will give back.

The more alumni donations raised, the higher the rankings, the more pride there is instilled in the current and alumni populations and the happier everyone is overall. But if rankings start to slip, the reverse will happen.

Until students see something substantive from College Hall, getting them to empty their wallets into Penn's purse is going to be challenging. The positives to an active and willing alumni body are many and should be a focus for the University administration. The Senior Class Gift drive is shooting for 50 percent participation, and I wish them luck, but reaching that milestone won't happen quickly.

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Amy Potter is a junior World History major from Albuquerque, N.M. and executive editor of The Daily Pennsylvanian.

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