When I think of the Class of 2008, several accomplishments come to mind: faculty hosts in the Tepper box at Mellon Arena; Faculty Liaison Program for 1st years; development of finance-related track; better course evaluations. As a class that made innovative and important changes during your tenure at the Tepper school, I hope you consider leaving your impact in an additional way – through your personal support of the class gift campaign.
You may not realize how important student participation in the class gift campaign is to me, but it helps tremendously as I work to continue the current momentum that will propel us to even higher levels of excellence. A few examples of why it is so important:
- Inspiring giving from others: Strong class participation is particularly helpful for me when I talk to alumni, friends, corporations and foundations that are considering making an investment in our school. Class gift participation shows them that our current students, those closest to our educational opportunities, believe in our vision for the school.
- Recruiting the best prospective students: When prospective students look for potential business programs, strong class gift participation shows them that graduating students are satisfied with the educational experience they received – satisfied enough to support it with their personal philanthropy.
What a powerful message we would be able to send to both prospective students and groups interested in investing in the school if 100% of the graduating class participated in the class gift. The fact that you give any amount is more important then how much you give.
Please consider making your gift to the class gift program today. Information on making your pledge can be found on your class website www.tepper.cmu.edu/alumni/2008. Your support can be directed to any area of our school that you feel strongly about. Simply write this in the comments field of the class gift pledge form.
As you prepare to graduate, I welcome email messages with your reflections on your time here. We are constantly looking for ideas to improve the school and the student experience. What better group to gain feedback from then our most recent students! Please feel free to email me now or in the future.
Good luck on your endeavors after graduation. I look forward to seeing you at alumni events in the future. Please, keep in touch with us.
Sincerely,
Ken Dunn
Dean, Tepper School of Business