Sixteen Percent -- And No Solution?
I just got home from Abilene Christian University's 2005 Centennial Homecoming, and I have to admit, I'm disappointed. On the other hand, I expected to be disappointed, and from what my wife and I learned, ACU is apparently already well-aware of the cause of my disappointment.
Don't get me wrong, I think ACU's Homecoming was overall well thought-out. They had a lot of entertainment for our children (7, 6 and 3) on Friday night, and that was much appreciated. Our kids went home with the idea that college is a lot of fun with many inflatable slides, jumpy houses and wall climbing activities, along with face-painting and balloon hats. Although current ACU students have a somewhat cushier experience than we did from 1986-90 (the on-campus Starbucks is a major clue that things are different), I somehow doubt that such games and distractions are the sum of current or future educational offerings, but my kids' first impression of The Hill is a positive one. We bailed on the game (dark-thirty club breakfasts and kids that need naps to make it through the 8pm Homecoming Musical required that), but we did almost everything ACU had to offer at its' Centennial Homecoming.
The let-down was in the general dearth of people from our class that made the trip back for the 15-year reunion. One of thirty-plus from my Frat pledge class besides me, three (including my wife) from the 1987 Siggie pledge class. Our class dinner was comfortably handled with six ten-person tables, including about a dozen children, our helpful Alumni Association person Justin and a few empty seats. While I had hoped to see more people show up, I'm resigned to being disappointed. I'm pretty sure that without some drastic intervention our class Jumped the Shark in terms of alumni participation back in 2000 with our 10th annual reunion. The cohort I entered ACU with in 1986 was and remains an exceptional group of people; they own their own businesses and are key figures in the businesses of others, are pillars in their churches and respected professionals on the cusp of the big 4-0, about to enter the most productive 20 years of their lives, but I don't see ACU being much of a part of their lives, and certainly not a part of their financial future. The 'Sixteen Percent' in the title is the percentage of my fellow ACU Alumni of the Class of 1990 that gave ANYTHING to the ACU Annual Fund, an abysmally low number. Why? Rightly or wrongly, it's being called The Teague Effect.
The Teague Effect
Dr. Bill Teague served as ACU President from 1981-1991. During this time, tuition and fees increased dramatically, student enrollment peaked and then decreased (only recently has ACU enrolled more students than in the early 1980s) along with significant faculty turnover in key colleges of ACU, notably the College of Business Administration. While we saw the campus expand with needed additions in the Bible and Business Buildings, those of us who passed through ACU did so without much development of personal warmth toward Dr. Teague and in some cases with well-developed animosity toward an administration we rightly or wrongly blame for a near-100% increase in tuition from 1986-1990, resulting in friends and classmates having to finish their education at more cost-efficient institutions. Dr. Teague was never accorded the personal warmth that current or former students express toward Dr. John Stevens or Dr. Royce Money, his predecessor and successor, respectively. In fact, many ACU grads of my generation are downright hostile to the school for nebulous reasons they have some difficulty in expressing and ACU Alumni Relations apparently have difficulty in overcoming.
Dr. Teague is currently in poor health owing to a stroke and this is in no way meant to hurt him or his family in their time of challenge. My relations with Dr. Teague were always very cordial, I found him to have a dry and razor-sharp wit; he spoke at the Frater Sodalis 60th anniversary breakfast and had the room dissolving in gales of laughter. He is no ogre, he benefitted the school in tangible ways that still pay dividends in the form of facilities that allow growth on The Hill. Somebody had to build those buildings, and it's possible that he drew the black bean to be President during a time when contributors had an 'Edifice Complex' rather than wanting to help students through increasing endowment and scholarships -- the worldwide collapse in oil revenues certainly didn't help some sources of ACU cashflow and he would be regarded as stupid had he turned down money for buildings if that was the money that was available from 1981-1991. Dr. Teague may be many things, but I never heard anyone call him stupid.
Money Makes A Difference
The contrast between our time at ACU and my sister-in-law's experience from 1991-1996 started my thinking about how ACU had changed, and much for the better, with Dr. Money as President. Dr. Money is personally popular with the students, approachable in a way that Dr. Teague was not. He exchanged schedules with a random student one day, he had students over to his house, and they loved it. What a difference from the alumni of my years, who in essence clenched their sheepskin in their fist and stomped off to parts unknown without a backward glance. I thought, "Man, is it going to be difficult to get people from my time at ACU to have anything to do with the school," and as it turns out I was right. More than that, it had been noticed by ACU's Alumni Affairs department. There is a noticiable dip in participation in alumni activities from students who attended during Dr. Teague's tenure as President that seems to track independant of other variables such as income, family size, etc. Something about being in Abilene and at ACU from 1981-1991 makes it much less likely that a given alumnus will respond to anything from ACU that arrives in the mail.
Let's Talk
I'm writing this as an effort to start some dialogue about The Teague Effect, and what can be done about it.
If there is an animus that has made its way like a virus into our ACU Alumni DNA, is it permanent? What is it directed against -- the man? The school? The times?
Is this negative experience the same for everyone, or are there some types of graduates (COBA, social club members, etc.) that feel it more or less strongly?
Is this really just a statisitical error wrongly associated with one person, and is this better attributed to our being in the 'gap' between Gen X and the Baby Boomers? Are we just not joiners?
Please leave your comments on this page, and publicize the page to anyone you know that is either a Teague-era ACU vet, or a Stevens/Money-era grad who can give a summary of their relationship with the school as an alumni. Somebody needs to be talking about this, and at least Blogger is free.
The Humble Opinion Of The Host
I hope this won't stifle any discussion, but in the interest of full disclosure I'll tell you how I feel.
First, I arrived at ACU knowing one other person, and she didn't know anyone else, either. A little over three years later I came as close as you can to being SA President without actually being one, and to do that I had to love the school and get to know a large number of people that were on campus in the Spring of 1989. I love the school, love the guys in my club, love intensely the wife I met at ACU and my kids who will attend ACU (or pay for the college of their choice themselves), and love the career that ACU helped prepare me for as a pre-med biology major. I want the best for the school.
Second, my class finished with considerably fewer people than we started with, in part due to the tuition increases. Guys in Frats (and I assume in other clubs) had to make hard choices, including joining the military just to stay at ACU. The opinion of the administration was not perceived as empathetic, to put it mildly. It hurt me to see potential lifelong friends leave ACU for financial reasons, though I am sure those weren't the only reasons people left ACU. ACU is still an awfully expensive place to 'find yourself' if you don't have an academic course firmly in mind. Those of us who finished often feel like we did so despite the actions of the administration, not because of them.
Third, I think that the Alumni Association should do some polling specifically directed toward Teague Era graduates. Is this really a barrier to our participation in ACU Alumni activities on a larger scale or in larger numbers? Did we have a 'sub-optimal ACU experience' compared to other classes, and if so is that our perception or do others also think the school hit a dry patch for a decade or so? What gets measured gets managed, without some objective data I'm afraid that me and the Sweet Sixteen will be all that ever show up or contribute to ACU out of the Class of 1990, and that would be a rotten shame if it turns out to be preventable. It will be very much a shame if 16% of our children attend ACU, and the rest choose a popular alternative like Texas A&M and the Aggies For Christ program at College Church of Christ.
I would hope that a candid addressing of the Teague Effect by the current Administration could lead to some movement on both sides -- an acknowlegement of the problem from ACU and forgiveness from the many former students that for one reason or another mentally utter 'Feh!' when ACU is mentioned. Until almuni participation gets above 50% across the board, ACU will neither be taken seriously as a fundraising school nor raise the endowment needed to continue to attract faculty and keep tuition increases under control. Even the promise of matching funds for the Centennial year from a generous anonymous donor (thank you and God Bless you whoever you are) couldn't get more than one in six of the Class of '90 to part with even the cost of a DVD to help the school from which we graduated, and to which some of us hope to send our kids.
There is a problem. There will be a problem until we address it. Even if it's not the problem that I think it is, I want to know what the problem actually is and how to address that problem.
Can you help me out here?
Thanks,
Darren Duvall, MD
ACU Class of 1990
Don't get me wrong, I think ACU's Homecoming was overall well thought-out. They had a lot of entertainment for our children (7, 6 and 3) on Friday night, and that was much appreciated. Our kids went home with the idea that college is a lot of fun with many inflatable slides, jumpy houses and wall climbing activities, along with face-painting and balloon hats. Although current ACU students have a somewhat cushier experience than we did from 1986-90 (the on-campus Starbucks is a major clue that things are different), I somehow doubt that such games and distractions are the sum of current or future educational offerings, but my kids' first impression of The Hill is a positive one. We bailed on the game (dark-thirty club breakfasts and kids that need naps to make it through the 8pm Homecoming Musical required that), but we did almost everything ACU had to offer at its' Centennial Homecoming.
The let-down was in the general dearth of people from our class that made the trip back for the 15-year reunion. One of thirty-plus from my Frat pledge class besides me, three (including my wife) from the 1987 Siggie pledge class. Our class dinner was comfortably handled with six ten-person tables, including about a dozen children, our helpful Alumni Association person Justin and a few empty seats. While I had hoped to see more people show up, I'm resigned to being disappointed. I'm pretty sure that without some drastic intervention our class Jumped the Shark in terms of alumni participation back in 2000 with our 10th annual reunion. The cohort I entered ACU with in 1986 was and remains an exceptional group of people; they own their own businesses and are key figures in the businesses of others, are pillars in their churches and respected professionals on the cusp of the big 4-0, about to enter the most productive 20 years of their lives, but I don't see ACU being much of a part of their lives, and certainly not a part of their financial future. The 'Sixteen Percent' in the title is the percentage of my fellow ACU Alumni of the Class of 1990 that gave ANYTHING to the ACU Annual Fund, an abysmally low number. Why? Rightly or wrongly, it's being called The Teague Effect.
The Teague Effect
Dr. Bill Teague served as ACU President from 1981-1991. During this time, tuition and fees increased dramatically, student enrollment peaked and then decreased (only recently has ACU enrolled more students than in the early 1980s) along with significant faculty turnover in key colleges of ACU, notably the College of Business Administration. While we saw the campus expand with needed additions in the Bible and Business Buildings, those of us who passed through ACU did so without much development of personal warmth toward Dr. Teague and in some cases with well-developed animosity toward an administration we rightly or wrongly blame for a near-100% increase in tuition from 1986-1990, resulting in friends and classmates having to finish their education at more cost-efficient institutions. Dr. Teague was never accorded the personal warmth that current or former students express toward Dr. John Stevens or Dr. Royce Money, his predecessor and successor, respectively. In fact, many ACU grads of my generation are downright hostile to the school for nebulous reasons they have some difficulty in expressing and ACU Alumni Relations apparently have difficulty in overcoming.
Dr. Teague is currently in poor health owing to a stroke and this is in no way meant to hurt him or his family in their time of challenge. My relations with Dr. Teague were always very cordial, I found him to have a dry and razor-sharp wit; he spoke at the Frater Sodalis 60th anniversary breakfast and had the room dissolving in gales of laughter. He is no ogre, he benefitted the school in tangible ways that still pay dividends in the form of facilities that allow growth on The Hill. Somebody had to build those buildings, and it's possible that he drew the black bean to be President during a time when contributors had an 'Edifice Complex' rather than wanting to help students through increasing endowment and scholarships -- the worldwide collapse in oil revenues certainly didn't help some sources of ACU cashflow and he would be regarded as stupid had he turned down money for buildings if that was the money that was available from 1981-1991. Dr. Teague may be many things, but I never heard anyone call him stupid.
Money Makes A Difference
The contrast between our time at ACU and my sister-in-law's experience from 1991-1996 started my thinking about how ACU had changed, and much for the better, with Dr. Money as President. Dr. Money is personally popular with the students, approachable in a way that Dr. Teague was not. He exchanged schedules with a random student one day, he had students over to his house, and they loved it. What a difference from the alumni of my years, who in essence clenched their sheepskin in their fist and stomped off to parts unknown without a backward glance. I thought, "Man, is it going to be difficult to get people from my time at ACU to have anything to do with the school," and as it turns out I was right. More than that, it had been noticed by ACU's Alumni Affairs department. There is a noticiable dip in participation in alumni activities from students who attended during Dr. Teague's tenure as President that seems to track independant of other variables such as income, family size, etc. Something about being in Abilene and at ACU from 1981-1991 makes it much less likely that a given alumnus will respond to anything from ACU that arrives in the mail.
Let's Talk
I'm writing this as an effort to start some dialogue about The Teague Effect, and what can be done about it.
If there is an animus that has made its way like a virus into our ACU Alumni DNA, is it permanent? What is it directed against -- the man? The school? The times?
Is this negative experience the same for everyone, or are there some types of graduates (COBA, social club members, etc.) that feel it more or less strongly?
Is this really just a statisitical error wrongly associated with one person, and is this better attributed to our being in the 'gap' between Gen X and the Baby Boomers? Are we just not joiners?
Please leave your comments on this page, and publicize the page to anyone you know that is either a Teague-era ACU vet, or a Stevens/Money-era grad who can give a summary of their relationship with the school as an alumni. Somebody needs to be talking about this, and at least Blogger is free.
The Humble Opinion Of The Host
I hope this won't stifle any discussion, but in the interest of full disclosure I'll tell you how I feel.
First, I arrived at ACU knowing one other person, and she didn't know anyone else, either. A little over three years later I came as close as you can to being SA President without actually being one, and to do that I had to love the school and get to know a large number of people that were on campus in the Spring of 1989. I love the school, love the guys in my club, love intensely the wife I met at ACU and my kids who will attend ACU (or pay for the college of their choice themselves), and love the career that ACU helped prepare me for as a pre-med biology major. I want the best for the school.
Second, my class finished with considerably fewer people than we started with, in part due to the tuition increases. Guys in Frats (and I assume in other clubs) had to make hard choices, including joining the military just to stay at ACU. The opinion of the administration was not perceived as empathetic, to put it mildly. It hurt me to see potential lifelong friends leave ACU for financial reasons, though I am sure those weren't the only reasons people left ACU. ACU is still an awfully expensive place to 'find yourself' if you don't have an academic course firmly in mind. Those of us who finished often feel like we did so despite the actions of the administration, not because of them.
Third, I think that the Alumni Association should do some polling specifically directed toward Teague Era graduates. Is this really a barrier to our participation in ACU Alumni activities on a larger scale or in larger numbers? Did we have a 'sub-optimal ACU experience' compared to other classes, and if so is that our perception or do others also think the school hit a dry patch for a decade or so? What gets measured gets managed, without some objective data I'm afraid that me and the Sweet Sixteen will be all that ever show up or contribute to ACU out of the Class of 1990, and that would be a rotten shame if it turns out to be preventable. It will be very much a shame if 16% of our children attend ACU, and the rest choose a popular alternative like Texas A&M and the Aggies For Christ program at College Church of Christ.
I would hope that a candid addressing of the Teague Effect by the current Administration could lead to some movement on both sides -- an acknowlegement of the problem from ACU and forgiveness from the many former students that for one reason or another mentally utter 'Feh!' when ACU is mentioned. Until almuni participation gets above 50% across the board, ACU will neither be taken seriously as a fundraising school nor raise the endowment needed to continue to attract faculty and keep tuition increases under control. Even the promise of matching funds for the Centennial year from a generous anonymous donor (thank you and God Bless you whoever you are) couldn't get more than one in six of the Class of '90 to part with even the cost of a DVD to help the school from which we graduated, and to which some of us hope to send our kids.
There is a problem. There will be a problem until we address it. Even if it's not the problem that I think it is, I want to know what the problem actually is and how to address that problem.
Can you help me out here?
Thanks,
Darren Duvall, MD
ACU Class of 1990
posted by Darren Duvall at 10:01 PM
14 Comments:
I graduated from ACU in August 1987 after five semesters with a BA in mass comm, having transferred there from Lipscomb University, where I had majored in history for three years. Although I spent more time at Lipscomb, I liked ACU a lot better.
I haven't been back for homecoming since 1988, when I lived in Lubbock and it was an easy drive. But I haven't been to a homecoming at Lipscomb ever even though I have lived in the same city from 1989 on.
I haven't given much money to either school, but I'm more likely to give to ACU than to Lipscomb.
I don't know if Teague is to blame, or what the cause is, but it does worry me - the school needs better participation from its alums.
I do have an alternate theory, one not encumbered by having spent any actual time researching or testing it. In other words, it just popped into my head. Here goes...
The 1980s was a decade of big change in the Church of Christ denomination, a time when young people increasingly felt less and less rooted in that denomination and more and more open to fellowship with Christians from other denominations. At the same time, denominationalism as a whole is declining while non-denominational contemporary Christian churches are growing - as are community churches that are only very loosely tied to a specific denominational heritage.
But ACU remains firmly anchored to the Church of Christ in its identity, rather than beginning a real transformation to a broader Christian identity.
So, a lot of us who no longer consider ourselves members of the Church of Christ denomination, increasingly don't identify with ACU (or Lipscomb or ack! - Freed-Hardeman either).
I still want my children to go to ACU, but I'm hopeful that, a decade from now, ACU will be a little less "Church of Christ-y" and a little more broadly Christian in its identity.
I would love to create a central page of ACU-connected bloggers (faculty, students, alums).
If you are one, or know of one, please send me an email to bill-at-billhobbs.com
Thanks.
Interesting thoughts that I have not spent a lot of time dwelling on, but I do hold ACU in high regard and would choose no other place for my kids (6 and 4) to go. Really, the busyness of our lives now as well as the distance from Abilene (6 hour drive) keeps us from frequenting or thinking too much about it.
While in school I guess I never expected the university president to have much of a direct impact on school experience. Of course he sets the tone for the environment to a certain degree, but what made my ACU experience special were the friends made, girls dated, wife met, activities and clubs participated in (social clubs, Sing Song, devos, Freshman Follies, etc..); not to mention the great one and only Abilene dining establishments (Harolds, Joe Allens, Towne Crier).
That said, I am sure that a president that was more student-friendly, more accessible, more on our level would have likely endeared students more to the school, especially those who felt they were squeezed out because of financial issues.
I also think Bill's comments about the changing nature of the Church of Christ is somewhat relevant, although I did not really see or notice much changing in the Church of Christ until the 90s. We could devote a whole new blog or two for that topic...
The problem with expecting ACU to change in any significant way to become less Church of Christ based is in the school constitution. I'm not sure that it is called a consitution per se, but the founders and original contributors of ACU designated the university to be set up and run as a Church of Christ based university and the board has upheld those wishes.
There are many christian schools that are identified with a specific religious affiliation that have thrived (Baylor, SMU, Notre Dame, etc) and have very strong alumni loyalty regardless of alumni religious preference.
It may alienate some, but ACU's Church of Christ emphasis these days is much more muted that when we were there (which by the way is actually alienating some of the older alumni - again another topic for another blog).
To me I see the lack of participation and devotion among younger alumni to be more macro demographic and economic trend driven, which is something I have studied extensively as a part of my job.
I could go on for days on the topic, but I will try to be brief. The 80s and 90s brought with them great economic times and spread financial wealth in our country. Along with that came the "me first" and the "I deserve it" attitudes. The most influenced demographic during these years were those just coming into their own (late teens, early adulthood who are now the young family demographic).
What did our country and its citizens do during the last 20 years? Run up its biggest government debt and consumer debt by far in its history as we built up a desire to surround ourselves with the "creature comforts" most of us think we are now entitled to.
What does this have to do with supporting our christian college? There are many other factors at play here I believe, but when we
become so inwardly focused we tend to become less committed to other things outside our immediate world.
The other major factor is money. If you just look at consumer spending and savings trends, consumers now (over the past year or two) save less than they earn for the first time ever (thus the record debt levels).
Now when you throw in the most recent issues facing consumers 1) significantly higher credit card minimum payments required; 2) gas prices twice as high as they were a year ago; 3) higher electricity costs; 4) financial markets that don't go up perpetually anymore .... most people are really feeling the financial squeeze unlike any other time since the Great Depression. Those most impacted are young families.
My belief is there are now fewer people that feel really inclined to give back to something outside their immediate worlds. For those that would love to, they can't like they would like. Just speaking from personal experience, after we financially support any institution, we naturally become much more interested and attuned to the success of the institution. When we don't financially support something we tend to not be as interested or supportive...As Jesus said in the gospels, "where your treasure is there your heart will be also."
There are obviously multiple factors that have resulted in seemingly lackluster alumni support, but I would be comfortable saying that all 3 reasons so far proposed here contribute to some degree. I do think it goes a little deeper than who sat in the Office of the President while we were there.
From what I read and hear, financial support for most institutions is at disappointing levels.
I look forward to hearing from others.
Thanks Darren for being proactice and starting this up.
Mark
By the way, the ACU alumni associations' presence in the Nashville area is pathetic. Dismal. And that's being charitable.
And yet there are a lot of ACU alumni in this area.
Mark and Bill, thanks for your comments.
ACU Alumni Affairs is trying to do more "local" things in DFW, the ACU Night at The Ballpark has been fun for the last couple of years and just this year they started a sporting clays shoot to raise money for COBA, though turnout was fairly sparse. I'm sure there are hundreds of ACU alums in Nashville,but parking an Alumni Affairs staffer in Nashville is an expenditure of real resources for somewhat nebulous gain. Unless they know they can have a decent ROI it's unlikely they'll ever have a permanent person there, even though they could cover TN, AL, GA and KY if they were based properly.
If there were ACU people that would open their homes for ACU-X gatherings, it would behoove ACU Alumni Affairs to generate 'Event-In-A-Box' kits that could be mailed or shipped to willing participants. Just an idea.
And Mark's point about the twin devils of overcommittment and indebtedness suggests that this is a wider problem than just alumni from one school, as well as suggesting an opportunity for ACU to offer 'aftermarket' programs to alumni, meet them where they are and maybe smooth over whatever lingering issues there are from our undergrad days. Given the strong kid-friendly organization of the last Homecoming, I think ACU understands that they need to meet young alumni where they are in order to have an active alumni group. Whether their efforts are enough or directed at the right set of needs remains to be seen.
Well, if ACU would like a full-time recruiter in the multi-state area you outlined, I'd be sending my resume.
Darren,
I'm sitting here in my recliner watching the 8th inning of the Astros-Cardinals and reading your blog, after eating a rushed-through dinner while visiting with the wife and kids, bathing the kids, reading to the kids before bed, bedtime prayers, catching up on today's e-mails, going through the snail mail, arguing with the wife about charges on the Gap card, and Harold's card, and Neiman's card, and Nordstrom's card, and (insert name of credit card here) card, etc . Tonight (Monday) is a relatively non-busy evening without soccer practice, dance, karate, Wednesday night church, Bible study, school activities, etc.
The point of the above paragraph is not that my life is any busier (or less busy) than anyone else's, but that I believe the lack of involvement from "The Teague Years" alumni probably has less to do with what may or may not have happened while we were at ACU, but more to do with the fact that we are all at a time in our lives when free time is a cherished thing. I say this as someone who returned to ACU for Homecoming for the first time since we graduated 15 years ago.
While I do agree that there may be something to the Fellowship/Nondenominational movement as described by Bill and the macro demographic and economic trends as described by Mark, my personal opinion is that the busyness of our lives and family activities is the main reason for the lack of involvement by alumni during the Teague years. Then again, I could certainly be wrong.
Scott,
I completely get where you're coming from, and I'm mainly asking questions more than making accusations...at least, I hope I am...:/ That's what I want to be doing, at least. Fixing blame isn't my goal, it's fixing the problem.
From what you say, if ACU wants to be a part of our lives, it has to be a small, non-demanding part only accessed very rarely. That would seem to be something they could use.
Darren,
I don't think you were/are blaming anyone or anything. There may be something to the Teague Effect. My assertion is that, for me, the main reason for my lack of involvement is the craziness of everyday life with young kids, various activities and multiple church functions.
Speaking as someone who returned to ACU for the first time in 15 years, the time I spent away had less to do with anything that happened while at ACU, and everything to do with the fact that everyday life just got in the way of getting to Abilene.
Unfortunately, I don't have any good answers. I'm glad that you have started this blog, so that maybe the answer(s) will show themselves in the near future.
Hi. Interesting reading, that I cannot refute or agree with for some reason, but of course, I can offer my personal comments.
I graduated from ACU in 1990. I then went on to graduate school at Notre Dame. Yes, a Catholic School. But who cares, so long as it is a Christian school, right? Well, another blog for another day, as someone said.
I am in another country in Asia at the moment, on assignment for a couple of years, and I simply could not make it to ACU for the reunion. That being said, would I have, if I had been in Texas? The answer probably is no.
Why? Maybe my life is much too busy. Maybe everyday is getting in the way. Maybe I have some ill feelings to how I was treated at ACU back in those days. Maybe. All excuses. Some more valid than others.
I made more friends at ACU. I spent four years at ACU compared to my year and half at Notre Dame.
But then I think. If I was invited to the reunions at Notre Dame, would I go? I would find the time and the effort in an absolute instant.
Why? Therein lies the deeper, darker answer to the question.
I can remember going to several events at ACU during my childhood, we were able to go because we lived less than an hour from ACU. My parents love ACU and have supported it for years; however, we did not have the time to go to homecoming or lectureship every year, every other year, or even every 5 years. Despite not going to all of the ACU events, they still sent all 3 of their children there and will encourage each of us to send our children there. It is not because of the name recognition associated with ACU, but rather the ACU experience that they had, that we had, and that we all want our children to have.
I think that over the next 10 years as our children start attending ACU (hopefully) we will all become more involved with ACU activities again. Lori and I attended the 5 and 10-year reunions, but probably will not go back until our oldest starts ACU. There are a number of reasons, but they all point to the fact that ACU is not a top priority at this point in our lives. More important things have come into our lives, like our children and their daily lives. The time that we have to spend with our children is limited; however, I believe that ACU will have their time in our lives again as the cycle of life continues. ACU will continue to have an influence on future generations at the appropriate time because of the commitment that we all have made to the Lord and because we believe that the friends we made and experiences we had contributed to that commitment. Being parents, we will want our children to have the same opportunity.
May the Lord continue to bless you and yours.
Jon Riggs
Very interesting discussion. I graduated a little further back, but having been a Class Agent and on the Alumni Advisory Board these issues are very familiar.
I, too, spent a number of years "disconnected" from the university after graduation. Honestly, what brought me back into involvement was being "reeducated" about what the school is currently doing for its students, how they are reaching out to alumni without always reaching into our wallets, and improving the campus in a fiscally responsible way. These are things that impress me positively but I realize not everyone has a similar view.
The thing I reminded people of when it was my turn to ask for monetary support was that the amount does not have to be "significant". Even a five dollar contribution can provide an impact for thousands of dollars to the university. How? It's that dismal 16% class participation rate that began this discussion. Grant providers use alumni participation as a grading point in deciding who will receive their money. ("If the alumni don't care and don't believe in their university, why should we?") If participation is respectable the university receives cash that does not come out of our children's college savings fund!
There is still plenty of room for improvement, but I hope we'll see increased involvement for alumni in home towns as well as on campus. By the way, Purple & White Party kits are available from the alumni office. It may be a matter of letting time heal wounds for some, an awakened desire for nostalgia for others, or just getting the offspring to a more tolerant and tolerable age so that they're able to visit campus with mom and dad, or can be left behind while parents go.
I hope your 20 year reunion is better.
ajm, ACU class of '79
Paul,
Thanks for the comment, I was a little slow on the draw checking my mail, some of the comments got listed (very inappropriately, I might add, and the server at Yahoo Mail has been appropriately disciplined) as spam.
I've literally been wondering about this for 10 years, thanks for the additional historical perspective.
I have some numbers I'm going to put up in another post today that may be interesting, if a little daunting in terms of what trends seem to be.
AJM,
Thanks for stopping by, that was my experience as well. The school is an order of magnitude nicer than it was in terms of creature comforts than when I left it, and I'm glad. The school is doing a lot for the kids there, and I want it to be able to do the same or better when MY kids are there.
Gotta get those $10 donations.
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