To the editor,
I appreciate your opinions editor, Jerell Mays, sharing his thoughts on alumni giving in his piece “No Laz Left Behind: The Politics of Alumni Donations.” I would like to share a few additional thoughts on the subject.
First, and most importantly, Connecticut College appreciates and values every gift. Connecticut College has a long list of needs – as does every college and university – and works to match these needs with donor interest.
In the past six years, with the generosity of alumni, parents and other friends of the College, we have a new fitness center, Ruane’s Den in Harkness House, 12 renovated classrooms, 31 renovated residence hall common rooms, the Linda Lear Center for Special Collections and Archives, the Tempel Outdoor Classroom, completely renovated Johnson and Hamilton Houses, renovated south tennis courts, an artificial turf field and more. Now we are building a new science center.
Just as gifts support these campus transformations, they also continue to advance the College’s strategic academic goals, including providing funding for scholarships, internships, programming in the residences, faculty teaching and research, academic departments, international programming, advising and more.
A revitalized athletics and physical education program – supported by a new fitness center and renovations of existing facilities – is one of the College’s priorities for the Campaign for Connecticut College. The recent gift to add lights to Silfen Field and renovate locker rooms supports these goals and was the result of input from members of the College community – and it matched donor interest.
We are grateful to the people who made this – and all of the progress on our campus and within our academic community – possible. If any students would like to learn more about how the Office of College Advancement builds relationships with these generous donors, please get involved with the SGA Advancement Committee. Or, don’t hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,
Greg Waldron,
Vice President for College Advancement
