Oregon Made Possible, 2011
Thursday, February 10th was a day of celebration at the EMU with our second year of hosting Oregon Made Possible! The Student Alumni Association (SAA) would like to thank all of the UO students who came down to the EMU to pay tribute to those that help make their education possible. We had over 200 students visit our table and sign thank you cards to first time academic donors. For every thank you card signed, students were entered for a chance to win an iPad (no catches, they just had to sign a thank you card and get a ticket to win!)
One of our goals was to impart a sense of pride in our student population. We want students to know that after graduation, they can continue the tradition of helping future Duck generations by making sure that the UO continues for future students.
The winner of the iPad was Hannah Crum. Hannah is a sophomore from Corvallis studying geography at the UO. She signed 15 thank you cards. When asked why she stopped by, she said she had seen the advertisement in the Oregon Daily Emerald and wanted to pay tribute to those that are helping her education. “I have friends who receive scholarships that wouldn’t be here without them, so I know how important they can be. These days you can’t get a job without a college education, said Hannah. Congrats Hannah and we know UO donors will be excited to get your thank you cards.
Below is a little history that we shared with students about how the funding at UO has evolved over the years:
Think back to when the University of Oregon was created. The school consisted of just Deady hall, 155 students, and only 5 faculty members. The school officially was established by the state in 1872, but opened its doors in 1879 – despite huge funding issues. The citizens of Eugene, believing in what UO signified, struggled to help finance the institution, holding numerous fundraising events such as strawberry festivals, church socials, and produce sales. Their hard work allowed the first graduates of UO to walk in 1878. The school, unfortunately, continued to struggle and was almost shut down due to lack of funding in 1881. However, Henry Villard stepped in and donated $7,000 toward the debt, and the university was saved.
Donors of the university have been there for us since the beginning to make sure that every single student gets the most of their Oregon experience – even during economic hard-times. The University of Oregon has grown since the 1900s (now consisting of over 24,000 students) but regardless of all the advancements we’ve seen over the years, there still have been financial obstacles to tackle.
Parents, Alumni, and Friends of the University make up more than half of all funding for the university. The gifts the UO receives, come in all shapes in sized – consisting of $10 to $10 million in donations – but provides a range of resources: like scholarships for students to put toward schooling to cheap equipment for labs to Adobe Photoshop subscriptions for class so that students don’t have to pay for them with tuition dollars and additional fees.
Just 10 years ago, the state provided the UO with 33% of all its funding. This year, the UO will receive less than 8%. Luckily, the tuition increases that many parents and students complain about are not nearly as high as they could have been if students and employees of the UO didn’t work daily to raise funds toward education.
The University of Oregon relies heavily on gifts mainly from graduates who make small annual contributions. These “underdogs” often go overshadowed by others who donate entire buildings, but the SAA is committed to these people who make up the major percentage of donors.
Oregon Made Possible is an event the SAA was proud to host because it’s a great reminder to all students about who are paying for the best years of our lives. The money that students pay in tuition only covers 33% of their yearly tuition (50% for out-of-state students). February 10, 2011 symbolized that percent because it’s also 33% of the way through the school year. Any day after the 10th is, theoretically, paid for by private gifts from donors.