Throughout the week, fliers and sidewalk chalk will ask business students if they agree with Jack.
Jack Brittain, business dean, wants more of his students donating to the School of Business. The percentage of alumni who donate to the graduate school affects national rankings?the more donors, the higher the ranking.
“We have about 4 percent of our alumni donating to the school, which is a really small amount of people,” said Jana Pohlman, co-chairwoman of the campaign and an MBA student. “Some schools have 80 and 90 percent of their alumni donating.”
In order to increase the number of donors, the Do you agree with Jack? campaign will host activities throughout the week, including a cake walk on Thursday where those who pay a $3 cover can win cakes.
Along with increasing the school’s national ranking, Pohlman hopes to use the donations to pay for a copy machine in the Christensen Center lobby.
According to Pohlman, students who have completed at least one semester at the business school are considered alumni. The campaign is aimed at current U students, a group which rarely donates.
“People tend to be more apt to give 10 years or more after graduating,” said Heidi Woodbury, director of alumni relations at the business school. “One of the nice things about this campaign is it encourages students to give when they are younger.”
Students can donate any amount of money, but the organizers are asking students for at least $5. The national ranking is based on the number of individual donors rather than the amount of the donations.
Although increasing donor numbers is the focus of the campaign, organizers also want to educate the students about the school’s funding model.
“Many students don’t realize that their tuition and money from the Legislature doesn’t cover everything,” Woodbury said. “We want students to understand that their donations help pay for basic education costs.”
The student-donor campaign has gone on for several years but was named Do you agree with Jack? last year, which was inspired by the Salt Company’s religious Do you agree with Jesse? campaign held last year.
Pohlman hopes to get 175 donors this year?about 25 percent more than last year.
“But we’ll be happy to get whatever amount,” she said.