In what is becoming a UCLA tradition, this year’s
graduating class of 2006 has decided to contribute a sum of money
to the UCLA Fund as their departing gift.
The class of 2003 is the most recent class to give a more
specific gift to the school, funding lifetime UCLA e-mail accounts
for alumni.
This year’s gift will consist of a donation to the UCLA
Fund, an unrestricted account that can be used by the chancellor to
pay for improvements and programs around campus. Examples of how
the fund can be used include faculty recruitment and retention,
student scholarships and student research.
Other contributors to the UCLA Fund include alumni and parents
of current students.
This year, part of the UCLA Fund was used to help pay for
housing for Hurricane Katrina victims who came to UCLA,
exemplifying the versatile nature of the fund, said Melissa
Bersofsky, the director of young alumni and senior class giving and
advisor to the giving committee.
In an effort to jump-start fundraising efforts for this
year’s senior class gift, the senior class giving committee
held its first event Wednesday in Bruin Plaza.
With free food from In-N-Out Burger for 1,500 seniors, as well
as a free song from iTunes for those donating $20.06 or more, the
committee hoped to encourage as much senior participation as
possible, Bersofsky said.
With a goal of raising $100,000, the giving committee has raised
over $1,000 to date, with more exact figures coming next week, said
Keith Goss, a fourth-year political science student and chair of
the giving committee.
The class of 2005 raised $92,000 for the UCLA Fund and this
year’s goal was set to beat that amount, Bersofsky said.
Though for the past three years senior classes have been giving
to the UCLA Fund, not all seniors agree with the newly established
precedent.
Louise Wibisond, a fourth-year business economics student, said
she would like to see a monetary gift as well as something more
permanent.
“I think (the gift) would be better if it isn’t just
money, but something we can see,” she said.
Lea Simvoulakis, a fourth-year political science and history
student as well as a committee member, said the decision by the
giving committee to make the gift a monetary contribution to the
UCLA Fund was unanimous.
“When it’s a fund, whatever money you get is put
into action right away,” Simvoulakis said .
Bersofsky also said any thoughts of earmarking the money to fund
a specific cause or program were discounted after a survey of
several other schools, including UC Berkeley and the University of
Chicago, found that when earmarked money is given it often does not
pay for the full cost of the program and sits until sufficient
funds can be gathered, Bersofsky said.
Some seniors do like the idea of a monetary contribution.
“I think (a monetary gift) can be helpful. I mean, there
isn’t really a good way of helping out other than to give
money. As long as (the money) is for UCLA, it’s for a good
cause,” said Lusine Gabrielyan, a fourth-year sociology
student.
As a means of encouraging higher donations, the committee has
promised seniors that donate $250 or more membership to the Young
Alumni Chancellors circle. Membership to this group allows seniors
access to networking events, a personal campus liaison, access to
the library after graduation, and the opportunity to purchase
priority parking upon graduation.