DAILY LOBO new mexico
September 22, 2010
UNM: Donation decrease no big deal
Like you’ve never seen before see page 6
wednesday
ROLLING BACK COSTS
The Independent Voice of UNM since 1895
by Ruben Hamming-Green rhamminggreen@gmail.com
The UNM Foundation, an independent institution responsible for much of the University’s funding, has seen a $15 million drop in donations this year. For the fiscal year ending in June, the foundation received $75.1 million in donations, down from $90 million the previous year. Donations from corporations decreased from $21.6 million to $15.6 million, said Jill Zack, a UNM Foundation spokesperson. In contrast, donations from alumni increased last fiscal year from $15.2 million to $18.1 million. But Zack said the decrease is nothing to worry about. “We’re continuing business as usual,” she said. “We’re not that concerned, because of the way gifts skew numbers. We deal with a lot of major giving. If somebody gives an $8 million gift, it obviously skews the numbers.” For the past two fiscal years, Zack said the overall number of donors has been about 17,000 people. This year, the foundation received 11 donations of more than $1 million, adding up to 23 percent of the money given. In the 2008-09 fiscal year, the foundation got 12 large donations, totaling 43 percent of all donations, she said. Since the number of major donors is so small, Zack said it is common for the total amount of contributions to change year-to-year, but none of it has to do with the economic downturn. “Traditionally, giving doesn’t really go along the economic lines of the country,” she said. “If the economy is going down, giving doesn’t tend to follow that spike.” The numbers may back that up. In 2004, the foundation received $46.6 million. The number has risen until last year. The two highest years were from 2007 to 2009, Zack said. UNM alumni were the largest contributing group last year, and contributors decide if they want their donations to go toward scholarships, specific departments, construction work or the endowment fund. Against the overall decrease in donations, data from the UNM Foundation shows that contributions to the endowment fund increased .2 percent to $15.4 million. The endowment fund supports student scholarships, professorships and graduate student fellowships. John Welty, the vice president of Development and Administration for the UNM Foundation, said corporate donations to the University
see Donations page 3
Inside the
Daily Lobo volume 115
issue 23
Dylan Smith / Daily Lobo A ride stands idle at the state fairgrounds. Fair officials said most of the fair’s revenue is generated over the weekend. New policies were enacted this year aimed at cutting costs. See page 3 for the full story.
Education proposal tackles big picture by Laurel Brishel Prichard lbrishel@unm.edu
UNM’s College of Education dean announced an education reform that will take a “holistic” approach to teaching students throughout the state’s school systems. Dean Richard Howell encouraged the N.M. Legislature and community members as well as those who work in education to work together and create a comprehensive education plan that would propel students through primary education into higher learning. “The plan is designed to actually help define what student performance is in the schools and in universities, then to limit that definition to the actual teacher performance evaluation process,” he said. “What it does is bring a really good focus on how students are learning and how we can facilitate that learning.” Howell pitched the program to the United Way of Central New Mexico’s Alexis de Tocqueville Society Sept. 14, an outline that was the starting point for the United Way’s campaign to use part of its community funding for education. Ed Rivera, president and CEO
see Dean page 3
Terrance Siemon / Daily Lobo Handwritten peace wishes hang strung together from a tree on Tuesday near the Duck Pond in celebration of the International Day of Prayer for Peace.
For the love of Japan
Where are we?
See page 5
See page 2
TODAY
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