Annual Giving Newsletter | Spring 2010
Texas Fight!
New Meaning for an Old Battle Cry
Y
ou’ve heard me say I want The University of Texas at Austin to be the best public university in America. It’s more than an aspiration or a slogan — it’s what we strive for every day. Not for the sake of being No. 1 in someone’s rankings but to do the best job serving society by educating young people and expanding knowledge. The stories we tell in this report make it clear: What Starts Here Changes the World.
In order to be the best we must attract the best students and faculty and have the best facilities. But today’s economy is challenging all of us. At UT, we continue to develop ways to do more with less. There’s never been a more important time to strengthen or renew your relationship with UT. We want you to become more involved in the University you love. We want to strengthen our connection with you and provide alumni more value — personally and professionally. And we have some new tools to bring us closer together:
But we also need your help. I invite you to give to the Campaign for Texas. Right now, only 15.5 percent of alumni contribute each year. We all recognize the refrain of “Texas Fight!” To me, it’s a reminder of the extraordinary commitment that our alumni demonstrate in countless ways. Let’s make our rate of alumni giving another example of Texas pride. We can do better, and with your help we will. Read on about how UT is changing the world. Better yet, come home to the Forty Acres and see for yourself. At the end of this campaign I want us all to feel that this was a team effort. I want us all to feel we achieved a goal worth fighting for.
• O ur new UT iPhone app, which more than 80,000 of you have already downloaded. • T he Ideas of Texas, an interactive Web site that lets you contribute your ideas to shape the future of UT. • Tower Talk, my blog on the life of the University. • K NOW, a more effective way to navigate UT Web pages.
Bill Powers