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Did you know that there are more than 30,000 51�������� alumni worldwide? This figure includes only those who graduated from 51��������! Many tens of thousands more took courses from 51�������� to improve their career position, advance a hobby or interest, add a vocational skill or explore a new career field. Amazingly, neither of these figures includes the more than 80,000 people who have taken at least one of our free online courses via the AlaskaX platform. Put together, an education from 51�������� has impacted the lives of more than 100,000 people around the world. That’s a big deal! 

Many of our alumni are paying this impact forward by supporting 51�������� scholarships, academic programs, buildings, athletics, equipment and more. Thank you to all of our donors who enrich their lives and our great institution by sharing their time, talents and treasure with 51��������.

On this note, a recent national research report, "The Correlation Between College Student Satisfaction and Alumni Giving" by Ruffalo Noel Levitz, included the two amazing numbers: 

• While nationally, only 8% of alumni give to their alma mater each year, 
• Individual alumni account for 26% of the total support higher education institutions receive. 

Twenty-six percent of total support for higher education institutions comes from 8% of alumni! That is amazing! While 51�������� alumni are very generous and provide more than 35% of support for 51��������, our alumni giving rate is about 4%. Imagine if this number bumped up one, two or three percentage points. Imagine if we, together, could get to the national average. What a benefit that would be to future generations of 51�������� alum!

On March 26-28, 51�������� will celebrate 49 hours of giving for our annual Giving Day. Kicking off 51��������’s investment in alumni engagement, my personal 2024 Giving Day challenge will support the fund that receives the highest number of individual alumni donations. If you are an alum, encourage your friends and former classmates to get involved!

My priority this year is to support our alumni and ensure that their gifts, small or large, impact students immediately. Whether you donate $5 or $5,000, your philanthropic relationship with the university is important. It helps us stay connected with you, and it helps show our stakeholders that alumni value their experience at 51�������� and are engaged in our university’s future. Our relationships are our future. You are our future.

Thank you for choosing 51��������!

Dan White
Chancellor