How do you support your school? Does the success or failure of its athletic program affect your giving to academics or visa versa?
There has been a push of support at Bruins Nation for members to retract their gifts to the academic-based UCLA Fund because of the lack of success in football. These members believe their actions are right because "athletics and academics" are intertwined."
UCLA fans feel that withholding money from UCLA as whole, including academics, is the best way to make the voice for change.
I know that higher ups in the University may have little interest in athletics. But as an alum, fan, and donor myself, my U.C.L.A. experience includes athletics just as much as academics. My experience also includes dorm life, IM sports, various social and cultural events, and life in Westwood. Others may include student government, research, the Greek system, ROTC, service and outreach, Band, and any of the other innumerable aspects that U.C.L.A offers to its community. It all counts. Athletics and academics are equal components of the whole that is U.C.L.A. If one aspect of the University suffers, the entire University and all associated with it suffer. My loyalty and love are for whole of U.C.L.A.
Fortunately, Georgia Tech is in a situation where it's endowment is at record levels and it has the highest alumni giving rate in ALL the country at 50% - and 2x the national average of giving - so the reality of academics suffering because of athletic failure isn't going to happen on the grand scale. But what do you believe? Is it athleticsandacademics or are the two mutually exclusive?
FWIW, the GT Athletic Association really could use an increase in giving.