Collegiate Times

While I’ll leave it to others to address the many unfair criticisms levied against the Virginia Tech president and university leadership in Burke Thomas’ recent column, “Steger distracts the masses with bread, circuses” (CT, Oct. 22), I feel obligated to correct some serious misconceptions regarding the generosity of the class of ’59.

The GLC Plaza project — something cited as evidence of the “general disregard for students” — was, in fact, co-sponsored by students. Funds for the project, as clearly stated on the Campaign for Virginia Tech Web site, came not just from the class of 1959, but from the class of 2009 and the Hokie Parents Fund as well.

Still, even though the response to the project has been overwhelmingly positive, I suspect the author and I may disagree about its value. But to suggest that renovating such a high-traffic area that connects the growing arts district and downtown with the lower campus demonstrates a disregard for students seems to be quite a stretch.
Also, the opinions piece asked how much money could have been raised for scholarships and academics. Perhaps the author intended this as a wry rhetorical question, but the answer is anything but rhetorical.

Money for scholarships? Well, in addition to the plaza project, the class contributed more than $300,000 for scholarships, namely the Emerging Leader Scholarship Program of the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets.

Support for academics? The class raised more than $225,000 to endow a university-wide undergraduate research fund, the proceeds of which will benefit students for generations to come.

Finally, I think it’s worthwhile for both you and your readers to know that the funds raised by the class of ’59 for these specific class projects — the plaza, scholarships and undergraduate research — are but a very small fraction of its generosity. In addition to that amount, the class has donated nearly $5 million to the university it loves in just the last five years. These funds have been invested in programs and facilities all across campus, and it’s likely that many of your readers may have already benefited from their thoughtfulness.

There’s more that could be said here that might add some much needed clarification to the opinions piece. I could explain how class gifts are gathered over several years and directed toward goals that the class agrees on at the beginning of the fundraising campaign. I could explain how those of us who are responsible for securing private support of this university work very hard to match donor wishes with both current and future university needs. What’s more, I could explain just how much this university has benefited from private philanthropy over the years.

However, it might be simpler if your readers took a few moments to visit the university fundraising campaign Web site at www.campaign.vt.edu. There, I think they’ll find a pretty clear picture of how the tremendous generosity of our friends and fellow Hokies benefits them and ample evidence of our donors’ high regard for both today’s students and the generations just like them that are sure to follow

Michael Kiser

Director of development  communications