ALUMNAE DISSATISFACTION
For several years, Wells women have been voting with their wallets against the college's current leadership and direction.
In February 2, 2005 article, Vice Prsident for External Relations Ann Rollo claimed that "we have definitely seen more alumnae giving to the school."
Her statement is demonstrably false.
According to the official alumnae magazine, The Express, the 1994-1995 annual fund enjoyed an award-winning 52% participation from all alumnae. Ryerson became President in February 1995, and by 2002-2003 the participation figure had plummeted to 32%.
The same Express issues report that 2,935 alumnae gave to Wells in '94-'95, but only 1,976 gave in '02-03.
The Council for Aid to Education reports total donations to Wells dropped from $15,516,257 in 2003 to $7,644,648 in 2004. Back in in '94-95, total gifts were $8,682,942, topping the decade later 2004 figure by a million.
The administration claimed in a recent Express that the alumnae of the '70s, '80s, and '90s have not given substantially to the college. That's not true! Graduates from those decades gave very generously, until several years into Ryerson's Presidency.
Based on figures published in the Express, 48.3% of alumnae from the 1970s gave to the Wells College Annual Fund in 1995, but only 25.6% of women from that decade gave in 2003.
For classes of the 1980s in the same time period, giving dropped from 34.6% to 20.9%, and giving from the '90s alumnae giving fell from 45.8% to 14.3%.
Even more alarming is the steep drop in giving from future alumnae. According to the Express, in 1995 fully 75% of the senior class contributed to the Annual Fund. In 2003, only 18% did so.
After what the students are being put through with the precititous coed decision in 2004 and the abrupt transition in 2005, what will giving be like for the future for Wells Alumnae of the Classes of 2005-2008?
