Class of 2008 aims for 100 percent participation
—By Lori Craig
The Class of 2008 is kicking off its Class Gift campaign with high hopes that some friendly competition will inspire all third-year students to pledge their support for the school.
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| Dean Robert Rasmussen, left, and Class Leadership Committee members |
The 35-member Class Leadership Committee split into four teams and will battle to achieve the highest participation rate among a group of 3Ls assigned to them. The teams will be led by committee co-chairs Karim Aoun, Marc Berman, Shiri Klima and Amir Torkamani.
Progress can be followed on the Class Gift website, which tracks total participation, as well as giving per team.
“Participating in the Class Gift is a way to show we support USC Law,” Klima told committee members during a campaign kick-off dinner on Jan. 29. “It does unify us as a class. I’m donating to the Class Gift because I’m proud of our class and what we’ve accomplished and what we will accomplish in the future.”
Members of the committee are asking their classmates to pledge a future donation, to be fulfilled in the three years following graduation. Pledges can be directed to the law school’s annual fund, which supports operating needs including student organizations and library funding, or to a specific cause, such as a law journal, particular scholarship or Moot Court.
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| Class Gift organizers will meet during the semester to track progress |
Asking for a minimum bid of $20.08 per year, the committee will stress participation in the Class Gift rather than dollar amounts. Total participation of alumni giving often is viewed as an indication of students’ satisfaction with their law school experience and is factored into the U.S. News & World Report rankings.
“This participation rate really goes toward making your experience here and your diploma more valuable,” Torkamani said.
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| Progress also will be tracked on this chart, posted in the law building |
Dean Robert K. Rasmussen told committee members that participation in the Class Gift acts as a referendum on how well USC Law is doing.
“You are the people who’ve experienced this law school most recently,” Rasmussen said. “You have the best sense of anyone what we do on a daily basis, and if you believe in us, that’s a powerful message to the rest of our community.”
Launched five years ago, the 3L Class Gift Program has grown from 43 percent participation in 2003 to 85 percent among last year’s graduates. The Class of 2008 is aiming for 100 percent participation by late April. Twice during the spring semester, the committee will meet and award prizes to the team with the highest participation rate.
Visit the Class Gift website (http://law.usc.edu/alumni/giving/donate/3lclassgift.cfm) for more information or to make a pledge.
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| The 3L Class Leadership Committee, with Dean Rasmussen (fifth from left, |
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