Development office encourages students to give back

 The university's office of development is encouraging students to donate through the implementation of its student giving campaign.
 The campaign was implemented in the fall semester of 2012. According to the office of development, the decision to start a student giving campaign came from the overwhelming success of the faculty and staff giving campaign.
 "I always give and it's great to give. I usually give back monthly," said Steve Ransom, executive director of student engagement. "We ask students to give so I think we should also."
 Administrative assistant Valerie Gibson says that even if you cannot give a large amount, students and faculty should at least give a little to contribute back to the university.
 "I usually give once every year, because if we contribute even just a little to the university it will help enhance it for future students," Gibson said.
 Last year the campaign's first event, titled Stuff The Pig, involved freshman buildings competing to raise the most money.
 "The event created awareness for the campaign which was the main objective, but the competition part made the event exciting for them," said manager of the office of development Felicia Lewis.
 The sophomore's Icing On The Cake event was put on to continue to encourage those freshman who gave to the university last year to continue to give.
 "We want to follow that class until they graduate so they can become future givers to the university as alumni," said Lewis.
 Nelson Bowman III, executive director of development, said that after students took a survey conducted by the office of development; 40 percent said that if they gave once they would give again. He also stated that 30 percent of students said they would be encouraged to give if they saw the faculty and staff giving.
 Bowman believes that the student giving campaign will produce great results since the faculty and staff contributions have grown each year.
 "The first year 65 percent of the faculty gave to the university because of the campaign, and by the second year it grew to 75 percent," Bowman said.
 Bowman says that if the campaign raises enough money students will be able to pick what they want the money to be spent on in a survey.
 "Unlike other fees where the money goes to a specific thing; students get to make an actual choice in where they want this money to go," Bowman said.