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Commentary...

Fall semester is in full swing. Many, many alumni events are scheduled this Fall... college "Homecomings" at several games, class reunions, and special Homecoming gatherings of alumni who were members of the Corps of Cadets, Highty-Tighties, and Marching Virginians. The Hokies play eight games at home this season (thirteen total in regular season), for the first time in their history. These are always exciting opportunities for alumni to return to campus.

Focusing on Alumni Interests

The campaign for a new Alumni and Conference Center is progressing nicely (see ACC Campaign - In Its Final Months). As we look toward the day when the new center becomes reality, we expect to dramatically expand opportunities for alumni to return for events. We will continue to identify the constituency interests of our alumni and those specific programs they would like offered. The Internet is the key in terms of collecting and recording information that helps strengthen our programs around alumni interests and preferences. For example, if an alum is interested in receiving more information about their former academic college or department, we plan to direct information of that nature to them. We will also alert them to programs they can attend on campus, including annual events that center on their academic college or department. Others may prefer to learn about constituency programs centered on student activities, such as the student media organizations, marching bands, Greek organizations, or others. Intercollegiate athletics is still another popular interest.

In any event, we plan to maintain information about your Tech interests and will be developing tools on the Internet to achieve that. Visit our Web site at www.alumni.vt.edu to access information from your record in a secure environment and provide biographical updates or corrections. Keeping email addresses current is especially helpful to us, so that we might share our monthly VTNetLetter and alumni event announcements. Please access and review your alumni record information periodically to insure that it is current.

Bond Referendum in November for Virginia Voters

Funding for higher education has been strapped for quite a few years, largely from limited appropriations for academic institution budgets, tuition rollbacks, tuition freezes, increased maintenance costs, and salary freezes for faculty and staff. Student applications and enrollment demand remain strong. Yet, with the most recent state budget reductions, faculty positions have been lost at Virginia Tech and elsewhere. The number of faculty and capacity of campus physical facilities cannot meet growing demand anticipated for the future.

However, one encouraging opportunity for our university and others is a proposed referendum to issue state bonds in order to fund badly needed capital construction for needed expansion, renovation and upgrades of academic facilities. The bond package would fund projects totaling $900 million across the state. Approximately 10 percent of that amount would be earmarked to support projects at Virginia Tech. Approval of the referendum is sought this November 5th in statewide voting.

Capital projects are needed:

• To maintain the quality of Virginia's internationally recognized colleges and universities,
• To accommodate increasing numbers of students of the "baby boom echo" that already are seeking admission, and
• To bolster the economic competitiveness of Virginia businesses and to use technology to create jobs.

For Virginia residents, a YES vote in November will make a tremendous difference for the future of higher education in our Commonwealth. Moreover, approval of the referendum will NOT require a tax increase. So please vote in November, recognizing that bond referendum approval enables significant higher education capital funding needs. The item appears with several others on all ballots as Question 1 under "Proposed Bond Issues," worded as follows:

Shall Chapters 827 and 859, Acts of the General Assembly of 2002, authorizing the issuance of general obligation bonds of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the maximum amount of $900,488,645 pursuant to Article X, Section 9(b) of the Constitution of Virginia for capital projects for educational facilities, take effect?

By voting YES, Virginians will be helping colleges, universities, community colleges, and museums meet future challenges and sustain quality educational programs that brighten the future for Virginia Tech and others. It is a win-win for higher education.