October 29, 2003

Bowling Green, Ky. - According to data recently released by the Council for Aid to Education, Western Kentucky University leads its established benchmarks reporting in percentage of alumni giving participation.

Western's rate of alumni participation was at 14.8 percent, according to the CAE report, while the national average for public master's level institutions was 7.7 percent.

Tom Hiles, WKU's vice president for Institutional Advancement, said Western's level of participation grew last year from 13.7 percent to 14.8 percent, while the national average fell from 8 percent to 7.7 percent. "Western also ranked 10th of 106 master's level institutions that reported nationwide," Hiles said.

"We are gratified, at a time when support for higher education nationally is dropping, that Western alumni have responded to our aspiration to be the best comprehensive university in the state and among the best in the nation," he said. "This report, on the heels of the announcement that Western had the 17th highest (out of 641 schools reporting) increase in endowment, proves that Western alumni support their alma mater and President Gary Ransdell's dynamic vision."

Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania topped the national list at 26.2 percent. Others in the top 10 were Mary Washington College (24.4), Longwood University (23.1), Fort Hays State University (18.6), Mansfield University of Pennsylvania (18.2), Sate University of New York-Oneonta (16.5), City University of New York-Queens College (16.3), SUNY-Plattsburgh University College (15.3), SUNY-Geneseo (15.1), and WKU (14.8).

WKU Benchmarks Reporting, Percentage of Alumni Donors

WKU, 14.8
Appalachian State University, 14.4
Ball State University, 13.9
Bowling Green State University, 13.5
Indiana State University, 10.9
Eastern Illinois University, 8.5
West Chester University of Pennsylvania, 8.3
Western Carolina University, 8.1
University of Akron, 7.5
University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 7.1
Kent State University, 7.1
California State University, Fresno, 2.1

For more information, contact Tom Hiles at (270) 745-6208. More WKU news is available on the World Wide Web at www.wku.edu. If you'd like to receive WKU news via e-mail, send a message to WKUNews@wku.edu.

-WKU-