University of Delaware
Office of Public Relations
UpDate - Vol. 16, No. 20, Feb. 20, 1997


'UD calling'
Phonathon provides alums with latest information
  Hi! My name is..., and I'm calling from the University of
Delaware."
  So begins the exchange between Delaware students and alumni 
during
the phonathon, a program designed to maintain contact with 
alumni,
seek contributions to their alma mater and update their 
individual
records.
  "We are part of the University's annual fund-raising 
program," said
Maggie Kavanagh, phonathon coordinator. "We contact alumni to 
verify
their information and to seek their support."
  The phonathon is a year-round operation, where student 
workers
operate the phones up to four evenings per week in a state-
of-the-art
calling center located in the basement of Hullihen Hall.
  In addition to seeking alumni support and verifying address 
and job
information, the phonathon also provides a means for keeping 
alumni
abreast of UD events and activities, plus giving them an 
opprtunity to
express questions and concerns.
  "We try to touch on things with which specific alumni are
affiliated," Kavanagh said. "They range from football, to the 
honors
program, to details on their particular college. Alumni who 
currently
have children of their own attending the University often 
contribute
to programs that their students are involved in and that they 
now have
an interest in."
  Alumni also are made aware of the various scholarships that 
are
aided by their donations, and they are assured that 100 
percent of
their contribution is used for its intended designation, she 
added.
  Kavanagh said the phonathon, which began in 1982, has been
instrumental in acquiring first-time givers and in upgrading 
the gifts
of previous contributors.
  Kavanagh said part of this success is due to the rapport 
that
develops between alumni and the student callers.
  "We identify with the alumni, and they with us," Sadie 
Shannahoff,
a student caller, said. "We get on the line and they like 
that we deal
with them on a personal level."
  Shannahoff, a sophomore history major now in her second 
year with
the phonathon, said the relationship stresses the importance 
of the
connection between past and present students.
  Danielle Spangler, a phonathon student supervisor, said 
that many
alumni who live far away from campus are very interested in 
what is
going on in Delaware.
  "They like to know what is happening on campus," Spangler 
said.
"Being a student, you know what is going on at the 
University,
especially at the student level."
  Alumni often are curious about new buildings that have 
built since
they've graduated and about certain programs that they may 
share an
interest in, she said.
  Spangler, a senior chemistry major, said alumni who would 
like
their children to attend the University always have questions 
about
the University.
  Spangler said donors will sometimes ask callers about their 
plans
for the evening and also are curious about what current 
students do
for fun. "Alumni often ask about famed night spots like the 
Stone
Balloon and the Deer Park," she said.
  Alumnae, for instance, may ask about the number of women in 
the
current graduating class. If the alumna and caller share the 
same
major, questions may arise about the current experiences of 
women in
that particular department.
  "It is neat when you talk to someone who has the same major 
that
you do," Spangler said. "Sometimes, they give you advice 
about what is
going on in that particular field and what programs to look 
into.
Working for the phonathon has been a very good experience, 
and it is a
great way to learn how to communicate with people."
  As a result of her experiences, Shannahoff said she 
believes she
will probably be more receptive when she is contacted by a 
student
caller.
  "After I graduate and I am called, I will be nice to them 
because I
have been there," Shannahoff said. "I know what it is like."
  For Kavanagh, a Newark native and 1992 alumnus who has been 
with
the University since June 1996, the experience has been both
professionally and personally rewarding.
    "The students are great to work with," she said. "They 
have a lot
of energy and motivation." 
                                                         -
Jerry Rhodes