Higher
Education
Partnership
Volume 3 Issue 3
June-July, 1999
In support of and working together with
Alabama A & M Univ
Alabama State Univ
Univ of Alabama
Univ of Ala at Bham
Univ of Ala at Huntsville
Auburn Univ
Auburn Univ at Mtgy
Jacksonville State Univ
Univ.of Montevallo
Univ of North Alabama
Univ of South Alabama
Troy State Univ
Troy State Univ Dothan
Troy State Univ Mtgy
Univ of West Alabama
Inside this Issue
Partnership meets membership challenge
Partnership Update
Partnership Update |
The Partnership meets
the membership challenge of SouthTrust CEO
Thanks to Mr.
Wallace Malone and SouthTrust Corporation, the Higher Education
Partnership is pleased to announce that its membership drive
was a HUGE success. By reaching the goal of 3700+ members, the
Partnership not only increased its reach but also the Partnership
received a $25,000 contribution from SouthTrust.
In order to understand how it all happened, the Partnership offers this review:
The original plan of work for the Higher Education Partnership called for the business community to be represented on the board of directors. The idea was to encourage business leaders to participate in the advocacy work. The first business leader to agree to serve on the board was Mr. Wallace Malone of SouthTrust Corporation. From the outset, Mr. Malone has been a key leader for the Partnership.
A few minutes after the start of Mr. Malone’s first board meeting, Mr. Gordon Stone, Partnership’s Executive Director, presented the organization’s membership report. During this report, Mr. Malone provided what will forever be remembered as the organization’s first “Membership Challenge!” Mr. Malone agreed to provide incentive for the Partnership to aggressively promote membership. He offered to match dollar for dollar every new member recruited by June 1 (up to a total value of $25,000).
To meet his challenge, the
Partnership would need to secure 2100 new members. In order to
achieve this result, it became clear that the Partnership was
going to have to motivate people from all phases of its constituency.
To maximize the $25,000 offer, the Partnership began asking key
organizational leaders to join in the effort. Faculty members
gave speeches at senate meetings. Staff leaders sent letters
and held meetings to recruit members. Student leaders hosted
campus-wide drives. The Partnership even conducted a mail campaign
where every current member was challenged to recruit at least
two additional members.
In the beginning, the members were slow arriving. However, the
multitude of recruiting efforts began to pay dividends. The level
of membership grew extremely fast during the last two weeks and
by June 1 had surpassed the 3700+ mark. Among the many campus
leaders who were instrumental in the success of the drive were:
• Dr. Robert McChesney and Dr. Denise Gibbs of the University
of Montevallo
• Dr. Harold McGee, Mr. Jack Hopper, and Mr. Don Killingsworth
of Jacksonville State University
• Dr. Jack Hawkins, Dr. Doug Patterson, Dr. Jim Vickrey,
and Ms. Debbie Fortune of Troy State University
• Dr. William Harris, Ms. Jessyca Coles and Dr. Nora Lawson
of Alabama State University
• Dr. William Muse, Dr. Glen Howze, Dr. Jerry Brown, and
Mr. Ben Newbern of Auburn University
• Dr. Andrew Sorensen, Mr. Bill Jones, Dr. Scott Bridges,
Dr. Margaret Garner, Ms. Marian Loftin and Ms. April McKenzie
of the University of Alabama
• Dr. Roy Saigo, Dr. Brad Moody, and Dr. Tom Vocino of AUM
• Dr. Glenda Curry of TSUM
• Dr. Mike Malone and Dr. Alan Belsches of TSUD
• Dr. Ed Roach and Mr. Clemit Spruiell of The University
of West Alabama
• President Gordon Moulton and Mr. Happy Fulford of the
University of South Alabama
• Dr. John Gibson of Alabama A and M University
• Dr. Robert Potts, Ms. Connie Walden, and Ms. Sandra Poole
of the University of North Alabama
• Dr. Tennant McWilliams of the University of Alabama at
Birmingham
Each of these and MANY, MANY
others were key players. Each of their respective institutions
made significant membership progress during the drive.
Mr. Malone, who served as an advocate for higher education during
the funding battles of the past few years, has been a true leader
for Alabama’s four-year public universities. He has worked
closely with every public university in the state to help them
reach their philanthropic goals. He has served on key advisory
and trustee boards for the universities. Mr. Malone even conducts
special leadership seminars for honors students at the universities.
Without a doubt, he is a friend who not only believes in the
universities but who knows how to make a positive difference
for the institutions.
As a result of his challenge the Partnership experienced more than a doubling of membership and should receive an equally significant increase in organizational effectiveness. As the advocacy voice for the state’s 15 public, four-year institutions, the more members who are involved, the more effective the Partnership will be. Currently, the Partnership’s membership total of nearly 4000 participants is equal to about 15% of the total number of full-time faculty and staff at the institutions.
Although the average Alabamian does not have a college degree, he/she does enjoy a high quality of life. Many of the features that provide for this quality are the result of university innovation: bridges, water systems, etc. As a result of the increasing support from leaders like Mr. Malone and the growth of the Higher Education Partnership, the quality of life in Alabama will continue to improve. The improvement will be directly related to the strengthening of the state’s universities and their graduates.
Thank you to Mr. Wallace Malone and SouthTrust Corporation for understanding that “Alabama’s Public Universities Change Lives. They are Worth Supporting!”
P. O. Box 761, Montgomery, AL 36101-0761
334-832-9911Fax 334-832-9995