Frequently Asked Questions:

1. How can I become involved in the life of the School as an alumnus?

Making a gift to the annual fund and designating it to SEAS is the most significant way to be involved in SEAS right now. It’s also a way you can help tremendously, regardless of whether you are in the D.C. area or not.

If you live in the D.C. area, you may be interested in participating in engineering alumni activities. For more information on the Engineer Alumni Association and its upcoming events, please contact the SEAS Office of Advancement and Alumni Relations at 202-994-8474 (seasalum@gwu.edu) or visit http://www.seas.gwu.edu/gwu/ifaf/eng_alumni_assn.php. There also are a number of GW clubs across the nation and the world. Visit the GW alumni website http://www.alumni.gwu.edu for more specific information.

2. When I make a gift to the annual fund and designate it for the School of Engineering and Applied Science, how is my contribution used?

Monies designated for SEAS are used in the areas of the School where they are needed most that year, as determined by the dean. In recent years, the monies have enhanced financial aid packages for outstanding students, both undergraduate and graduate; they have helped SEAS to keep its technology on the cutting edge so that a SEAS education will always be relevant; and they have provided opportunities for students to complement the instruction they receive in the classroom with hands-on, team-oriented experiences (i.e., competitions such as the Mini-Baja or concrete canoe).

3. Doesn’t tuition from students cover all the costs of running the School and the University?

Tuition pays only a small portion of the cost of a GW education, and that has been true for many years. Educating a GW engineering student is particularly costly, since aspects such as technology upgrade—so critical to a relevant engineering education—are a substantial expense each year for the School. Many private universities have large endowments with payouts that support scholarships, fellowships, professorships, and facility renovation and new facility construction. GW’s endowment, however, is much smaller than those of its peer institutions. Monies that came to the University during the Centuries Campaign primarily supported ongoing, new, and future research. So annual gifts from alumni are essential to the success of SEAS and of the whole University.

4. I can make a gift this year in the range of $25-$100 to SEAS. A gift that small isn’t much help, is it?

All gifts to SEAS are important and greatly appreciated. Collectively, all gifts can make a substantial difference in the strength of SEAS programs and projects.

5. I have a friend who gave $1,000 to the SEAS Dean’s Excellence Fund. I would like to make my own contribution of $1,000 or more to the School of Engineering and Applied Science, because I’ve been successful in my own career, and I attribute that success, in part, to the education I received at SEAS. Is money contributed to the Dean’s Excellence Fund used differently from the way annual fund money is used?

No, these gifts, too, are used to meet the greatest needs of the School during a given year. However, gifts at this level to the Dean’s Excellence Fund accelerate the School’s progress in recruiting top students and faculty and in upgrading the School’s facilities and equipment. The dean views Dean’s Excellence Fund supporters as a core group of SEAS advocates and a valuable resource for increasing the strength of the School. He gets to know each of these donors individually and seeks advice from them as he refines the School’s plans for the future. There are more than 50 Dean's Excellence Fund supporters and the hope is that we will continue to add more supporters.

6. Whom should I contact about becoming a $1,000 donor to the Dean’s Excellence Fund?

Please contact James Howard, Assistant Vice President Development and Alumni Relations.

7. What if I want my gift to go specifically to my department at SEAS or to the Engineering Alumni Association Scholarship Fund? Can I designate my gift for a specific purpose such as those?

Yes, you may designate gifts to departments and to specific SEAS funds already in existence. Gifts to the School’s departments are welcomed and are used to meet the greatest needs of the department that year. The department chair determines what those needs are from year to year. For more information on other funds to which you may make contributions, please contact James Howard. Please make sure that you indicate on your check or in accompanying correspondence or e-mail that you would like your gift to go to SEAS and name the specific department or fund.

8. What if I want to make a gift right now? Can I do that by credit card?

Yes. You have several options. (1) You may call the SEAS Advancement Office at 202-994-8474 and provide your credit card information and amount of gift. (2) You may go to the http://www.alumni.gwu.edu website and click on “make a gift online” and follow the instructions. (3) If you would prefer to write a check and send it today, please mail it to James Howard. James can also discuss with you any other vehicles you may want to use to make a gift (e.g., stock, securities, etc.).

9. What if I want to make a large gift over a period of time (for example, $10,000 a year for five years) and create with it something significant and lasting at the School? How do I do that?

Thank you! The first thing you will need to do is contact James Howard. He can explain to you the options you have in terms of:

• what can be funded for the amount you want to give;
• what naming opportunities might be available to you for a gift of this size;
• how an endowment is established at the University; and
• how an endowed gift grows, and at the same time, generates monies that the School can use in perpetuity.

SEAS needs larger commitments to fund priorities such as scholarships, fellowships, and professorships. These are all essential to attracting and keeping top students and distinguished teacher-scholars.

MAKE A GIFT ONLINE