A Million Calls And $1 Million

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - The University of Arkansas National Phone Campaign, which consists of students employed by the Office of Annual Giving to contact alumni and friends on behalf of the University of Arkansas, has raised more than $1 million in pledges. This is the first time the NPC has ever raised $1 million in a fiscal year.

"This is a landmark day in the history of the UA National Phone Campaign - a true turning point. The bar has been raised. I am very proud of this outstanding group of UA ambassadors - our student callers. The University is also incredibly proud of the way its alumni and friends have stepped up their support, which has allowed us to attain such an accomplishment," said Susan Neyman, director of Annual Giving.

In addition to raising funds for the colleges, schools and academic units, the NPC sometimes does project-related calling. This year, they've called on behalf of the Chancellor's Society, the Alumni Association's 125 Circle, the Black Alumni Society and University Libraries. At the end of the fiscal year, students call people who have made a gift to the Annual Fund just to say thanks.

Franz Baskett, manager of the National Phone Campaign, said: "After working so hard and long for this, it still came to us as a surprise. It was wonderful to see the looks of accomplishment and realization on the faces of the student caller who got the gift and the rest of the team."

The million-dollar call was made at approximately 7:45 p.m. Sunday, June 20. Oladayo Olagunju, was calling on behalf of University Libraries and secured a pledge for $200, pushing the NPC to more than $1 million in recorded pledges for FY 2004.

"More than 80 students have taken part in the NPC's efforts this year, and we're grateful to all of them for their hard work and dedication to the University of Arkansas," Baskett continued.

Oladayo, a junior from Lagos, Nigeria, spent a substantial portion of his childhood in London, England. He is a triple major in electrical and computer engineering and business economics. He stated that he has been delighted with his experience at the University of Arkansas, and that he "was going to be a senior for a very long time because of the multiple majors."

At capacity, the call center - housed in University House - employs as many as 80 students. They are from all over the country with majors in nearly every college and school. Each student goes through a rigorous three-day training process that includes learning policies of the call center, being trained to use the calling technology, role playing exercises and observation of the veteran callers before making calls themselves. Over the course of a fiscal year, students make more than a million calls.