Mark J. Perry is a professor of economics and finance at the University of Michigan’s Flint campus. He writes in AEI that there is currently a “Giving Back” campaign on campus, where alumni are urged to “give back to campus through volunteering.” But Perry thinks that the whole idea of “giving back” is a flawed concept because it falsely implies that there was some kind of “taking first.” Perry writes that alumni, and other business people, have not stolen anything from the institutions they attended. Instead, they have already enriched and given back to their university and the surrounding community through their work and careers. “Give Back to Campus” campaigns minimize the value of the services to society that alumni provide or have provided through their careers. Through their jobs, alumni have already “given” their time, effort, and expertise to society throughout the majority of their adult working lives. Perry thinks that alumni should be encouraged to engage in volunteerism and philanthropy because they are “noble and honorable activities that create value for society.” However, alumni should not feel pressured by their alma mater that there is an obligation imposed on them with the underlying implication that “some payback is necessary because they must have taken something” during their years at school.
Thanks for reading InsideHook. Sign up for our daily newsletter and be in the know.
