A university's endowment is its lifeline, and National University's $283 million endowment for 2006 ranks it among the top 200 schools in the nation.
Universities typically follow the "5 percent rule," in which a university allots 5 percent of its total endowment for research and expenses. Using the 5 percent principle, NU's allotment would be around $14 million dollars.
Compared to other universities, NU's budget does not have many, if any, research projects planned, according to the budget.
If the 5 percent rule is applied to National University, it would equal $656.31 per student in expenditures. In contrast, Harvard's student to endowment figure is $1,291,051.00.
NU students said they would like to see the money used in a variety of ways.
NU student Ernesto Leyvar, said he would like to see more money used to expand the university's curriculum.
"As a history major, most of our classes are pretty generic. We get offered classes in ancient history, but I would like to see more classes offered on specific subjects, such as the crusades, like San Diego State offers."
Neil Perre, a liberal studies major, agreed. "National offers what seems to be a hundred different undergrad degrees. I would like to see it a little focused, where students such as myself can focus on individual subjects that interest us."
NU says community is one of its core values and uses the endowment to give back to the community in different ways.
The university provides grant money to help students apply for their certificate through the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards.
The university offers scholarships for students including the Collegiate Honor Award of up to $2,000, if they have completed previous semester units and carry the required GPA for the program, and the Presidential Scholarship Award of up to $2,500 for students from historically under-represented groups. NU offers scholarships for students from military based communities.
NU has a unique program called the 21st Century Club.
Chancellor Jerry C. Lee encourages employees and staff to give through the university's 21st Century Club. The club is vehicle for staff and employees of the university to contribute out of their own paychecks to the university's endowment fund. Employees and staff are encouraged to donate their "time" of at least one-hour of their pay each pay period toward the endowment.
The contributions are automatically deducted from each participant's paycheck each pay period. Each employee contribution is then matched by National University. The goal is to increase the endowment fund of the university by $1 million each year for the next five years as the university continues to grow at a 5 percent annual rate.
Donors will have their names displayed on the Cyber Wall of Donors on the NU Web site (www.nu.edu) in recognition of their efforts. The program currently has 85 percent of the staff contributing various amounts through the 21st Century Program, according to school officials.
The giving is not always about doling out dollars.
National University employees and staff members are also encouraged to give their time away from the workplace as well. Employees are given an optional 16 hours of paid time off each year to participate in local community efforts and other charitable endeavors, said Rachel Lebron, center assistant.
Lebron said she would like to see the university: "expand its giving by organizing more outreach events and programs that are actually sponsored by the university itself, and not merely outside events attended by its staff and employees."
Time and money aren't enough. Being a professor at NU may mean giving more of one's self than material possessions.
School officials promote awareness and the importance of being an organ donor, Lebron said. Employees are encouraged to register themselves and urged , as well as given goals of getting people outside of National University to register as an organ donor in order to save lives.
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