Telephone Outreach Program (TOP)

Many UNC alumni and friends may have received a call from one of our student callers asking to update records and most importantly asking for their support.

Meet the Telephone Outreach Program (TOP). There are 10 dedicated students who help raise support for all of UNC’s departments, programs, and scholarships. While on the phone, students update biographical information so our alumni and donors can continue to receive news about UNC. The TOP students not only provide campus information but most importantly they ask for needed financial gifts. They are trained to be knowledgeable about what they are calling for and to be prepared to answer questions.

“I love my job, I cannot imagine anything better than this,” says freshman Tylor Starr. In the call center, located in the basement of the Judy Farr Alumni Center, Tylor is known for his energy and his great attitude. The basement has no windows, but the students make the space all their own with what is called a quote board and an open seating arrangement. Anything funny or odd that someone says is written down and pinned on the quote board. This and a few other small items make it a happy place to be every night.

With such a small staff, everyone is very close to one another and get along really well. “We are a family down here. We eat dinner together, help each other with homework and share our days’ experiences,” says freshman Marissa Little, one of the call center supervisors.

Students call five days a week, Sunday through Thursday evenings. The goal is to gain new and/or increased support from alumni and friends and to assist the university with relaying current information.

The students enjoy talking to the alumni and hearing about their UNC experiences, but the job is demanding. The callers go through training every semester, must respect the confidentiality of the people they are calling, take a minimum of 12 credit hours, be in good academic standing, have outstanding communication skills, and maintain a pleasing telephone voice from the first call to the last. They are employed on a semester-by-semester basis and are continually evaluated to ensure optimal performance.

"Every once and a while we come across someone who loves hearing from a current UNC student. They ask questions such as what are we studying or if we are involved in any activities or programs. They make all the hard work we do worth while," says freshman Abbie Daurio.

As working students, they know first-hand how important your financial gifts are to the university. Thank you for your support! The TOP callers look forward to talking to alumni and donors in the fall. If you would like to support UNC and its amazing students and academic programs, visit www.give2unc.org.

By Amanda Welder