UW Private Fundraising Campaign Tops $200 Million |  
|
 |
Aug. 15, 2005 -- University of Wyoming officials announced Monday that "DISTINCTION: The Campaign for Wyoming's University" generated $204 million to bolster university academic and athletics programs, as well as related facilities. The five-year campaign, which officially ended June 30, far exceeded its original goal of $125 million.
The campaign total includes: $146 million in private gifts and pledges; a $48 million state match for UW academic programs; and a $10 million state match for athletics facilities.
"The campaign reinforces that the university's primary goal is academics in all of its manifestations," says UW President Tom Buchanan. "We value athletics as part of the UW experience, but maintain a common-sense perspective about its place within that experience."
The DISTINCTION campaign focused on six specific objectives: excellence in academics; faculty support; technology and facility upgrades; serving Wyoming; the annual fund; and student support.
"Clearly, excellence in academics is our primary goal, for teaching and research," Buchanan says. "It's what you want for your sons and daughters attending UW now and in the future."
Buchanan notes that the campaign's initial goal for academics was to raise $15 million. In the end, however, it raised nearly $31 million from more than 15,000 gifts. The contributions helped establish a number of new academic programs and endowed chairs and professorships.
Other academic gifts have benefited the university's libraries, economic development programs, international programs, symposiums on ethics and social justice, and dozens of other programs that touch every UW college and many departments. Buchanan says that while the campaign fell short of its goal of raising $30 million for faculty support, it generated $17 million from 174 individual gifts to enhance the university's teaching and research efforts.
"I think it's likely that people see support for faculty as a state responsibility, and with the faculty endowment passed by the 2005 legislature, the state really has stepped up," he says. "We're hoping the 2006 legislature will add to our ability to attract and retain top faculty."
Among several endowed chairs, professorships, and fellowships established by key private gifts are the Kepler Chair in Law and Leadership (currently held by Professor Harvey Gelb); the Bill Daniels Distinguished Professor of Business Ethics (to be held for the first time this fall by Professor O.C. Ferrell); the Mary Ellbogen Garland Early Career Fellowship; the Robert B. Berry Distinguished Chair in Ecology (held by Professor Craig Benkman); and the Roy Cline Distinguished Chair in Engineering, Environment and Natural Resources, to be occupied by Professor Fred Ogden.
Gifts also helped enhance and strengthen the John P. "Jack" Ellbogen awards for classroom teaching and the (Thomas) Stroock Distinguished Professor of Natural Resource Conservation and Management (currently held by Professor Jason Shogren).
University facilities also were bolstered by campaign contributions. Buchanan says the campaign exceeded its goal of raising $30 million for technology and facilities upgrades by more than $8 million. Among several ambitious projects, donations helped expand the Hansen Livestock Teaching Arena, create the Wyoming Technology Business Center, build the Curtis and Marian Rochelle Athletics Center, and construct a new Health Sciences Center and Fay W. Whitney School of Nursing.
A $5 million gift from Casper entrepreneurs John and Mari Ann Martin and Mick and Susie McMurry and their families, matched by the state of Wyoming for a total of $10 million, named the playing surface at War Memorial Stadium, "Jonah Field," and provides UW the funds needed for construction projects outlined in the Strategic Plan for Intercollegiate Athletics.
"That's just a prologue," Buchanan says. "During the next few years, through private donations and state appropriations, for the foreseeable future the city of Laramie will be known as the city of construction cranes-a sign of progress for the University of Wyoming."
The DISTINCTION campaign raised $11 million for service programs to the state of Wyoming. Those include the Alan K. Simpson Institute for Western Politics and Leadership; the Ann Simpson Art Mobile; the UW Art Museum's Patricia R. Guthrie Special Exhibitions Gallery; Leadership Wyoming, a partnership with the Wyoming Foundation Program, which is helping to develop future leaders for the state; Wyoming Public Radio; the UW College of Business $10K Entrepreneurship Competition; and Wyoming State History Days.
While the campaign fell just short of reaching its annual fund goal of $10 million -- raising $9.7 million from more than 11,000 gifts-ASUW President Jon Hughes says it exceeded its goal of raising $30 million for UW student programs, generating nearly $32 million from more than 5,800 gifts. Contributions helped create and expand dozens of graduate fellowships, scholarships, research opportunities, and study-abroad awards, Hughes says, adding that ASUW donated more than $1 million from its reserve account to support the effort.
"The DISTINCTION campaign mirrored the basic educational philosophy of what a university should be about-creating a better university for our students," Hughes says. "They are the future of the university and the future of the state."
PHOTO
DISTINCTION -- University of Wyoming President Tom Buchanan announces Monday that "DISTINCTION: The Campaign for Wyoming's University" generated $204 million to bolster UW academic and athletics programs. (UW Photo) Posted on Monday, August 15, 2005
|
