Building Greatness Campaign: West Virginia University has reached a milestonesurpassing the $200 million mark. Ray Lane, national campaign chair, announced Tuesday (Jan. 22) that $204 million in gifts and pledges has been received by the WVU Foundation toward the $250 million campaign goal.
“We are pleased with the progress of the Building Greatness Campaign,”said Lane, a 1968 WVU graduate who is a general partner in the venture capital firm of Kleiner Perkins Caufield&Byers and former president of Oracle Corp.”More importantly, we are seeing just how much West Virginia University is valued and appreciated. Many alumni and friends are demonstrating their belief in the University.”
Alumni and friends of WVU have supported the campaign with $118 million, while foundations and corporations have committed $86.3 million. The funds to date will support:
- 28 new chairs and professorships
- 234 new scholarship funds, including 32 for scholar-athletes
- more than $16 million to enhance WVU s pre-veterinary medicine program
- $3.7 million to support WVU libraries
- more than $15 million for the Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center and the new WVU Eye Institute.
The campaign, a five-year effort being conducted by the Foundation on behalf of the University, concludes on Dec. 31, 2003.
“Private support is the lifeline of the University and this campaign is the most important private undertaking ever conducted for the University,”said David Hardesty Jr., WVU president and 1967 alumnus.”Private support has a profound effect on the quality of education WVU students receive. Private funds do not replace a states responsibility of meeting basic budgetary needs, but they do help lift WVU to a higher level of excellence.
“Thanks to this level of generosity, West Virginia University can continue to now and in the future provide scholarships and fellowships to deserving students, attract and retain quality faculty, expand academic programs, augment library resources, upgrade technology, equip laboratories and furnish facilities.”
F. Duke Perry, president and CEO of the WVU Foundation, added,”During a time in which the stock market has endured difficulty and the economy has suffered significantly, the West Virginia University Foundation is exceedingly pleased to have reached this milestone and received such generous support from alumni and friends of the University. These donors believe in West Virginia University and understand that it is an essential resource for the state, region and nation. Private investment in public higher education does work, and it has been dramatically proven and seen here at West Virginia University.”
The WVU Foundation is a private non-profit corporation that generates, receives and administers private gifts from individuals and organizations for the benefit of West Virginia University.