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The university hopes to raise $10 million by 2010, the greatest share going to new scholarships and increasing of existing endowments.
The campaign, called “Light the Way,” was unveiled in a press conference led by WSU president Judith Ramaley, community members and other university officials.
“There are times in the life of an institution when everything comes together just right,” Ramaley said. “We are in one of those times.”
State appropriations have not kept pace with the rise in school costs over the past several decades, Ramaley and other officials said, highlighting the importance of the fundraiser. WSU receives about 30 percent of its funding from the state. Much of the remaining costs are passed on. Tuition at schools in the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system has doubled in the past 10 years.
In fiscal year 2007, the WSU Foundation awarded about $600,000 in scholarships to its students. The fundraising goal is to earmark $4 million for new and existing university scholarships.
The campaign also hopes to raise $3.5 million toward a planned 90,000-square-foot Integrated Wellness Complex, which will combine fitness and sports areas with spaces for health education and research. The new funding will supplement $8.4 million in state appropriations and $7.1 million in student activity fees raised for the building, which WSU estimates will cost about $19 million. WSU plans to begin construction this fall.
An additional $2.5 million will go toward the National Child Protection Training Center, a WSU-housed institution that provides training to law enforcement and child protection professionals who handle child abuse cases. Headed by WSU graduate Victor Vieth, the nationally acclaimed center has relied heavily on federal earmarks and anonymous donations since its inception in 2003.
Jim Schmidt, WSU vice president of university advancement, said much fundraising already has been accomplished during the campaign’s silent phase. Donors gave $6.4 million as of Aug. 1, some of which was disbursed to scholarships and the child protection center.
Nolan Rosenkrans may be reached at (507) 453-3519 or at nolan.rosenkrans@lee.net.
