November 13, 2000

WKU Announces Five-Year, $1.5 Million Faculty-Staff Campaign And Major Gift For Faculty Support

Bowling Green, Ky. - Western Kentucky University announced a $1.5 million initiative for a faculty/staff campaign today.

According to Donald Smith, director of Alumni Relations and the Annual Fund, the Faculty/Staff Campaign is an important element of Western's "Investing in the Spirit" comprehensive campaign.

"It is crucial for faculty and staff to support the institution if we expect our alumni and friends to do the same," Smith said. "As we ask for private support for the campaign, it is important that our university family also participate."

The $78 million "Investing in the Spirit" campaign is designed to impact the people, places and programs that make Western unique. Smith said the goal for the faculty and staff is to raise $1.5 million over five years toward that total.

"Nationally, many universities have been conducting successful faculty and staff campaigns for decades," he said. "These campaigns have assisted in building endowments to attract quality faculty, staff and students."

This year's annual faculty and staff campaign will be chaired by Julia Roberts, director of The Center for Gifted Studies, and Luther Hughes, associate vice president for Enrollment Management.

"To date, more than $900,000 has been raised from faculty and staff," Smith said. "Several individuals have stepped forward with leadership commitments, and we are grateful for their significant support as well as for the support of all faculty and staff who have chosen to participate."

One of these leadership commitments comes from Dr. Jane Bramham, a Bowling Green physician, and Dr. Camilla Collins, a professor of Modern Languages and Intercultural Studies at Western. Their $60,000 gift will create the "Bramham / Collins Visual and Performing Guest Artist Endowed Fund" in support of the departments of Art, Music and Theatre and Dance in the Potter College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.

Western President Gary Ransdell said endowments for visiting artists and scholars are a priority for Western.

"This program will provide us with greater access to distinguished and innovative scholars, artists and writers," he said. "Through their appointments, these artists can serve to energize faculty and students while offering focused attention on timely issues that experience rapid change."

Dr. Bramham said the presence of an active arts community on campus was an important part of her college experience.

"We want to make sure that type of experience is available to students at Western," she said. "It is critical in all fields to have outside stimulation, new ideas and different perspectives. We wanted to give the students and faculty that integral opportunity."

Likewise, Dr. Collins said her experience as a Western professor has led her to realize the effect such outside influences can have upon a university.

"It adds a dimension to the educational perspective that is extremely worthwhile," she said. "It complements what is already wonderful at Western. We care about these areas because they are some of the things that add value to the University."

This gift will be matched with an additional $60,000 from the Commonwealth of Kentucky's Regional University Excellence Trust Fund.

Tom Hiles, vice president for Development and Alumni Relations, also expressed his appreciation to Drs. Bramham and Collins. "Cam and Jane have made many contributions to Western," he said. "We are so appreciative of their continued support."


For more information, contact Tom Hiles at (270) 745-6208.