WKU News & Events

May 10, 2002

WKU Reaches $78 Million "Investing In The Spirit"
Campaign Goal A Year Early; Sets New Goal
At $90 Million

Bowling Green, Ky. - When Western Kentucky University President Gary Ransdell announced on April 27, 2000, that WKU would raise $78 million in its first comprehensive campaign, he had no doubt the goal would be met.

With a little more than a year left in the five-year campaign, Western has passed that goal and, at the recommendation of the Campaign Cabinet, he's raising the stakes - to $90 million.

"We were confident that we would meet our goal in the "Investing in the Spirit" campaign by June 30, 2003," Dr. Ransdell said. "What we discovered was that as we told the Western story, as we articulated our needs and our plan for the University, our message was well received. Alumni, friends, faculty and staff all stepped forward to help us achieve our vision of being the best comprehensive university in Kentucky and among the best in the country."

On May 10, the University is announcing a campaign total of $78,875,834, yet there are still some goals that are unmet and new needs that have arisen.

"We're not raising money for the sake of raising money," Dr. Ransdell said. "We have a vision for this University and a plan to reach that vision. Meeting these goals is an important part of that plan."

Tom Hiles, WKU's vice president for Institutional Advancement, said the original focus of the campaign-people, places and programs-will continue.

"We have confidence in our campaign because we have confidence in our program," Hiles said. "There are three primary reasons for our confidence. We have a dynamic president who has articulated a vision statement for Western to be the best comprehensive university in the state and among the best in the country. Secondly, we have loyal alumni and friends who have responded to this vision. Finally, we have been proactive in matching donor interests with needs."

Campaign co-chair Don Vitale of Bowling Green agreed. "The campaign's success clearly reflects the strong support of alumni and friends for Dr. Ransdell's aggressive goals for the University," he said.

Priorities
"Investing in the Spirit" has always been about making an impact on the people associated with WKU, Hiles said. "We identified the needs of the University and set goals to meet those needs," he said. "We have met and even exceeded those goals in many areas, such as student scholarships, but need to work on others."

One of the needs is additional endowed faculty support, including adding to the 19 endowed professorships established during the campaign. Additional support is also needed for capital projects and campus enhancements.

"While much attention is focused on the campaign total, we are trying to match donors with our areas of greatest need," Hiles said.

Lasting impact
One of the major successes of the campaign has been growing the University's endowment from $16 million to $47.3 million. That's key for the long-term stability and survivability of the institution, Dr. Ransdell said.

"Endowments are permanent," he said. "The income from these endowments, whether designated for scholarships or faculty positions, will continue to grow and support those programs in perpetuity."

Western is committed to providing a quality educational experience for its students as well as producing relevant research and public service for the region, Dr. Ransdell said.

"The support we have received during this campaign is enabling us to do far more than we ever could with just tuition and state appropriations," he said. "We are impacting lives in a positive way and helping to enhance the quality of life of our students, alumni and friends."

Continued success
The continued success of the "Investing in the Spirit" campaign is even more amazing given the slowing of the economy over the past two years, Hiles said.

And adding $12 million to the goal going into the final year of the campaign is "a true testament to the 'spirit' of Western," campaign co-chair Mary Nixon of Louisville said. "I continue to be amazed by the dedication of the Western staff and the generosity of our alumni and go into this next phase of our campaign more enthused than ever about our future."

For more information, contact Tom Hiles at (270) 745-6208. More WKU news is available on the World Wide Web at www.wku.edu. If you'd like to receive WKU news via E-mail, send a message to WKUNews@wku.edu.