Pillars for the Future Campaign to Sustain Excellence
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GCSU has liberated the liberal arts. Now students can get the small classes, great professors and personal attention they expect from a private college at a public university. Colleges of Distinction Web site
A College of Distinction A visitor has only to step onto the campus of Georgia College & State University to know that it is a distinctive and distinguished institution. The realization begins with the physical: a beautiful, historic campus with a wide front lawn; well-maintained buildings; and Corinthian pillars that signify a meaningful and valued past. A closer inspection of Georgia College reveals its less tangible qualities: a focus on the individual undergraduate student; engaged faculty members who are passionate about teaching; a seven-day-a-week, around-the-clock vibrant campus life; a challenging, interdisciplinary liberal arts curriculum; and dynamic graduate programs. All of these traits have earned Georgia College the designation “College of Distinction”—one of 200 schools across the country recognized by the Colleges of Distinction Guide for being the best places in which to learn, grow and succeed. These qualities signify a college with an exceptional and relevant future. Founded in the former state capital of Milledgeville in 1889 as Georgia Normal and Industrial College, its name was changed to Georgia State College for Women in 1922. Its most famous alumna is author Flannery O’Connor, but Georgia College is proud to have educated legions of female teachers, as well as having been the training site for 15,000 women as Navy WAVES during World War II. In 1967 it became a coeducational institution. And in 1996 the College’s administrators and those of the University System of Georgia Board of Regents made a decision that was to be a dramatic turning point in its mission: Georgia College & State University became the state’s only “designated liberal arts university.”
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As one of only 25 public liberal arts universities in the country, Georgia College combines the exceptional educational experiences of a private liberal arts college with the affordability of public higher education. This redefined mission has fit the university like a glove and enabled it to grow both in size and eminence. With a student body of 6,500, it is fully enrolled on its Milledgeville campus; the average SAT score of its entering freshmen is the third highest in the state, behind Georgia Tech and the University of Georgia. Ninety per cent of its science majors who apply to medical school are accepted, which is the highest acceptance rate among public universities in Georgia. Its impressive graduate programs are conducted on the Milledgeville campus, at the GCSU Center for Graduate and Professional Learning in Macon, and at Robins Air Force Base in Warner Robins, providing middle Georgia residents with exceptional opportunities to advance their careers. In addition to Master of Arts in Teaching programs for teachers in 11 subject areas, graduate offerings range from the MBA in Health Services Administration to the MFA in Creative Writing, from the M.Ed. in Kinesiology/Outdoor Education Leadership to the MS in Administration Logistical Management. Once a middle Georgia regional college, Georgia College today enjoys statewide recognition and attracts national attention through rising annual rankings in such prestigious publications as U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review.
For all the accolades, Georgia College is anything but complacent about its future. Rather, it continuously pursues new goals and avenues for academic excellence. It competes determinedly with out-of-state liberal arts institutions for Georgia’s most academically talented students. It identifies and attracts a distinguished faculty – one that is passionate about teaching students and pursuing scholarship. And Georgia College is committed to attracting outside speakers, writers and artists whose professional experiences enhance the broad mission of the university. All of this takes money. Georgia College must increase its endowment for scholarships, professorships and lectureships, and it must also attract additional private sources of support for its operating needs. The current recession has resulted in repeated state budget cuts and substantial reductions in public funding for Georgia College. To make up the qualitative difference and to sustain the level of excellence it has attained since refining its mission, Georgia College & State University is launching its first ever campaign. Private giving from alumni, parents, local businesses, middle Georgia community leaders, foundations and corporations committed to higher education is essential to its future success.
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The Pergola
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In an economy fueled by innovation, the capabilities developed through a liberal arts education have become America’s most valuable economic asset. Association of American Colleges and Universities
Now More Than Ever: The Value of a Public Liberal Arts Education In these challenging economic times, it is more important than ever to provide academically talented students with affordable access to educational experiences of extraordinary quality. That is the mission of our nation’s public liberal arts universities: •
To remain small enough to provide students the individualized attention they deserve;
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To promote learning that connects education with real-world experiences; and
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To provide a liberal arts grounded curriculum that prepares students for success in a globally complex and ever-changing world.
A 2007 report prepared by a panel of business, labor, philanthropy and policy leaders and issued by the Association of American Colleges and Universities concluded: “In an economy fueled by innovation, the capabilities developed through a liberal arts education have become America’s most valuable economic asset.”
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The report also identified four “essential learning outcomes� that graduates should possess: 1. A broad base of knowledge across multiple disciplines; 2. Intellectual and practical skills such as teamwork and problem-solving; 3. A sense of personal and social responsibility, including ethical reasoning; and 4. Experience applying what they learn to real-world problems. These are all outcomes that spring from the learning environment that Georgia College provides. As Georgia’s designated liberal arts university, Georgia College has demonstrated that it is preparing its students well for the challenges of the future and the responsibilities of leadership. Now is the time to enlist private sector support as we similarly strive to prepare the university to thrive and lead in the years ahead.
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How well we compete in the global economy – how well we address the world’s pressing social and political problems – indeed how well we and others survive: all this depends on how well we prepare our students to respond to the challenges of our globally interconnected world. Dr. Dorothy Leland GCSU President
Sustaining Excellence – Endowing Quality Although this is an exciting time for Georgia College & State University, it is also a challenging time. Budget cuts by the State of Georgia have been significant in response to the economic recession, and the college’s endowment decreased by 23% in 2008 as the financial market fell dramatically. These conditions have lessened the amount of funds the university has available for merit and need-based scholarships, as well as the discretionary funds that enable us to bring renowned speakers to the campus and community, provide for faculty growth and development, award grants to students for undergraduate research opportunities and make discretionary funds available for the President’s use to advance the mission of the university. For these reasons, Phase I of The Campaign to Sustain Excellence is focused on raising the following funds: Funds for Endowment
$ 3,700,000
(Merit and Need-based Scholarships, Professorships and Lectureships)
Program Support for a Five-Year Period
$ 6,650,000
TOTAL
$10,350.000
Terrell Hall
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Scholarships to Attract More Student Scholars In order to compete for the top students in the state, and add to the diversity and balance of the student body by attracting more out-of-state students, Georgia College must be able to offer additional merit and need-based scholarships. Currently, the only comprehensive scholarship that the university is able to offer is the President’s Scholarship. Fifty accomplished applicants, all with SAT scores of 1300 or above (or class rank in the top 5%) and a GPA of 3.5 or higher, are invited to interview on campus for the scholarships. Unfortunately, the university is able to offer the President’s Scholarship to only a very few of these remarkably accomplished applicants, just eight for fall 2010. Georgia College would like to be able to increase the number of offers it can make for the President’s Scholarship. As unemployment rates rise, manufacturing plummets and businesses everywhere lay off workers, Georgia College also seeks additional, unrestricted funds for need-based scholarships for talented, hard-working students who might not otherwise be able to complete their education.
Undergraduate Research Funds Georgia College offers unique opportunities for undergraduate students, including freshmen, to become involved in the kind of faculty-led research and hands-on investigations that are generally reserved for graduate students at other institutions. These research opportunities are invaluable in attracting students and promoting their intellectual and creative growth. Funds earmarked for undergraduate research have had a particularly beneficial effect in the sciences where students are often able to attend and present their work at professional conferences. Over the last three years, since research funds have been available, the number of chemistry majors at Georgia College has increased six-fold. Additional research funds will strengthen the university’s role as an educator of Georgia’s future scientists.
Faculty Endowment to Attract and Keep the Best Endowed professorships will significantly enhance Georgia College’s ability to recruit and retain distinguished faculty in Milledgeville. Such positions also add prestige to a university, open new avenues for national collaboration and help attract exceptional students. Specific examples of areas where the university would seek to establish these professorships include Creative Writing, Flannery O’Connor Studies, Teacher Education/School Improvement, Science and Entrepreneurship.
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Funds for Guest Lecturers Because Georgia College is located in a small town in the middle of the state, it is even more important for the university to bring noted scholars, writers and artists to the campus in order to enrich the intellectual and cultural lives of our students, faculty and surrounding community. With the campaign, Georgia College seeks to create a base endowment of $1,000,000 to fund guest lecturers, writers and artists. Donors have the option of naming lectureships at three different levels.
Program Support That Makes a Difference These unrestricted gifts provide funding for many programs that make the difference between a good university and an excellent one. Unrestricted gifts are an important source of funding for annual scholarships, cultural programs, athletics and general support within each of the academic divisions at Georgia College. They also allow the university’s leadership to have a discretionary cushion for unexpected needs that might arise. Because of the significant cuts in state funding, this is perhaps our most critical need right now. In Phase I of The Campaign to Sustain Excellence, we are asking our donors to make unrestricted gifts to Georgia College over a five-year-period.
Russell Auditorium
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Parks Hall
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Many people do not understand that the HOPE Scholarship only covers tuition, some books and some fees. Families must still pay $8,500 per year for room and board and for additional textbooks. We need to be able to defray these costs for more students, with more merit scholarships and need-based grants. Cathy Crawley GCSU Director of Financial Aid
Support Our Future Georgia College’s budget is comprised of state funding, student tuition and private gifts. Even as state funding for higher education is significantly declining, Georgia College is committed to providing an excellent education at an affordable price. In the current economic climate, the university will not be able to do so without significant private support. Gifts from Georgia College alumni, parents and friends are particularly important as they provide crucial funding to augment the shrinking portion of the state budget targeted for higher education. You have the opportunity to be a pillar of support for Georgia College’s future; your gift will make a qualitative difference in our mission. A number of prominent naming opportunities are available for donors to the Campaign to Sustain Excellence, including endowed scholarships, professorships and lectureships.
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ENDOWED NAMING OPPORTUNITIES Scholarships: Presidential Scholarship
$100,000
Exceptional Student Scholarship
$75,000
Scholarship Award
$10,000
Undergraduate Research: Undergraduate Research Grant (20 available)
$50,000
Professorships: Endowed Chair*
$1,000,000
Distinguished Professorship*
$500,000
Professorship*
$250,000
Lectureships: Master Lectureship Series
$250,000
Distinguished Lectureship Series
$150,000
Distinguished Lecture
$50,000
* University System of Georgia Board of Regents’ policy applies.
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Old Governor’s Mansion
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All donors who provide $10,000 or more to the campaign will be gratefully acknowledged as “Pillars for the Future.� Their names will be engraved on a large donor wall on the main campus at the completion of the campaign. All pledges to the campaign may be paid over a five-year period. All gifts will be tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. Gifts of cash, securities and other marketable property will be gratefully received. Planned gifts are also welcomed. Georgia College & State University is the jewel in the University System of Georgia. We thank you for your interest and support of our future. For further information on the campaign or on these opportunities, please contact:
Amy Amason Vice President for External Relations & University Advancement Executive Director, GCSU Foundation amy.amason@gcsu.edu Telephone: (478) 445-1945
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