 |
Thursday,
January 29, 2004
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
Campaign
raises goal
TCU
officials are reorganizing the largest fund-raising campaign
in the university’s history to generate money for
programs and pay for a multi-million dollar construction
debt.
By
Marco Lopez
Staff Reporter
University Advancement plans to ask the Board of Trustees
today to raise a campaign goal by $20 million and extend
its deadline.
The department wants to extend the campaign “Our
Time, Our Future” until 2008 in order to reach the
desired goal, said Bronson Davis, TCU vice chancellor
for university advancement.
“Nothing had gone to plan. We postponed the public
kickoff twice, it was a very awkward time to solicit large
gifts,” he said. “We had Sept. 11, a bad drop
in the stock market, a very difficult recession and two
wars which diverted people's attention.”
The campaign has collected $108 million toward the current
goal of $230 million since it began in June 2000, Davis
said. If the Board of Trustees approves the raise, the
campaign goal will be $250 million.
The money collected will be used to help pay the $161
million construction debt of several existing buildings
and future projects such as the School of Education Complex
and a Music Performing Arts Center, Davis said.
The country’s changing economy and a new chancellor
should help the campaign achieve its higher goals, Davis
said.
Former Chancellor Michael Ferrari retired two years earlier
than planned, which affected the campaign because the
chancellor was the primary leader for the campaign, Davis
said.
“Any (fund-raising) campaign is dependent on the
chancellor because he is the key speaker for the campaign,”
he said.
Chancellor Victor Boschini had to get acquainted with
all the donors and the campaign’s plans before they
could proceed with collecting donations, Davis said.
Boschini said he has spent the past seven months getting
acquainted with students, faculty and staff, and different
organizations that support TCU to get a better perspective
of the school and to develop his fund-raising agenda.
“This is definitely one of my top goals for my administration,”
Boschini said.
The university has to spend money in order to ensure that
TCU students get the proper learning environment, Boschini
said. But raising money to pay for the school’s debt
is at the top of his list, he said. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
