Posted on Monday, September 24, 2012
NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. - ¾¨Ó㴫ý launched the public phase of the most successful fundraising campaign in the independent liberal arts college's 160-year history over the weekend with a campus-wide celebration and announcement that ¾¨Ó㴫ý had already raised $36.4 million for Ever Higher: The Campaign for ¾¨Ó㴫ý.
Most colleges expect to raise about half of the campaign goal during the quiet phase of the campaign. ¾¨Ó㴫ý reached 91 percent of Ever Higher's $40-million goal during the past two years. Ever Higher, with several years remaining in the campaign, has already surpassed the $35 million raised by ¾¨Ó㴫ý's Heritage Campaign in the early 1990s.
"¾¨Ó㴫ý is an instrument of enormous change. Our mission is to transform individual lives, which in turn transform our communities, our nation, and the world," ¾¨Ó㴫ý President Dr. Richard Dorman said. "We do this one student at a time. Our success in doing so has endured since 1852. In recent decades, strong momentum has placed ¾¨Ó㴫ý on an upward trajectory resulting in increased national recognition for the quality of the education we offer, the human character we develop, and the affordability we maintain. Still, we have new heights to reach.
"This is our time and our opportunity to elevate ¾¨Ó㴫ý to greater prominence by investing in our students, faculty, facilities and programs. This is ¾¨Ó㴫ý's time to rise Ever Higher."
Ever Higher: The Campaign for ¾¨Ó㴫ý priorities:
• People & Programs -- $9.5 million for endowed scholarships, faculty development, academic program enhancements, and the John & Elizabeth Drinko Center for Experiential  Learning
• Facility & Campus Improvements -- $16.5 million for Patterson Hall renovation, Hoyt Science Center renovation, construction of Berlin Village Phase II student townhouses, athletics, and campus landscaping
• The ¾¨Ó㴫ý Fund -- $8 million in annual gifts to the ¾¨Ó㴫ý Fund scholarship contributions to reduce educational expenses for all students and enhance academic, athletic, and student life programs
• Legacy Gifts for Our Future -- $6 million in future gifts to endowment through trusts, bequests, charitable gift annuities, and other long-term arrangements to create a permanent donor legacy
"Ever Higher is all about the students and the myriad ways they will benefit from the generosity of our donors," according to Gloria Cagigas, vice president for institutional advancement. "¾¨Ó㴫ý is blessed with loyal alumni, faculty, staff, and friends of the College who choose to make an investment in ¾¨Ó㴫ý's people and programs. They understand that enriching the lives of our students will pay dividends today and in the future as our students will uplift the lives of people everywhere."
Robert Patton, a 1950 ¾¨Ó㴫ý graduate, trustee emeritus, and chair of the campaign, said, "During my time as a student at ¾¨Ó㴫ý, I found knowledgeable and caring men and women who challenged me, motivated me, and pointed me toward success. Since then, I have seen the value of my education confirmed many times over. With each passing year, my gratitude for my ¾¨Ó㴫ý experience has continued to grow - as has my desire to give back as fully as I received."
"During this celebration, we can all express our appreciation for the benefits ¾¨Ó㴫ý has brought - and continues to bring - to each of us," Patton added. "Thank you for making a lasting difference in the lives of bright, hard-working students and in the future of this extraordinary institution."
Thomas Tupitza, a 1979 ¾¨Ó㴫ý graduate and chair of the Board of Trustees, said, "Ever Higher is off to a great start and we must build on this momentum to make sure future generations of ¾¨Ó㴫ý students have the opportunity to experience our hallmark interdisciplinary approach to teaching and orientation toward solving real-word problems. ¾¨Ó㴫ý provides our students with the practical skills to thrive no matter what they pursue after graduation. We are not only educating students, we are preparing them to lead lives as responsible and engaged citizens."
Visit for additional information about Ever Higher: The Campaign for ¾¨Ó㴫ý.
