WKU New Century Of Spirit Passes Midway Point; $144 Million Raised To Date

Western Kentucky University’s New Century of Spirit Campaign continues to move forward in spite of a challenging economic climate.

According to Tom Hiles, WKU’s vice president for Institutional Advancement, the campaign—which passed its midpoint earlier this year—has raised more than $144 million toward a $200 million goal.  The campaign announced in September 2007, with $91 million in hand, will conclude in June 2012.

“This is an outstanding achievement in light of the fact that our country has been through one of the most challenging economic environments since the Great Depression,” Hiles said.  “In spite of these challenges, WKU’s donors are continuing to support our goals to attract and retain highly credentialed faculty and students, enhance WKU’s physical campus, and provide academic and programmatic support for all areas of the University.  Private support is having a real impact. We are very grateful.”

WKU President Gary Ransdell said the New Century of Spirit Campaign is designed to support WKU’s vision to be a leading American university with international reach. 

“This significant private support will allow us to deliver on our promise to achieve a full and lasting transformation at WKU,” he said.  “By 2012, WKU’s capacity to attract outstanding faculty and students will have been dramatically enhanced through the gifts pledged in this campaign.  The campus-wide initiatives and entrepreneurial spirit created through the New Century of Spirit Campaign is helping WKU become the intellectual heartbeat of Kentucky.”

Rick Guillaume (WKU ’65) of Louisville, co-chair of WKU’s New Century of Spirit Campaign, said people are being more selective in their giving during these challenging economic times.  “Our donors have closely scrutinized WKU’s progress, and the continued growth of the Campaign is an accolade to the forward thinking that exists at WKU under the leadership of Dr. Gary Ransdell,” he said.

Leon Page (BU ’43) of Franklin, Ky., is also a member of the New Century of Spirit Campaign.  “I believe the main reason the campaign has been successful is because of our leadership,” he said.  “We have a president who is full of fire, vim, and vigor.  He has done a lot for WKU’s academic environment and for the physical campus.  Even in a difficult economic climate, I have found that the more people who give, the more people start to think about giving.”

Hiles said some of the examples of the impact of contributors’ gifts in the first half of the New Century of Spirit Campaign are:

• 72 percent of the $200 million Campaign has been achieved to date.
• A total of 184 new endowed scholarships have been created.
• Five new endowed faculty positions have been created.  These include the BB&T Professorship in Economics for the Study of Capitalism; Greulich Endowed Chair in Robotics and Automation Engineering; Jarve Endowed Professorship in Honors; Leichhardt Endowed Professorship in Horticulture; and the Hays Watkins Endowed Professorship in Corporate Leadership.
• A $15 million gift from Jerry Baker was announced.  This tied for the largest gift to a public university in the history of the commonwealth of Kentucky.

“In order to achieve the $200 million goal, we will continue to clarify to our valued donors the impact of their giving,” Hiles said.  “We will also continue to be flexible and creative in structuring donor gifts through end-weighted gifts, matching funds, gifts of property, and other planned gifts.”

For more information on the New Century of Spirit Campaign, call (270) 745-6208 or visit www.wku.edu/campaign.

More WKU news is available at http://www.wku.edu/news/index.html and at http://wkunews.wordpress.com/.