Campus News

President Hall Plans to Refocus Fund-raising to Enhance Student Success

By Carol Olechowski (April 8, 2005)

President Kermit L. Hall has announced plans to retire UAlbany's Bold.Vision. campaign and refocus the University's fund-raising efforts to place greater emphasis on scholarships and academics with the goal of enhancing student success.

"Philanthropy plays a critical role in determining UAlbany's success," noted Hall, adding that he wants to realign the University's philanthropic efforts with the changing needs of the University.

"Upon arriving at UAlbany, I discovered many new institutional developments that had occurred since the launch of its major fund-raising campaign," said Hall. "It is essential that these developments, along with new priorities, be factored into our vision for institutional success and our overall fund-raising equation.

"As we work to reformulate our institutional goals, I expect the Inaugural Scholarship Fund to serve as the bridge between UAlbany's original campaign and a newly focused one."

Hall launched the Inaugural Scholarship Fund when he arrived at UAlbany, jump-starting it with $100,000 that would have been spent on his presidential inaugural event. He and his wife, Phyllis, then pledged an additional $10,000. To date, the fund has generated more than $177,000 in support of need-based undergraduate scholarships.

Former President Karen R. Hitchcock launched the Bold. Vision. campaign in April 2003 with the goal of reaching $500 million by 2008. Support for new buildings and scientific equipment was a major priority of the campaign, and about $250 million has been raised so far, much of that in the form of scientific equipment and other corporate donations.

Hall said the new campaign will be "directed toward creating the resources that make it possible for our students to be retained, graduate and get on to successful lives." Besides scholarships, the University's fund-raising efforts will seek to increase support for endowed professorships and fellowships, he said.