Pillars for the Future

Pillars for the FutureCampaign to Sustain Excellence

Pillars for the Future 3


GCSU has liberated the liberalarts. Now students can get thesmall classes, great professorsand personal attention they expect from a private college at a public university.

Colleges of Distinction Web site

A College of DistinctionA visitor has only to step onto the campus of Georgia College & State University toknow that it is a distinctive and distinguished institution. The realization begins withthe physical: a beautiful, historic campus with a wide front lawn; well-maintainedbuildings; and Corinthian pillars that signify a meaningful and valued past.

A closer inspection of Georgia College reveals its less tangible qualities: a focus on theindividual undergraduate student; engaged faculty members who are passionate aboutteaching; a seven-day-a-week, around-the-clock vibrant campus life; a challenging,interdisciplinary liberal arts curriculum; and dynamic graduate programs. All of thesetraits have earned Georgia College the designation “College of Distinction”—one of200 schools across the country recognized by the Colleges of Distinction Guide forbeing the best places in which to learn, grow and succeed. These qualities signify acollege with an exceptional and relevant future.

Founded in the former state capital of Milledgeville in 1889 as Georgia Normal andIndustrial 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 tohave educated legions of female teachers, as well as having been the training site for15,000 women as Navy WAVES during World War II. In 1967 it became a coeducationalinstitution. And in 1996 the College’s administrators and those of the UniversitySystem of Georgia Board of Regents made a decision that was to be a dramatic turningpoint in its mission: Georgia College & State University became the state’s only“designated liberal arts university.”

The Pergola

As one of only 25 public liberal arts universities in the country, Georgia Collegecombines the exceptional educational experiences of a private liberal arts collegewith the affordability of public higher education. This redefined mission has fit theuniversity like a glove and enabled it to grow both in size and eminence. With astudent body of 6,500, it is fully enrolled on its Milledgeville campus; the average SATscore of its entering freshmen is the third highest in the state, behind Georgia Techand the University of Georgia. Ninety per cent of its science majors who apply tomedical school are accepted, which is the highest acceptance rate among publicuniversities in Georgia.

Its impressive graduate programs are conducted on the Milledgeville campus, at theGCSU Center for Graduate and Professional Learning in Macon, and at Robins AirForce Base in Warner Robins, providing middle Georgia residents with exceptionalopportunities to advance their careers. In addition to Master of Arts in Teachingprograms for teachers in 11 subject areas, graduate offerings range from the MBA inHealth Services Administration to the MFA in Creative Writing, from the M.Ed. inKinesiology/Outdoor Education Leadership to the MS in Administration LogisticalManagement.

For all the accolades, Georgia College is anything but complacent about its future.Rather, it continuously pursues new goals and avenues for academic excellence. Itcompetes determinedly with out-of-state liberal arts institutions for Georgia’s mostacademically talented students. It identifies and attracts a distinguished faculty –one that is passionate about teaching students and pursuing scholarship. And GeorgiaCollege is committed to attracting outside speakers, writers and artists whoseprofessional experiences enhance the broad mission of the university.

All of this takes money. Georgia College must increase its endowment forscholarships, professorships and lectureships, and it must also attract additionalprivate sources of support for its operating needs.

The current recession has resulted in repeated state budget cuts and substantialreductions in public funding for Georgia College. To make up the qualitative differenceand to sustain the level of excellence it has attained since refining its mission, GeorgiaCollege & State University is launching its first ever campaign. Private giving fromalumni, parents, local businesses, middle Georgia community leaders, foundations andcorporations committed to higher education is essential to its future success.

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.

6 Pillars for the Future


In these challenging economic times, it is more important than ever to provideacademically talented students with affordable access to educational experiences ofextraordinary quality. That is the mission of our nation’s public liberal artsuniversities:

• To remain small enough to provide students the individualized attention they deserve;

• To promote learning that connects education with real-world experiences; and

• To provide a liberal arts grounded curriculum that prepares students forsuccess in a globally complex and ever-changing world.

A 2007 report prepared by a panel of business, labor, philanthropy and policy leadersand issued by the Association of American Colleges and Universities concluded: “Inan economy fueled by innovation, the capabilities developed through a liberal artseducation have become America’s most valuable economic asset.”

Now More Than Ever:The Value of a PublicLiberal Arts Education

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


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 GeorgiaCollege provides.

As Georgia’s designated liberal arts university, Georgia College has demonstrated thatit is preparing its students well for the challenges of the future and theresponsibilities of leadership. Now is the time to enlist private sector support as wesimilarly strive to prepare the university to thrive and lead in the years ahead.


How well we compete in theglobal economy – how well weaddress the world’s pressing social and political problems –indeed how well we and otherssurvive: all this depends on howwell we prepare our students torespond to the challenges of ourglobally interconnected world.

Dr. Dorothy LelandGCSU President

Sustaining Excellence –Endowing QualityAlthough this is an exciting time for Georgia College & State University, it is also achallenging time. Budget cuts by the State of Georgia have been significant inresponse to the economic recession, and the college’s endowment decreased by 23% in2008 as the financial market fell dramatically. These conditions have lessened theamount of funds the university has available for merit and need-based scholarships, aswell as the discretionary funds that enable us to bring renowned speakers to thecampus and community, provide for faculty growth and development, award grants tostudents for undergraduate research opportunities and make discretionary fundsavailable 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 onraising 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


Scholarships to Attract More Student Scholars

In order to compete for the top students in the state, and add to the diversity andbalance of the student body by attracting more out-of-state students, Georgia Collegemust be able to offer additional merit and need-based scholarships. Currently, the onlycomprehensive scholarship that the university is able to offer is the President’sScholarship. Fifty accomplished applicants, all with SAT scores of 1300 or above (orclass rank in the top 5%) and a GPA of 3.5 or higher, are invited to interview on campusfor the scholarships. Unfortunately, the university is able to offer the President’sScholarship to only a very few of these remarkably accomplished applicants, just eightfor fall 2010. Georgia College would like to be able to increase the number of offers itcan make for the President’s Scholarship. As unemployment rates rise, manufacturingplummets and businesses everywhere lay off workers, Georgia College also seeksadditional, unrestricted funds for need-based scholarships for talented, hard-workingstudents who might not otherwise be able to complete their education.

Undergraduate Research Funds

Georgia College offers unique opportunities for undergraduate students, includingfreshmen, to become involved in the kind of faculty-led research and hands-oninvestigations that are generally reserved for graduate students at other institutions.These research opportunities are invaluable in attracting students and promotingtheir intellectual and creative growth. Funds earmarked for undergraduate researchhave had a particularly beneficial effect in the sciences where students are often ableto attend and present their work at professional conferences. Over the last threeyears, since research funds have been available, the number of chemistry majors atGeorgia College has increased six-fold. Additional research funds will strengthen theuniversity’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 recruitand retain distinguished faculty in Milledgeville. Such positions also add prestige to auniversity, open new avenues for national collaboration and help attract exceptionalstudents. Specific examples of areas where the university would seek to establishthese professorships include Creative Writing, Flannery O’Connor Studies, TeacherEducation/School Improvement, Science and Entrepreneurship.


Funds for Guest Lecturers

Because Georgia College is located in a small town in the middle of the state, it iseven more important for the university to bring noted scholars, writers and artists tothe campus in order to enrich the intellectual and cultural lives of our students,faculty and surrounding community. With the campaign, Georgia College seeks tocreate 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 differencebetween a good university and an excellent one. Unrestricted gifts are an importantsource of funding for annual scholarships, cultural programs, athletics and generalsupport within each of the academic divisions at Georgia College. They also allow theuniversity’s leadership to have a discretionary cushion for unexpected needs that mightarise. Because of the significant cuts in state funding, this is perhaps our most criticalneed right now. In Phase I of The Campaign to Sustain Excellence, we are asking ourdonors to make unrestricted gifts to Georgia College over a five-year-period.

Russell Auditorium

Parks Hall18 Pillars for the Future


Many people do not understandthat the HOPE Scholarship onlycovers tuition, some books andsome 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-basedgrants.

Cathy Crawley GCSU Director ofFinancial Aid

Support Our FutureGeorgia College’s budget is comprised of state funding, student tuition and privategifts. Even as state funding for higher education is significantly declining, GeorgiaCollege is committed to providing an excellent education at an affordable price. In thecurrent economic climate, the university will not be able to do so without significantprivate support. Gifts from Georgia College alumni, parents and friends areparticularly important as they provide crucial funding to augment the shrinkingportion of the state budget targeted for higher education.

You have the opportunity to be a pillar of support for Georgia College’s future; your giftwill make a qualitative difference in our mission. A number of prominent namingopportunities are available for donors to the Campaign to Sustain Excellence,including endowed scholarships, professorships and lectureships.

Old Governor’s Mansion

ENDOWED NAMING OPPORTUNITIES

Scholarships:

Presidential Scholarship $100,000

Exceptional Student Scholarship $75,000

Scholarship Award $10,000

Undergraduate Research:

Undergraduate Research Grant $50,000(20 available)

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.



All donors who provide $10,000 or more to the campaign will be gratefullyacknowledged as “Pillars for the Future.” Their names will be engraved on a largedonor 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 taxdeductible to the extent allowed by law. Gifts of cash, securities and othermarketable 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 onthe campaign or on these opportunities, please contact:

Amy AmasonVice President for External Relations & University Advancement

Executive Director, GCSU Foundation [email protected]

Telephone: (478) 445-1945

Bell Hall

Pillars for the Future

Documents

Transcript of Pillars for the Future