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Winter 2007 A look back on an historic campaign Gift represents lifelong passion for education Gift enriches student and faculty learning
New Vision of Excellence inspires believers, boosts institutional pride The numbers speak for themselves. When $78 million flashed on the screen behind Campaign Chairman Roger Kesseler at a gala event wrapping up Central Michigan University’s historic New Vision of Excellence Campaign, fireworks lit up the room and the crowd broke into enthusiastic applause. The CMU community has a lot to celebrate. The New Vision of Excellence Campaign for CMU – the historic first capital campaign in CMU history – shattered an ambitious $50 million goal while ending four months earlier than its scheduled conclusion. The campaign was intended to help secure CMU’s position as an academically rigorous university recognized nationally for excellent undergraduate and graduate education through four main priorities: student scholarships, faculty and program endowments, campus environment enhancements, and ongoing and special programs. It celebrated significant accomplishments in each of these areas. “This campaign has built our confidence and lifted our sense of what’s possible,” said President Michael Rao. “It gave us a chance to believe that national excellence is a possibility for all of us, effectively boosting our institutional self-esteem. Over the last several years, a new standard has been set. A new pace has been established – a national pace.” Campaign coordinators and volunteers said donor generosity throughout the campaign exceeded expectations. “People sense that a lot of exciting things are happening at the university, and they want to help make a difference,” said CMU Vice President of Development and Alumni Relations Michael A. Leto. “The success of this campaign was truly a story of people coming together to achieve great things.” With the campaign now over, Leto said new priorities are emerging. Upcoming projects that will require private support include the new Education Building, faculty endowments, graduate programs, international programs, study abroad, and capital projects in athletics. “There also are many special projects emerging from within each of the colleges and other programs in which private support can make a difference,” Leto said. Campaign quick facts • More than 70,000 donors contributed to the campaign, including 32,000 first-time donors. A LOOK BACK ON AN HISTORIC CAMPAIGN At the end of Central Michigan University's landmark New Vision of Excellence Campaign, we asked Michael A. Leto, vice president of development and alumni relations, to look back on the campaign and share his perspective on its key successes and changing goals over the past five years. In what areas did CMU exceed the main goals of the capital campaign and in what areas are there still unmet needs? There were three main goal areas for the campaign: endowment, capital projects, and ongoing and special programs. The goals were exceeded in each area by significant margins. However, there are continuing needs in the areas of student support and especially for faculty endowments. The new Education Building also was approved late in the campaign and this will be a continuing fundraising priority moving forward. What were some of the significant highlights or milestones of the campaign that stand out for you? The most significant highlight was the overwhelming response by alumni and friends during a less than ideal time for an undertaking of this magnitude. During the early planning stages of the campaign, our nation was dealing with the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and a slumping economy, especially in Michigan, and a declining stock market. Our campaign chair, Roger Kesseler, President Michael Rao, and the campaign steering committee never wavered when many other universities were canceling or postponing their capital campaign planning. What has been your overall impression of donor support of the campaign? Overall donor support exceeded all expectations. More than 70,000 donors contributed to the campaign, including 32,000 first-time donors. Nearly 200 new endowment accounts were created, and there were 16 gifts of $1 million or more. Prior to the campaign, only one gift of that magnitude was received in the history of the university. The generosity of our faculty and staff also cannot be overlooked. Present and retired employees contributed $4 million to the campaign. Members of the CMU Development Board and Board of Trustees also led the way with $12 million. How have the university’s needs changed over the course of the campaign? Increasing our endowment will continue to be a priority, and the new Education Building has emerged as an active fundraising project. Funding for international programs, including study abroad, will receive increased focus, as will graduate programs, the Honors Program, and the events center. How has the changing funding from the state impacted CMU’s fundraising efforts since the campaign started? The fluctuating funding from the state has made it clear that endowments are important to help sustain new programs, enhance the learning process, and create opportunities for student involvement. For example, a student stock portfolio was created by a generous gift. This will provide students with a real-life investment experience that would not have been possible without private funding. Private gifts cannot replace state funding, but they can help enhance and strengthen our offerings. To what do you attribute the success of the campaign? People sense that a lot of exciting things are happening at the university, and they want to help make a difference. The success of the campaign can be attributed to many things. Key factors include outstanding volunteer leadership, confidence in the university’s administration, a deep appreciation of the university’s mission, a competent and hard-working staff, a supportive university community, and last but not least, a little bit of good fortune. Discuss the role of the National Campaign Steering Committee and the efforts of the members of that committee, as well as volunteers. The National Campaign Steering Committee was critical to the success of the campaign. This was an outstanding group of men and women who gave generously of their time and of their resources. It all began with the campaign chair, Roger Kesseler, who provided strong leadership throughout the campaign and inspired many others to participate through his tireless advocacy. In addition to the National Campaign Steering Committee, 529 volunteers contributed directly or indirectly to the campaign efforts through service on 52 different boards or committees. Never before has CMU experienced this level of volunteer involvement. You’ve said that more people on campus need to be actively involved in communicating the need for private resources. How has CMU progressed in this area? During the course of the campaign, the university community rose to the occasion and played critical roles. Deans and program directors were actively involved in the campaign, providing leadership to volunteer committees and engaging alumni and donors. Hundreds of faculty members also participated with their own financial support but also in communicating the needs and priorities of the university to donors. What would people be surprised to know about the campaign? Are there any behind-the-scenes anecdotes or a particularly poignant story that you can share? People on campus may be surprised how much people care about CMU and take pride in each and every accomplishment. Sometimes we take each other for granted. Most people probably don’t know how much time President Rao and Monica Rao spent on campaign and alumni activities, often at great personal sacrifice. There were many poignant points during the campaign, such as the tearful father expressing gratitude for the scholarship that allowed his daughter to attend CMU, or the campaign committee member who rented a car and drove 1,500 miles the day after the 9/11 terrorist attacks to attend a campaign meeting when his flight was canceled, or the donor who made a gift to help students who are in crisis because someone helped him when he was in need. There were many stories such as these, all of which illustrate that CMU is such a special place. Now that the campaign is over, what happens next? While the campaign may be over, the role of private support in advancing the university will continue. The focus moving forward will be on the new Education Building, faculty endowments, graduate programs, international programs, study abroad, and capital projects in athletics, to name a few. There also are many special projects emerging from within each of the colleges and other programs in which private support can make a difference. Our goal will be to build on the success of the campaign and help support the priorities established in the university’s new strategic plan, CMU 2010.GIFT REPRESENTS LIFELONG PASSION FOR EDUCATION Auditorium named to recognize Smiths For Sid Smith, ’65, and his wife, Judy French Smith, ’65, supporting CMU’s new Education Building with an extraordinary $1 million gift is the ideal way to express their commitment to quality education. The Smiths are lifelong advocates for education and believe that those pursuing the dream of becoming a teacher should do so at CMU. In fact, Judy did just that. She received her degree in secondary education with a major in English and taught seventh-grade English and remedial reading in the Lansing Public Schools. “I really enjoyed teaching,” Judy said. “It was a new and rewarding experience for me, working and living in an urban environment.” Although Sid holds a degree in business, education is in his blood. His father, Woodward “Woody” Smith, came to CMU in the fall of 1942 and held several positions on campus. He was a teacher and an administrator and also was instrumental in creating what now is CMU Off-Campus Programs. Woody’s love for CMU and dedication to teacher preparation were instilled in his son. “Teachers are the second most important people in a child’s life,” Sid said. “Next to parents, no one has a greater influence than a teacher. We have to do everything we can to make sure they are trained and well prepared for the 21st century. Fundraising moves forward The Smiths’ leadership gift gave the fundraising effort for the new building a tremendous start. “We are so very grateful to the Smiths for their generosity,” said Karen Adams, dean of the College of Education and Human Services. “Their gift truly paved the way for this project to move forward.” CMU’s new Education Building will offer the ideal space for that preparation to take place, particularly in the 200-seat auditorium. Its design will make the auditorium an attractive location for student instruction, campuswide presentations, and small professional conferences. In recognition of their gift, the new auditorium will bear the Smith’s name. The state of Michigan has committed $37.5 million toward the cost of the $50 million project. The college and university must raise a minimum of $7.5 million toward CMU’s $12.5 million matching requirement for the project. In addition to the $1 million gift from Sid Smith and Judy French Smith, other lead gifts for the new Education Building Project include: - The Rollin M. Gerstacker Foundation has pledged $1.5 million Selection of naming opportunities
Endowment to support faculty development The recently established Nash Family Professional Development Endowment will give the College of Education and Human Services discretionary funds to assist faculty in pursuing new professional initiatives. As Curtis Nash describes it, the endowment is designed to help faculty who “embrace vision, promote prowess, challenge ideas, and promote diversity and thinking outside of the box.” Nash was a faculty member in teacher education for 34 years and served as dean of the College of Education and Human Services from 1968 to 1982. “When I was dean of CEHS, I never had enough money to help faculty go to conferences or take time off to do research and write – the things that would make them better professors,” Nash said. “I’ve had a good career and retirement, and this is how I am giving back.” Karen Adams, current dean of the college, is grateful for the Nash’s support and believes it will make a tremendous impact on the faculty. “This endowment represents new opportunities for our faculty to participate in professional development that might otherwise be impossible.” Providing permanent revenue sources Endowments are gifts that provide a permanent source of revenue. Unlike other types of gifts, the principal initially provided by the donor is never spent. Instead the funds are invested and professionally managed to produce additional income. As the principal grows, so does the income available for the purpose designated by the donor. The income from the Nash Family Professional Development Endowment is earmarked specifically to support new opportunities rather than for ongoing programs. “We are extremely grateful to the Nash family for their gift,” said Cindy Hales, director of development for the college. “This is a wonderful legacy for a family with a long-standing history with CMU.” Members of the Nash family have been involved with CMU in one way or another for 58 years. “My first wife, who passed way in 1984, received her master’s in library science,” Nash said. “My daughter, Elizabeth, received her master’s in elementary education, and my son, Philip, received his bachelor’s and MBA. One of my granddaughters received her master’s through the College of Extended Learning. And, my second wife has for more than 20 years enjoyed various activities around campus.”
Olga Denison, a CMU alumna and longtime leader dedicated to serving the needs of the CMU and Mount Pleasant communities, died on November 16, 2006, at the age of 88. Throughout her lifetime, she worked tirelessly to improve and enrich the lives of area residents through her leadership in establishing numerous community-based services and organizations such as the city ’s first cooperative nursery school, the Central Michigan Mental Health Clinic, and Art Reach Center of Mid-Michigan. Denison fostered positive relationships with Native American members of the community and instituted the Mount Pleasant General Federated Women’s Club Mae Beck Indian Affairs Committee to assist Native American children with their educational needs. Since the 1960s, Denison had collected Native American art and told their stories. She donated the art, artifacts, and stories to CMU as a way of preserving them, and the collection is housed in the Clarke Historical Library to benefit future generations. A fall exhibit in celebration of Denison’s Native American art collection ran in conjunction with the 2006 Michigan Story Festival and had been on display through November 27 in the University Art Gallery. Sue Ann Martin, dean of the CMU College of Communication and Fine Arts, recently made audio recordings of interviews with Denison to preserve her oral stories about how each piece was acquired. The recordings will become a part of the Native American art collection. Denison, along with her husband, Rollie, who died in 2003, had passionately supported their alma mater and its academic, athletics, and cultural endeavors. CMU honored her with an honorary doctor of public service degree in 2004. |
A GRAND CELEBRATION
GIFT ENRICHES STUDENT AND FACULTY LEARNING 
CMU LOSES A LONGTIME FRIEND 
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