There is one word we use in conversations with donors about our journey to the Top 25: Impact.
Private support is critical to our journey. It supports students, faculty, and staff in our college and moves us closer to our goal of being a Top 25 public research institution.
Our journey began January 1, 2012. Five years later, UT launched the Join the Journey campaign – the boldest fundraising effort in the university’s history! The $1.1 billion campaign launch took place Friday, September 22 at the Knoxville Convention Center with interactive exhibits, including the UT Humanities Center and Al Hazari’s chemistry magic show.
During the campaign, we will focus on raising funds for undergraduate scholarships, faculty support, graduate fellowships, and more. The College of Arts and Sciences is an integral part of the campaign. Our goal is to raise $100 million to support our students, faculty, and staff.
As of July 1, 2017, we have secured $52,257,132 in outright gifts, pledges, and bequests. Of that total, $7,365,881 is for faculty support; $3,214,485 for graduate student support; $16,126,077 for undergraduate scholarships; and $25,898,346 for programmatic support. The campaign is scheduled to conclude December 31, 2020.
The conversations we have with donors speak to the “impact” their private support will have on faculty, students, and staff. As UT positions itself among the nation’s elite universities, we are working to set ourselves apart and create a student experience that reaches beyond the ordinary. Our goal to become a Top 25 public research institution is an ambitious challenge, but we are eager to fulfill our destiny to compete with the best.
Many of the college’s faculty and staff have or plan to Join the Journey by making their own gift to the campaign. On behalf of my colleagues in the foundation, and the office of development and alumni relations in the college, I would like to thank all our donors for believing in the vision of becoming a top public research university. With the help of many, we will achieve our goal.
Kind Regards,
Andrew Sheehy
Executive Director of Development
College of Arts & Sciences