$12.5 Million Funding Campiagn Launched: Foundation for Student Research and Scholarships

PUBLIC EDUCATION PHILANTHROPY: SUNY Chancellor, Nancy L. Zimpher, spoke to the SUNY Oneonta Foundation board, stressing the importance of giving to our public higher education system in New York, kicking off the college’s multi-million dollar campaign.

Melissa Rosman, Copy Editor

PUBLIC EDUCATION PHILANTHROPY: SUNY Chancellor, Nancy L. Zimpher, spoke to the SUNY Oneonta Foundation board, stressing the importance of giving to our public higher education system in New York, kicking off the college’s multi-million dollar campaign.
PUBLIC EDUCATION PHILANTHROPY: SUNY Chancellor, Nancy L. Zimpher, spoke to the SUNY Oneonta Foundation board, stressing the importance of giving to our public higher education system in New York, kicking off the college’s multi-million dollar campaign.

Inspired by James Milne and in honor of SUNY Oneonta’s 125th anniversary next year, a 12.5 million fundraising campaign “Possibilities Full of Promise” has been launched. In order to support scholarships for students, the college foundation’s unrestricted endowment, global connectedness, teaching, learning and research.

SUNY Oneonta President, Dr. Nancy Klenewski, the center for college advancement director, Paul Adamo, co chairs, Jeff Strauss (class of ’71) and Yvonne Cummings (class of ’72), alumni and current students are working together towards a campaign that will make this possible, which began on April 15, following an address from SUNY Chancellor, Nancy L. Zimpher.

The strategic plan of our college focuses on six objectives that meet the expectations of students and of the community. The “Possibilities Full of Promise” campaign focuses on four of our six strategies, including: teaching, learning and research, global connectedness, scholarship and unrestricted endowment. With a goal of 12.5 million dollars in mind, the plan is to fund and expand the educational opportunities available to students and faculty. The campaign has been accepting money from donors since 2011 before it was announced to the college, and will halt in 2014 when the expected goal is raised from donors. At this point in time almost half of the 12.5 million dollars has been raised.

The funds raised from “Possibilities Full of Promise” will be allocated for more student-faculty research, projects and independent studies. These funds will lend to more students and staff members will be able to participate in their own projects and present their findings to the college community by 2014. The idea of research is found in our college strategy of Teaching, Learning and Research and therefore parallels with the objectives.

Another area Klenewski and the board hope to extend is the area for scholarship, not only on our campus but globally. Scholarships will be created for students who wish to study abroad but struggle financially. The money from “Possibilities Full of Promise” will give extra money to the Office of International Education at Oneonta funding for semester long study abroad students as well as study tour students. “We want as many people as possible to be able to study abroad,” said Klenewski.

“Possibilities Full of Promise” will make us even better. We will have an enriched faculty that will be excited and we will have students with experiential learning with research and study abroad experience and opportunities. This campaign will lead to a better education and quality of life on campus,” says Klenewski.

This campaign is funded by friends of the college, alumni and donors who are interested in providing better opportunities for the students here at SUNY Oneonta. There are several ways in which donors are giving the money to the school. Some donate a certain amount of money annually where as others pledge to give multi year gifts. Other sources of money come from foundation grants and cooperate grants that the college proposes to external companies. “We apply and arrange meetings and companies listen to the proposal of ‘Possibilities Full of Promise’ and make sure that the campaigns priorities aligns with the company’s bylaws and guidelines” explained Adamo.

The kickoff to this campaign took place on campus April 15, and there will be another fundraising event Thursday April 25, in New York City. Adamo explains that this is a way for the alumni further from Oneonta to be involved. “Our goal is to bring our campaign and information out to the public. We are bringing our college to our alumni all over the United States.”

Klenewski says, “We want our students to be better than anybody when they get out of here,” and the “Possibilities Full of Promises” campaign will provide opportunities to help this happen.

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