Create the Future

[Narrator]

It's the dawn of a new and promising era for the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
The university's reputation for academic and research excellence continues to grow.
The campus environment is as vibrant and beautiful as ever 
and every day thousands of students are pursuing their dreams 
and developing their minds and talents.
  
The primary mission of the UW is to effectively prepare students to live and work 
in a world that's facing many social, political, and economic challenges.  
These men and women will be the future leaders of industry, their professions, 
and their communities.  
Their expertise and ingenuity will have a direct impact on the prosperity 
and quality of life of our country.  
Higher education is a wise investment, for now and for the future.
  
The University of Wisconsin-Madison is positioned to become one of America's 
and the world's, truly great universities.  
We continue to make special efforts to inform and educate the state's political leaders 
that an even stronger University of Wisconsin will improve the state's economic development 
and that the university merits more, not less, tax support.
Tuition will most likely continue to increase, 
but the university wants to keep these increases to a minimum,
so that a UW education remains reasonably affordable to students and their parents.

For the university to achieve its potential, 
generous philanthropic contributions will provide the margin of excellence.
Without increased giving by our alumni, friends, and corporate partners, 
we simply won't have the resources to compete at the highest level 
with other top universities that do have strong endowments and giving programs.

The time has come for a special fund raising drive 
that will help the university reach new heights
in its reputation for academic and research excellence.
This major initiative is named, "Create the Future, the Wisconsin Campaign." 
 
The goal is to raise 1.5 billion dollars in major gifts 
and bequest commitments for endowments, buildings, and programs.
As the second largest collegiate unit of the UW, 
the College of Engineering will be an important participant 
and beneficiary of this campaign.

A few years ago, 
the college successfully completed the 100 million dollar Vision 2000 campaign.  
Among the achievements of this campaign 
was the construction of the Engineering Centers Building, 
the first new engineering facility on campus in three decades.
Now the college has set an ambitious goal for the Wisconsin Campaign, 
to raise 150 million dollars in support of a number of strategic priorities.

Here is a summary of the campaign objectives for engineering:
The top priority capital project 
is the renovation and expansion of the Mechanical Engineering Building.
Half of the project's 46 million dollar budget will be financed by private contributions.
A new, four-story addition to the building will provide significant space for 
state-of-the-art classrooms and laboratories.
The ME Building will be almost completely renovated
and the exterior facade of the building will be preserved.
This new and improved facility will provide an attractive, productive environment,
for the mechanical engineering and industrial engineering departments.

Another priority of the college is to develop a new Student Learning Center 
on the first floor of Engineering Hall, 
where all students can come to study, 
get tutoring help, and work on project teams.
The center will also be the headquarters for the college's diversity program, 
and the college continues to seek gifts 
to support the aesthetic improvement of the engineering campus, 
including beautification in landscaping, and the acquisition of art and sculptures.

To build our resources for recruiting, retaining, and rewarding our students, 
we have a target to raise 30 million dollars.
This amount includes 14 million for graduate fellowships to help recruit 
and support outstanding graduate students to assist on research, teaching, and outreach.
10 million will go for undergraduate scholarships.
We are in competition with other engineering schools in recruiting top students
and scholarships are important for attracting and retaining these students 
and helping them meet the increasing costs of attending the university.
Diversity is important for building and maintaining a dynamic 
and balanced environment in the college and in industry.
We are seeking 3 million dollars for programs to encourage more women 
and ethnic minorities to pursue an engineering degree and career.
And the college wants to raise at least 3 million dollars 
in support of student organization activities, awards, and prizes. 
 
To support the continued improvement of the faculty, 
we've set an objective to raise 30 million dollars.
Compared to other top engineering schools, the UW has few endowed chairs. 
We want to raise 15 million dollars to add at least eight new endowed chairs 
of 1.5 million to 2 million dollars each.

Endowed chairs are very helpful for recruiting top engineering professors 
from other institutions and convincing them to move to Madison, 
and join the UW engineering faculty.
Chairs also enable the college to award distinction 
and recognition to professors already on our faculty.

The campaign also has an objective of 10 million dollars for endowed professorships.
Professorship endowments of $500,000 or more 
are effective for rewarding professors and outstanding junior faculty.
These endowments provide annual income to support research, 
travel, and professional development.
And we hope to raise 5 million dollars for a fund to support 
continued opportunities for faculty to grow professionally 
and to remain on the leading edge of engineering knowledge, practices, and technology. 
The college also needs start-up funds for recruiting new faculty members.
To bolster our academic departments and programs, 
we've set a fund-raising target of 65 million dollars. 
30 million will be used for program enrichment and enhancement.
Funds will be used to acquire new equipment for classrooms and laboratories,
and meet other needs and opportunities.

The UW is one of the top universities in the country in research productivity.
We want to raise 30 million dollars in support of our research consortia 
and centers that work closely with industry and government agencies.
Unrestricted contributions to the college's Fund for Excellence 
provide flexible funds for supporting the college's top priorities 
for private gift support in the rapidly changing high tech arena.
These funds are used where the needs are greatest.

And we want to raise 1 million dollars in support of courses 
and activities that give engineering students more exposure to the world of business, 
management, and entrepreneurship.
We have a tremendous opportunity to further strengthen the College of Engineering
and help it be one of the premier engineering schools in the nation. 
Thank you for considering what the UW has meant in your life,
and your participation in this campaign.
Together we can ensure the continued advancement 
and success of the University of Wisconsin and the College of Engineering.
Together, we can create the future.
 
[Background music plays the University of Wisconsin-Madison's alma mater, "Varsity."

Copyright 2004 The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System

Date last modified: Thursday, 16-Dec-2004 03:51:24 CST
Date created: Thursday, 16-Dec-2004 03:51:24 CST