May  01, 2008

Augustana announces $100-million comprehensive campaign

Rock Island, Ill. - Augustana College today announced a comprehensive fund raising campaign for new and renovated buildings, endowment growth and annual operations. With a goal of raising $100-million, "Authentically Augustana: A Call to Action" is the largest such effort in the college's 148-year history and will fund priorities set forth in the Augustana's strategic plan. College officials also announced the results of the campaign's "quiet phase," which has resulted in $81.4-million in gifts and commitments to the campaign.

"This campaign finds its foundation in a strategic plan that has Augustana's liberal arts mission at its core," said Augustana President Steve Bahls. "Authentically Augustana: A Call to Action will provide greater opportunities for our students through improved facilities and an increase in our scholarships and academic resources, thereby elevating Augustana's position among the nation's premier liberal arts colleges."

Authentically Augustana: A Call to Action includes three components: $30-million for new construction and significant renovations to campus buildings, $50-million for endowment growth that will substantially increase student scholarships and provide additional academic resources for students and faculty, and $20-million for annual operations.

CAPITAL PROJECTS - $30-MILLION

The campaign's four capital projects include new construction and significant renovations of historic buildings that will enhance Augustana's environments for teaching and learning while accommodating growth in enrollment. These initiatives include:

· A new residence hall (the 238-bed Swanson Commons, opened in 2006) and townhouses (the 56-bed Parkander Residence Center, opened in 2007) to accommodate recent growth in enrollment and to support the developmental goals of Augustana's residential life program.

· The conversion of Carlsson Hall, a former residence hall, to an outstanding academic facility for the departments of accounting, business administration, economics, education and psychology, bringing those departments nearer to the college's academic center and enriching the college's interdisciplinary learning environment;

· Construction of a new student center that houses Augustana's Office of Student Activities and provides venues to foster student organizations, campus life programming and interaction outside the classroom. This environmentally friendly building will be located at the southeastern edge of the lower campus quad and will meet the U.S. Green Building Council's silver standard for Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design, marking the first time Augustana will build according to the stringent LEED standards;

· and a significant restoration of Old Main, the building that best symbolizes Augustana's history and tradition, that will both preserve and modernize its instructional environments.

ENDOWMENT GROWTH - $50-MILLION

Augustana's endowment provides student scholarships and resources for the college's academic program. Increasing Augustana's endowment by $50-million will:

· Provide additional scholarships to attract high-potential, deserving high school students regardless of their financial need;

· Establish funding for endowed faculty chairs that allow the college to attract and retain an excellent faculty while providing additional resources for student-faculty research, service and creative projects as well as the travel associated with presenting such work at national conferences;

· and sustain special academic and co-curricular programs that enrich the student experience and distinguish Augustana among premier liberal arts colleges.

ANNUAL OPERATIONS - $20-MILLION

Gifts toward annual operations fund all aspects of Augustana's programming - academic, administrative and co-curricular. These range from routine, but critical, expenditures, such as utility bills, to those which add value to the student experience, such as international study and retreats offered by the college's Office of Campus Ministries. The annual operations component will have an immediate impact on the campus by:

· Enhancing resources for Senior Inquiry, the capstone program through which students complete a research, service or creative project in their major field of study with guidance from a faculty mentor;

 · Supplementing funding for other facets of the academic program, such as library acquisitions, laboratory equipment, international travel, internships, guest scholars and artists and innovative new projects;

· Supporting co- and extra-curricular programs, such as varsity and intramural athletics, campus ministries, career fairs, student activities and community programs;

· Providing annual scholarships for students who have immediate needs;

· and by maintaining and improving Augustana's attractive and functional campus.

In summarizing the campaign, Bahls noted Augustana has long enjoyed a reputation as a fine liberal arts college. "I am humbled to hear our alumni tell of the transformative experiences they have had here. Through this campaign, we will make the best undergraduate educational experience the standard experience for our students, now and in the future."

While the public announcement was made today, the college has worked for the past two years to secure gifts in support of the campaign from members of the Augustana College Board of Trustees, corporations and foundations, alumni and other friends of the college. The success of the campaign's "quiet phase," which includes gifts and commitments totaling more than $81.4-million, was highlighted by more than $33-million in gifts and commitments from the college's 40-member Board of trustees, more than $1-million from a campus campaign involving college faculty, administrators and staff and $5.8-million in contributions from corporations and foundations, including $4.6-million from within the Quad Cities region.

"The lead donors to this campaign have expressed strong confidence in Augustana College and our strategic plan," said Bahls. "In moving now to the public phase of this campaign, we look to our alumni and other friends around the Midwest and across the country to help us reach our goal."

Two campaign events are planned in the Quad Cities in May. Augustana alumni in our region are now receiving invitations to attend a May 16 dinner or May 29 luncheon in which President Bahls will join other college officials to share information on the campaign's goals and objectives.

"I'm looking forward to these events," said Bahls. "From this point forward, our success will depend on widespread support from all who care about Augustana College. Gifts at all levels will help make the difference."

-end-

Kirby Winn
Director of Public Relations
Office: (309) 794-7473 Mobile: (309) 912-1532 Fax: (309) 794-3461
publicrelations@augustana.edu