UW-Whitewater business building fund raising tops $3 million
Released: September 17, 2004
What began four years ago as a vision for the future of business education and outreach at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater is now rapidly becoming a reality, through state support and personal generosity.
“Beyond Tradition,” the capital fund-raising campaign in support of a new $39 million building for the College of Business and Economics, topped the $3 million mark this month in private gifts from alumni and friends during the campaign’s initial phase. View the campaign Web site at: http://www.uww.edu/npa/beyond_tradition
The 217,000 square foot building project also remains on solid ground as a statewide building priority. In August, the UW System Board of Regents included the project near the top of its capital construction requests for 2005-07.
UW-Whitewater officially kicks off the public phase of the campaign with a ceremony at the UW-Whitewater Hamilton Center, where dozens of leadership donors will be recognized.
The campaign steering committee, together with UW-Whitewater Foundation, will now be taking fund-raising efforts directly to the more than 20,000 alumni who have benefited from UW-Whitewater’s business education.
“We are extremely grateful to our leadership donors who put this campaign on such a solid footing,” said Anchor Bank President Doug Timmerman, who with Barbara Timmerman is co-chairing the campaign. “But important work is ahead. Continued private giving is essential to the cause of developing this world-class educational facility.”
The goal for the state matching component of the campaign is $3.5 million. But significantly more private funding is necessary to appropriately furnish the building and provide classroom and distance learning technology upgrades, all things that are not included in state funding, Timmerman said.
“Giving to this project will be a tremendous investment in not only undergraduate and graduate education, but in the economic vitality of our region,” said UW-Whitewater Chancellor Jack Miller. “Our business graduates provide highly-trained talent for businesses across Wisconsin. Our business outreach directly supports hundreds of business owners and fledgling entrepreneurs every year.”
UW-Whitewater is in need of appropriate educational space, but the project goes beyond just bricks and mortar upgrades. The building will bring together, for the first time, three different offices that support business outreach and economic development. It will also allow the university to raze three small office buildings, which are actually retrofitted dormitories that have severe maintenance problems.
“With current gifts, this is already the largest fund-raising effort for an academic building in Wisconsin history, outside of the Madison campus,” said Miller. “We need to dream big. We need a facility that matches the quality and reputation of our business programs.”
On September 17, UW-Whitewater hosted a gala ceremony on campus to kick off the public campaign and to thank dozens of lead donors. Current and future donors will also be recognized through a distinctive donor recognition wall. The wall will be prominently featured in the new building’s atrium and feature bronze tiles recognizing all donors of $1,000 or more.
In November, COBE alumni will receive a publication that makes the case for the building project in greater detail and outlines giving opportunities. In February, the college’s annual phonathon will also feature an opportunity for donors to supplement their endowment contributions with a special one-time gift to the building campaign.
For more information, contact Mike Spellman, assistant chancellor for advancement, at (262) 472-5031; or Foundation Executive Director Jon Enslin at (262) 472-1482.
Brian Mattmiller ,npa@uww.edu
