By: Syd Bickers
This story updates and corrects a previously posted report about the Board of Trustees Institutional Advancement Committee meeting on April 25, 2013.
The Institutional Advancement Committee of the Board of Trustees took an early step toward a new capital campaign to fund a list of potential projects that may include new academic programs, additional classroom space and updates to athletic facilities and the library. The move came during the committee’s semiannual meeting on April 25.
Jack Simpson, vice president of institutional advancement, presented a “wish-list” of potential campus projects to the board and took a vote to establish the Campaign Development Committee to oversee the fundraising initiatives and allocation of funds raised in the next three to five years. Simpson said the entire wish list would cost around $250 million if completed.
“We are going to look at that larger list of items and come up with the things that we think…we could fund in the next three to five years,” said Simpson in a conference call with Stampede staff and advancement staff.
The projects covered in the next campaign would cost around $20 to $30 million, according to Simpson. Projects could begin during the three-to-five-year fundraising campaign or soon after it was finished. The start date for the campaign has not been set yet.
Specific projects have yet to be selected, since the board has recently agreed to establish a committee to propose these decisions. The committee will be made up of various college stakeholders: cabinet members, faculty, staff and trustees.
Advancement staff highlighted the possibility of construction projects including adding more classroom spaces, specifically a new science building with the addition of science programs, updates to Anglin Field and the Welshimer Memorial Library, and further construction of The Village residence halls.
Simpson said residence halls are on the list, as the college is currently building five new residence halls and is looking to build more as needed. Talks of new majors are underway as well.
“We’ve talked a lot about new programs, particularly programs in STEM-H, which is science, technology, engineering, math and healthcare,” said Simpson. “One of the things that will probably happen is that those kinds of programs will require additional facility space, classroom and lab space, so those kinds of things are on the list.”
There are also talks of revamps to the baseball and soccer fields, as well as the addition of a track.
Contrary to previously published information, the committee has no plans of building a new library. Simpson said there are plans to eventually replace the building’s windows, lighting and heating and air-conditioning systems.
“We want to maintain the building and make it as energy efficient as possible,” said Theresa Garbe, director of alumni relations.
Garbe said the school would like to add a more easily accessible elevator as well.
Renovation of the library has been on the list of past campaigns. Though a recent aesthetic upgrade was done during the summers of 2010, 2011 and 2012 for around $50,000, adequate funding has not been received to finish the remodel, so the project remains wait-listed.
Milligan’s current yearly fundraising amount was another topic of discussion during the board meeting. Institutional Advancement has a goal of raising $1.325 million in donations each fiscal year. As of the meeting on April 25, $1.127 had been raised since June 1. Contrary to previously published information, these donations come not only from alumni, but also from churches, students’ family members and others.
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