2008 Woodie Awards
College takes bold initiative public
Derek Schlickeisen
Issue date: 10/10/07 Section: News
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Students who stopped by Saturday's Orange Crush concert in Kenyon Arena may have noticed ways in which the event differed from their usual weekend fare: uniformed catering staff served hot food to guests who at times found themselves mingling in the decked-out gymnasium with administrators, donors and members of the Board of Trustees.
The revelers were in fact catching the tail end of an evening-long launch extravaganza for the College's five-year, $500 million fundraising effort, the "Middlebury Initiative." The day's festivities - following the theme of a "journey," complete with novelty passports for guests - included presentations on student life by organizations like the Sunday Night Group and the Riddim dance company, as well as a formal dinner at which speakers previewed where the school hopes its journey will end.
"We are on our way to becoming the first truly global liberal arts college," wrote President of the College Ronald D. Liebowitz in the event passport. "Our new strategic plan is our road map, and the Middlebury Initiative is the vehicle that will take us there."
The $500 million campaign represents not only a record-breaking fundraising commitment, but an attempt to re-brand the College and its many affiliated schools as a unified global entity. The effort comes at a time when Middlebury's rise in nationwide college rankings places the school in a bracket with institutions whose endowments more than double its own on a per-student basis.
"The Middlebury Initiative is about a communications and fundraising plan to help us reach the goals of the Strategic Plan," said Mike Schoenfeld, vice president for College Advancement. "There are many things in the strategic plan that do not require gift support, and those are part of the Middlebury Initiative as well. But our top priorities will absolutely require philanthropic support."
Of the $500 million to be raised, $180 million will increase the endowment to support the gradual replacement of student loans with direct grants. Another $150 million will provide support for the salaries of 25 new faculty to keep down average class sizes and allow for more student-faculty research opportunities. The Strategic Plan identified the two goals as the most important for the College.
The revelers were in fact catching the tail end of an evening-long launch extravaganza for the College's five-year, $500 million fundraising effort, the "Middlebury Initiative." The day's festivities - following the theme of a "journey," complete with novelty passports for guests - included presentations on student life by organizations like the Sunday Night Group and the Riddim dance company, as well as a formal dinner at which speakers previewed where the school hopes its journey will end.
"We are on our way to becoming the first truly global liberal arts college," wrote President of the College Ronald D. Liebowitz in the event passport. "Our new strategic plan is our road map, and the Middlebury Initiative is the vehicle that will take us there."
The $500 million campaign represents not only a record-breaking fundraising commitment, but an attempt to re-brand the College and its many affiliated schools as a unified global entity. The effort comes at a time when Middlebury's rise in nationwide college rankings places the school in a bracket with institutions whose endowments more than double its own on a per-student basis.
"The Middlebury Initiative is about a communications and fundraising plan to help us reach the goals of the Strategic Plan," said Mike Schoenfeld, vice president for College Advancement. "There are many things in the strategic plan that do not require gift support, and those are part of the Middlebury Initiative as well. But our top priorities will absolutely require philanthropic support."
Of the $500 million to be raised, $180 million will increase the endowment to support the gradual replacement of student loans with direct grants. Another $150 million will provide support for the salaries of 25 new faculty to keep down average class sizes and allow for more student-faculty research opportunities. The Strategic Plan identified the two goals as the most important for the College.
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