Texas A&M University has exceeded its $1 billion capital campaign goal-with 18 months remaining in the seven-year fund-raising drive. As of June 30, donors have committed more than $1.04 billion to benefit students and faculty through enhanced resources for teaching, research and related endeavors.
Texas A&M President Robert M. Gates announced the campaign milestone during the July meeting of The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents.
"I'd like to thank all of those donors who have helped us attain our goal," Gates said. "But I hasten to point out that we have more than a year remaining in the campaign. I challenge all of Texas A&M's former students and other supporters to continue to look at more ways to help us meet the needs of this university. This is a rare opportunity for Aggies to demonstrate their 'can-do' spirit for their alma mater, and for our other supporters to continue showing their confidence in the future of Texas A&M."
Texas A&M Foundation President Ed Davis joined Gates in thanking the 118,000 Texas A&M former students and friends of the university who have given during the campaign for their generosity and enthusiasm. "Texas A&M students already are seeing the benefits of this effort," he said. "Future Aggies will reap rewards, as well, as donors fulfill their pledges in the coming years and create endowments that provide income for generations."
Davis emphasized, however, that some academic colleges and program units are in need of further support. He challenged Texas A&M's supporters to maintain the momentum throughout the campaign, which ends on Dec. 31, 2006. "We are beholden to our kind donors for this remarkable achievement," Davis said. "But it would be a disservice to Texas A&M to relax our efforts at a time when so many critical programs are in need of funding. We will continue working to meet 100 percent of our original campaign objectives."
During the campaign the Texas A&M Foundation has made more than $193 million available for the university to spend on students and faculty, according to donors' wishes. "This kind of support is essential," said Davis. "It adds tremendous value to the educational experience."
Through the campaign, donors have funded 55 endowed faculty chairs with more than $49 million, 44 professorships with $15 million, and 80 graduate fellowships with $24 million. Such support attracts and rewards nationally recognized faculty and students, and sustains their research and scholarly endeavors.
Donors have given more than $80 million in non-endowed scholarships during the campaign and have given $11 million for over 100 President's Endowed Scholarships. In line with a campaign objective to increase diversity and globalization, supporters have given $9 million to fund 500 Foundation Excellence Awards. These scholarships help recruit minority and economically disadvantaged students to Texas A&M.
Texas A&M initiated the One Spirit One Vision Campaign on Jan. 1, 2000, to raise private gifts in support of Vision 2020 goals. Vision 2020 is the university's roadmap for attaining its place among the nation's top-ranked public universities by the year 2020. In all, Vision 2020 calls for two major campaigns that would quadruple the university's private endowment from $700 million to $3 billion by 2020
Gates and a volunteer executive committee lead the campaign with support from a team of university and Texas A&M Foundation executives. The campaign is fully endorsed by The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents and the boards of the Texas A&M Foundation, The Association of Former Students and 12th Man Foundation. Eight co-chairs serve as campaign leaders, and other prominent individuals have volunteered to serve on the executive committee. Hundreds of additional volunteers lead the campaign at the college, departmental and regional levels.