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KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- Officials at the Kansas University Endowment Association announced that since counting toward the $500 million goal of KU First: Invest in Excellence began in 1998, $404 million has been raised for a variety of projects and programs. The new total was announced at the meeting of the KU First Steering Committee, held at the University of Kansas Medical Center on Friday, Feb. 7.
The KU First campaign, the third and largest in KU history, has raised financial support for 15 construction projects on three KU campuses, more than 230 new scholarship funds and 30 new professorship funds. An additional 56 scholarships and 13 professorships have been pledged as estate gifts.
New construction is the most visible sign of KU First's impact. Projects funded through the campaign include the Hoglund Brain Imaging Center at the Medical Center; a new classroom building at the Edwards Campus in Overland Park; the School of Engineering building expansion; the Anderson Family Strength and Conditioning Center for KU student athletes; the Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics; and a new home for Kansas Public Radio.
In addition to construction, professorships in areas such as fine arts, education, business, economics and geology have been established. Professorships provide salary stipends on top of a professor's state salary, as well as money for equipment, research, graduate assistants, travel and professional development. Many of the professorship funds have been eligible for additional support through the Kansas Partnership for Faculty of Distinction. Established by the Kansas Legislature in 2000, the program so far has provided $237,000 for KU.
KU First also is well on the way to meeting its goal of raising $116 million to directly assist students. New scholarships and awards, the top priority of the campaign, have been established in many areas, including East Asian studies, journalism, education, music, business, dance, nursing, medicine, law, German and pharmacy.
Forrest E. Hoglund, chairman of KU First, said donors have been generous.
"More financial aid opportunities, new distinguished scholars and state-of-the art facilities are just a few of the ways donors are helping the university reach a new level of excellence," he said. "I'm excited to see what we can accomplish by the end of the campaign."
KU Endowment is conducting KU First on behalf of KU through 2004 to raise funds for scholarships, fellowships, professorships, capital projects and program support. KU Endowment is an independent, nonprofit organization serving as the official fund-raising and fund-management organization for KU.
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