UB Announces $250 Million Campaign; Largest Ever Conducted by Public University in New York, New England

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- A national and international leader in higher education, the University at Buffalo announced today that it is launching a $250 million campaign, the largest ever conducted by a public university in New York and New England.

Poised as a catalyst for change, UB will use the results of its fund-raising efforts to expand its outstanding academic programs, cutting-edge research and exceptional public service.

UB President William R. Greiner said at a press conference that university administrators and campaign volunteers are confident UB will succeed since alumni and friends already have pledged or given $130 million for "The Campaign for UB: Generation to Generation."

"Private philanthropy is of paramount importance to UB as it strives to become one of America's premier public research universities," Greiner stressed.

"We are extremely fortunate to have some of our best and brightest alumni providing leadership for the Campaign for UB as it enters its public phase. Through this campaign, we are reaching out to our alumni and friends spanning several generations, reconnecting with our past as a private institution, the University of Buffalo, and building an even brighter future as a public institution, the University at Buffalo."

Greiner added: "We are grateful for the gifts that already have been made to the campaign, and we are optimistic that we will succeed in reaching our goal."

Also speaking at the press conference was Jeremy M. Jacobs Sr., a 1960 UB graduate who is chairman and CEO of Delaware North Companies, Inc., and one of the campaign's three honorary campaign chairs.

"I am confident that UB will continue to build on its entrepreneurial partnerships with the private sector, foundation and its alumni to help make tomorrow everything it can be for our students," said Jacobs, also chair of the UB Council, the university's local governing council.

"UB's dedicated teachers, brilliant researchers and diligent student body demonstrate the university's firm commitment to academic excellence. This campaign will have a direct bearing on how we will continue to provide the very best opportunities for tomorrow's leaders."

Also serving as honorary campaign chairs are Robert E. Rich Sr., founder of the Rich Products Corporation food-products conglomerate and a 1935 graduate of UB, and Erma R. Hallett Jaeckle of St. Petersburg, Fla., a 1936 graduate of the UB Law School whose legal career spanned more than 40 years in the public and corporate sectors.

At the press conference, it was announced that Rich's family has pledged a significant gift to the University at Buffalo for a $6.5 million alumni house named in honor of him and his late wife, Janet.

Thomas F. Egan, chair of the State University of New York Board of Trustees, said: "On behalf of the State University, I want to congratulate the University at Buffalo on charting a bold new course. With the 'The Campaign for UB,' the University at Buffalo is securing the support it needs to continue its move to the very front ranks of American higher education."

"This is a historic moment for the University at Buffalo, and for the entire State University System," said SUNY Chancellor Robert King. "As SUNY's only member institution in the prestigious Association of American Universities, UB is recognized as one of America's premier research universities. This campaign's success will assure that UB remains in the front ranks of American higher education, and that this marvelous university will lead the renaissance of the economy of Western New York."

In a prepared statement issued in advance of the press conference, Reginald B. Newman II, chair of the University at Buffalo Foundation Board of Trustees, said: "In 1996, the trustees of the UB Foundation adopted a resolution endorsing UB's participation in a national capital campaign. The campaign that we kick off today is more than a fulfillment of that resolution; it holds even greater promise for the university than what the foundation could have imagined in 1996. Now, as then, the UB Foundation is committed to the pursuit of excellence for the University at Buffalo. We dedicate ourselves to the success of this campaign and to UB's bright future, pledging our complete and enthusiastic support."

Greiner said that more than a dozen donors have taken the initiative early in the campaign with gifts of $1 million or more. Some gave for student scholarships, such as John J. and Janet H. Sung, whose gift went to the School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, while an anonymous donor's multiple gifts, totaling more than $5.6 million, established and continue to support the Distinguished Honors Scholars Program.

John N. Walsh III, chair of the campaign's Honors Program Committee and speaking on behalf of the UB Foundation, observed: "As someone who is not a graduate of UB, but who is a committed member of the Western New York community, I certainly recognize how important this great university is to the vitality of our region. As we continue to raise money to support honors scholars at UB, we strengthen the promise of UB as a premier public university. I am delighted to lend my time, my interest and my support to that cause."

In addition to scholarships, Cecil and Violet Newton funded The Cecil and Violet Newton Center for Instructional Technology in the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. An anonymous donor to the School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences has established a multi-million dollar charitable remainder unitrust to meet instructional needs as determined by the dean.

Some donors hoped to enhance learning opportunities. Henry A. Panasci Jr. asked that his gift be used for a competition to encourage students to become entrepreneurs. David K. Anderson donated his gallery building and much of the artwork to the College of Arts and Sciences, which plans to use it as a springboard for a museum and curatorial-studies program. The gift from Jeremy M. Jacobs Sr. created a unique setting for students: UB's School of Management is using the Jacobs Executive Management Center -- the landmark Mead, McKim and White-designed mansion at Delaware Avenue and North Street owned by Jacobs -- for the ongoing training of executives and high-level managers.

The list of gifts surpassing $1 million also includes gifts from corporations such as Toshiba America Medical Systems for the Toshiba Stroke Research Center, Biogen for the endowed Irvin and Rosemary Smith Chair in Neurology and a grant from the W.M. Keck Foundation for biomedical research. The Center for Computational Research -- establishing UB as one of the top-10 academic computing sites in the country -- was created through collaborative giving. IBM joined with Silicon Graphics, Sun Microsystems, the State University of New York and the National Science Foundation to create this world-class facility.

Greiner said the campaign, which will run through June 2003, is unique in many ways. It is the first truly national-international campaign of five campaigns conducted by UB since its founding in 1846. It is the first alumni-driven campaign, being led by a steering committee comprised of an executive campaign committee and school-based campaign committee chairs who are professionals and business leaders from across the country.

Finally, the campaign goals and objectives are university-wide, as is the commitment from faculty and staff demonstrated by those schools that already have completed their internal campaigns. The School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences and the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, for example, have completed internal campaigns with nearly 80 percent participation by full-time faculty members. Some notable individual gifts from faculty members to date include a $1 million donation from Peter Hare, Ph.D., SUNY Distinguished Service Professor in the Department of Philosophy in the College of Arts and Sciences, and a $2.5 million bequest commitment from an anonymous faculty member in engineering.

Greiner explained that money raised in the campaign will be used to enrich academic programs, support students ranging from undergraduates to post-doctoral students and to enhance university life.

Academic support will include money for endowed chairs and professorships, facilities and facility improvements, equipment, programs, and libraries and information systems.

Student support will include money for scholarships, fellowships, programs, equipment and facilities.

Support for university life will cover the diverse activities and resources that enhance the university experience and extend into the community, including athletics; WBFO 88.7 FM, the university's National Public Radio affiliate, and the Janet and Robert Rich Alumni House.

In addition to the specific objectives, campaign leaders have determined three goals: to increase annual giving through larger gifts and greater participation, to generate capital support and to increase the university's endowment. While UB's endowment assets total more than $438 million, Greiner noted that they are well below those of other top public universities UB uses for benchmarking.

Like many other state-owned and -supported universities, such as the University of Virginia, the University of Iowa and the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, UB relies on the state for only a part of its operating budget.

Greiner noted that New York State has been exceptionally generous in funding construction and in supporting recent capital initiatives -- such as the Center for Computational Research, the university's "cybraries" public computing sites and 43 technology-equipped classrooms -- but less than a third of the university's all-funds operating budget currently comes from the state. The remainder comes from tuition and fees; other sources of income, including sponsored research; the medical school's practice plan; auxiliary services and sales of services, and endowment, including private gifts, endowment income and non-governmental grants.

Greiner said the university's long-term goal is to greatly expand support for UB from non-state sources through efforts like the Campaign for UB. Citing a 1999 survey by the Council for Aid to Education, he noted that UB's 1998-99 total in private giving was $16.8 million for a rate of $809 per full-time-equivalent student, while other major public universities realize much higher philanthropic support per student. In 1998-99, the University of Iowa had a per-student giving level of $3,440; the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill -- $6,516, and the University of Virginia -- $7,202.

"The Campaign for UB: Generation to Generation" began its "quiet phase" in 1996 when university administrators started meeting with alumni to solicit campaign volunteers and to outline goals and objectives.

For information on how you can support the University at Buffalo, go to http://www.buffalo.edu/giving.