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Faculty encouraged to join planning, fundraising
By MARY COCHRANE
Contributing Editor
Tuesday's Faculty Senate meeting offered reminders about how important faculty members are to the future of UB.
First, Diane Christian, chair of the senate's Academic Planning Committee, said her group wants to encourage faculty to be more proactive in UB 2020 and the master planning process.
"This is the most serious look at planning that I have ever seen in my 37 years here," she said. "The context of the faculty culture has had a certain contesting quality. The idea of contest is good and fruitful. But I think we've had the down side of that 'contest-ual' sense as well. The current leadership is more interested in collegial and cooperative models."
Christian encouraged faculty members instead to think about "How could we in fact contribute in a more practical, proactive and serious way?"
Next, Kathryn Costello, vice president for development, said that "faculty are the reason people who do what I do are engaged in our work of trying to raise money for the university. The only reason we exist is to advance the academic mission."
While UB's rate of increase in fundraising between 2005 and 2006 was lower than the national average, UB's plan to become a top research institution will attract future philanthropic dollars, she said.
Costello noted that the UB Foundation has created a national development committee "devoted to long-term development" at the university.
"One of the reasons that I'm here is that I really love the fact that this institution has under-realized its potential in an area of great importance," she said. "The new committee, along with the vision the university has, will give us a real opportunity to excite people about giving money to the University at Buffalo."
Faculty members are key to fundraising success, she added.
"Our main partners should be the faculty, deans, the president and provost," she said. "The best fundraising I have ever been part of has always involved my direct knowledge with a faculty member."
When Claude E. Welch, SUNY Distinguished Service Professor in the Department of Political Science, noted that the Faculty Senate lacks a committee for fundraising, Costello agreed, saying "we have to encourage deans and our staff to engage the faculty more."