College's $20 million campaign goal spawns lofty fundraising priorities
The College of Education helped the University of Florida kick off the public phase of its landmark $1.2 billion capital campaign Friday, Sept. 28, announcing its own $20 million campaign goal and outlining lofty fundraising priorities that promise to raise the college's national standing and improve the quality of teaching and learning at all levels.
Education Dean Catherine Emihovich said meeting the campaign goal would help the college make sorely needed renovations and technology improvements to aging Norman Hall, recruit top scholars to the faculty, create new scholarships for graduate students, and support new and existing scholarly ventures that address some of education's most critical needs.
The college's stepped-up fundraising effort is part of UF's "Florida Tomorrow" capital campaign, so-named because of its focus on showing how-with help from those who believe in the university's mission of teaching, research and service-the University of Florida has the potential to turn today's dreams into tomorrow's realities.
UF launched the "Florida Tomorrow" campaign, which runs through 2012, with a campuswide symposia and separate events at each college or major academic unit. The College of Education staged tours and a full day of presentations and live demonstrations on "Teaching and Technology" for alumni, donors and friends.
The college's campaign goals call for raising funds for more than a dozen programs and activities, all falling into one of four categories: facility upgrades ($7.3 million), faculty support ($6 million), outreach scholarly programs ($5.7 million), and new graduate student fellowships and scholarships ($1 million).
The top fundraising priority is the renovation and expansion of historic Norman Hall, with plans to create an education research and technology annex called the Experiential Learning Complex, or ELC. There, interdisciplinary research teams from across the campus would adapt the latest information technologies to transform how education has been traditionally defined and delivered.
The college's campaign goals reflect a commitment to transform all levels of education-starting with our youngest children. By partnering with public schools, school districts and communities, UF education faculty will expand school-readiness programs in communities throughout Florida (starting in Miami-Dade County) to smooth the transition to school for children who are likely to start school unprepared. A multidisciplinary Early Childhood Center of Excellence also is planned to study all aspects of education and health for young children.
As funding allows, additional strategic collaborations will extend to the elementary, middle and high school grades, with UF professors leading school-improvement activities through core college programs such as the Lastinger Center for Learning, the UF Alliance and the Center for School Improvement.
Campaign support will help faculty in the college's Institute of Higher Education provide mentoring, networking and continuing professional development for higher-education practitioners and leaders, with special emphasis on Florida community colleges and underrepresented groups.
The college also has targeted adding more endowed faculty chairs and named professorships to lead vital studies in math and science education, urban school leadership, inclusion and assessment.
Nearly one-fourth ($4.8 million) of the college's campaign goal is earmarked for two new programs at P.K. Yonge Developmental Research School, the college's nearby K-12 laboratory school. One is a novel "teacher renewal" professional development program; the other calls for educational outreach activities in the critical "STEM" fields of science, technology, engineering and math.
"Few issues will dominate the 21st century as much as the need to increase educational levels even higher among all citizens as we move into a competitive global environment. In the College of Education, we are committed to preparing the most qualified educators to transform schools or become the next generation of leaders in higher education," Emihovich said. "We have an ambitious agenda, but we believe it is achievable with the strong support of our loyal alumni and friends of education."
An itemized list of the college's campaign goals is available online at education.ufl.edu/CampaignGoals/.
For a comprehensive overview of the College of Education's "Florida Tomorrow" capital campaign, visit the UF Foundation's Web site for the college at: www.floridatomorrow.ufl.edu/education.
To make a gift online right now to the College of Education, click here.
For more information, contact the college's Office of Development at 352-392-0728, ext. 600, or toll-free at 866-773-4504; or via email at development@coe.ufl.edu.
Writer:
Larry Lansford (352-392-0726, ext. 266; llansford@coe.ufl.edu)
