A major capital campaign is addressing the most important development priorities of the School of Business.
The key ingredients of a highly renowned business school are no mystery: an excellent faculty, excellent students and a high-quality infrastructure. Today, business schools face the most challenging period of their history; the competition for top faculty and students has never been greater. Meanwhile, as more countries adopt market-oriented economic systems around the globe, the demand for business leaders and business knowledge is on the rise. Schools are in intense competition to succeed in this evolving marketplace.
We are responding to these challenges by becoming more entrepreneurial and allocating resources where they have the greatest impact. Engaging alumni and friends of the school will become a critical component of our success in the years ahead.
In 2004, the School of Business launched the most ambitious capital campaign in its history. As part of the university's Create the Future: The Wisconsin Campaign, the business school's Dean's Advisory Board set a goal of raising $120 million by December 2006. More than $90 million has been raised to date.
The objectives for the campaign are clear. Funds raised during the campaign will be used to elevate the caliber of our programs that intersect with business, like the MBA program and executive education; enhance our existing strengths in faculty research and our undergraduate program; and provide opportunities to engage alumni and corporate partners at a new level.
Leading the campaign are co-chairs Curt Culver, BBA '74, MS '75, president, CEO and chairman of MGIC Investment Corporation in Milwaukee; and John Oros, BBA '71, president and COO of The Enstar Group in New York. Both have been actively involved with the School of Business and have experience leading other large campaign efforts.
At this stage in the campaign, in order to meet our goal, we need a significant percentage of alumni to participate at all levels. A point of pride for many top business schools is the high percentage of alumni who give back to support their program. School of Business alumni and friends have much to be proud of and if a significant percentage commit to being a part of the campaign, we will reach our goal.
Campaign Priorities Update
TRANSFORMATIONAL PROJECTS
Building Project
A separate space for the MBA program will house the centers and larger lecture halls, as well as provide
a professional environment for MBA students. This additional space will create opportunities to reconfigure and renovate Grainger Hall to better serve the needs of the undergraduate and PhD programs.
Naming Gift
Wisconsin remains one of only two schools in the Big Ten without a named business school. Funds generated from a naming gift will enable the school to aggressively recruit and retain faculty and students and to quickly implement strategies for program excellence and alumni outreach.
School of Business Annual Fund
Gifts made to the Annual Fund provide the Dean with the flexibility to direct additional critical resources
where they are needed most to implement the school's strategy. Increasing the number of alumni participating in annual giving is a campaign priority.
FACULTY
Faculty Chairs
Endowed chairs, the highest honor bestowed by the university, help keep the school competitive in the market for the best faculty.
Professorships
This support frees selected faculty to concentrate on creating new courses and improving existing ones, while maintaining research productivity. It also helps maximize the scholarly contributions of those at the most productive stages of their careers.
Junior Faculty Research Awards
Talented business graduates choose academia so they can conduct independent research and share knowledge with students. To recruit and retain these exceptional scholars and teachers, it is imperative we provide a minimum level of support for development and maintenance of their research infrastructure.
PROGRAM SUPPORT
MBA Program Centers
Gifts made to MBA program centers support students,
faculty, staff and physical infrastructure for specific career specializations that are at the core of the newly designed MBA program.
Student Organization Endowment
Student organizations provide an opportunity for students to gain leadership skills. This endowment
will help underwrite events and field trips by undergraduate student organizations and provide staff to help ensure these experiences provide rewarding and useful training.
STUDENTS
PhD Support
Strong PhD students add value to faculty research and provide teaching support for the undergraduate
and master's programs. Fellowships offer financial assistance and recognition.
Master's Student Support
In addition to targeted support offered through the MBA program centers, the school offers more general master's support in the form of project, teaching or research assistantships.
Undergraduate Student Support
During an era of rising tuition, undergraduate scholarships help preserve access to superior education
for all qualified students.
ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT
Visiting Alumni Program
One of our greatest assets is our alumni base, which we intend to use more effectively by bringing
alumni and friends to campus for interaction with students in classes, student organizations and in other settings to provide a variety of real-world expertise.
FACILITIES
Grainger Hall Preservation
Private money made Grainger Hall a superior facility;
additional private support will maintain it at the high caliber expected by students and alumni.