Fredonia has publicly launched its largest comprehensive campaign n school history.
The kickoff of the public phase of the campaign, titled “Nurturing Innovation: The Campaign for Fredonia,” took place in front of hundreds of guests during the annual Homecoming Excellence Gala Dinner Friday night in the Williams Center.
The goal of the campaign is to raise $20 million over the next three years. Fredonia has raised more than $13 million in gifts and pledges as part of the campaign’s “silent phase,” which began in 2014.
“We are reimagining the key attributes of a quality education, by offering internships, student research, study abroad, and volunteer opportunities; all of which are as valuable as time spent in the classroom,” said Fredonia President Virginia Horvath.
The campaign, conducted through the Fredonia College Foundation, will focus on five key areas: providing scholarships to students who are high-achieving, but in need of assistance to make college affordable; supporting faculty-student research collaborations, internships, and entrepreneurial activities; enhancing faculty research and creative activity; redesigning and reimagining existing classrooms and other spaces; and providing flexibility to direct funds to areas of strategic importance and greatest need.
“More than ever, students and families are looking for a place like Fredonia, and this campaign will define the ways this university builds on that tradition,” said Interim Vice President for University Advancement Betty Catania Gossett, ‘76. “We will use this campaign to nurture critical thinking, and support innovative approaches. We are committed to working together to challenge students and support their development to become skilled, creative, connected, and responsible graduates.”
Fredonia College Foundation board members Dennis Costello, Class of ‘72, and Joseph Falcone, Class of ‘74, are co-chairs of the campaign.
Our generous donors have laid the foundation for this capital campaign,” said Costello. “The success of the ‘Nurturing Innovation’ campaign will move Fredonia forward by enhancing its academic scope and scale for the next generation and beyond, by supporting our faculty, and strengthening our endowment.”
“The value of a Fredonia education is as clear as it has ever been,” said Falcone. “We are all committed to working together to create the best environment for student success. This capital campaign will help Fredonia take those vital next steps to expand opportunities in and out of the classroom.”
Fredonia has launched a new website that highlights stories related to the campaign, from successful alumni to current scholarship winners to programs funded by benefactors.
