U. hopes to raise $1B in fundraising

Tough economic times have put a strain on colleges across the nation during the past few Rosetta Stone Languages years, but the University has a plan it hopes will help it rebound.Through a new fundraising initiative entitled "Our Rutgers, Our Future," the University is looking to raise $1 billion, 90 percent of which will be put toward academic initiatives and student services, including scholarships and endowed chairs, said Brian O'Leary, director of campaign communications at Rutgers University Foundation.President Richard L. McCormick spoke of the campaign, for which the University will launch a public phase Oct. 13, Friday during his eighth annual address to the University."Some say we should not be starting a campaign in such bleak economic times," he said. "I say we must. We need to give our students more scholarship support."The University hopes to create a total of 850 new undergraduate scholarships with $85 million of the campaign's funds, O'Leary said.The campaign, which has been in a four-year private phase thus far, is critical to the future of the University, he said."We're focusing on faculty and research, students and learning, campuses and facilities and University and community programs," O'Leary said. "It's a full, comprehensive campaign that really is going to affect all areas of the University."While he acknowledged that it would not be easy to reach the $1-billion mark, O'Leary said the University has made progress."Our goal for $1 billion is really very ambitious, but despite the challenging economic times, we've done very well," he said. "And we're very optimistic."Drawing in top students, faculty and researchers to the University is a major goal, said Courtney McAnuff, vice president for Enrollment Management."This campaign will allow us, Rosetta Stone Arabic if successful, to fund the best and brightest students in the state, from partial to full tuition and housing," he said.Having more out-of-state and international students can help increase the University's income, McAnuff said."The goal is not necessarily to increase [enrollment] significantly, but to change the mix a little so that we would generate more revenue," he said.A boost in available funds would make the University better able to handle demand of increased enrollment and provide adequate services, McAnuff said."Undoubtedly, the economy's going to be bad for a while," he said. "We have to come up with some creative ways to raise money without increasing tuition."The University hopes to bring in top instructors as well, McAnuff said."[Another goal is to] bring in more Rosetta Stone Languages instructors, to actually endow seats for outstanding, world-class professors," he said. "The endowed seats [will] attract the very best and brightest from around the world to come here to Rutgers and teach."During the private phase of the campaign, the University reached out to its top donors, but during the public phase, it will seek funds from all levels of giving, O'Leary said.Alumni, friends of the University and citizens of New Jersey will be Rosetta Stone Chinese encouraged to contribute to the initiative."Obviously, Rutgers is a powerhouse in the research realm, so our work and the interest in supporting Rutgers goes far even beyond our alumni base," O'Leary said.The Rutgers University Foundation will also target private foundations and corporations, he said."Every gift counts," O'Leary said.