University of Mary Washington - Index

University of Mary Washington - summer08 - Index

Doug Buerlein
ON CAMPUS
Celebrating a Tradition, Creating a Future
MYTH: Because the
University of Mary Washington is a
public institution, little support is
needed from outside contributors.
FACT:
Public support for the
University of Mary Washington is
dwindling. While UMW is considered
a state-supported school, only
slightly more than a quarter of the
institution’s operating budget comes
from the Commonwealth of Virginia.
How, then, are the remaining
expenses to be met?
Tuition and fees cover a portion, but
private dollars are essential to filling the
funding gap.
With that realization, the University
of Mary Washington Foundation
was established three decades ago.
The Foundation operates exclusively
to receive and administer private,
corporate, and grant funds. This
support is vital to the maintenance
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and enhancement of the University’s
academic and residential programs.
Private dollars can make the
difference as to whether a student
attends Mary Washington or not, or
whether a residence hall lobby is
renovated or not.
Arabelle Laws Arrington ’41
has been a loyal supporter of UMW.
Ten years ago, she was behind the
“Arrington Challenge,” a fundraising
effort that provided support for faculty
recruitment, retention, and special
benefits including tuition assistance for
faculty and staff children enrolled at
UMW.
“I give to Mary Washington because
Mary Washington gave so much to me
when I was a student and, to this day,
continues to give to me,” Mrs. Arrington
said. “I love the campus, the students,
and the faculty, and I am dedicated to
helping the University succeed into the
next century.”
As UMW concludes celebration of
its centennial year and looks toward
its promising future, the University
has launched a $75 million Centennial
Campaign as a way of “Celebrating a
Tradition, Creating a Future.”
There is, indeed, much to celebrate
at UMW, which has evolved into one of
the premier public universities in the
country. From its roots as a women’s
teachers college, UMW is now on the
cutting edge of technology, and each
year it continues to attract the brightest
men and women. (In Virginia, Mary
Washington is the third most selective
state school behind William & Mary and
the University of Virginia.)
In order to keep pace with those
schools – and UMW’s endowment-rich
counterparts – the University needs to
broaden its avenues of support. While
continued state funding is important,
the school can flourish only with
supplemental private support from
UMW’s Centennial Campaign Goals
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CAMPAIGN TOTAL
$75 MILLION
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Fund for
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Above: The University of Mary Washington has launched a $75-million Centennial
Campaign, which includes a $35-million endowment goal, $15 million in support of
the Fund for Mary Washington, and $25 million slated for capital improvements and
the preservation and enhancement of campus facilities.
At left: John Chappell honored his late wife with a private gift that funded the Carmen
Culpeper Chappell ’59 Centennial Campanile, which has become a UMW landmark.