Landmark Fundraising Campaign Will Support Students, Faculty

Created: October 24, 2014  |  Last Updated: October 7, 2021  |  Category:   |  Tagged:

WASHINGTON, PA (Oct. 25, 2014) – On the eve of Homecoming 2014, Washington & Jefferson College (W&J) announces An Uncommon Bond: The Campaign for Washington & Jefferson College, a historic effort to raise $100 million to strengthen the College’s capacity to support students and faculty both today and in the future.

This landmark fundraising campaign seeks to secure support for W&J in many forms. All gifts committed before June 30, 2016 will count toward the $100 million goal.

“This campaign is an opportunity for us to make this institution even stronger, to improve the educational experience for today’s students and faculty,” said Richard Clark, Chairman of the W&J College Board of Trustees, and Chair of the Campaign.

Clark also announced that, through the generosity of alumni and friends of the College, $76.3 million already has been raised toward the goal, and he led a toast to those people, and to the “impact this campaign will have on the College today and for many years to come.”

A portion of the goal amount - $60 million – is earmarked for increasing the endowment for students and faculty members. Unlike annual gifts, which are spent more immediately, the endowment provides a permanent stream of income, invested to generate continual earnings.

Funds from this endowment are used each year for scholarships and financial aid to students, special programs, and faculty salaries and benefits. Increasing the endowment will transform W&J’s ability to support students and faculty at the highest level.

“W&J relies heavily on tuition and fees to fund the cost of educating our students. The time has come to change that,” Clark said.” “Right now, our endowment provides about 10% of our overall annual budget, leaving the rest to come from tuition and fees and other sources. A stronger endowment means more smart, capable students can earn a W&J education allowing them to take advantage of once-in-a-lifetime learning experiences regardless of their personal financial situation.  A stronger endowment also means more resources for our outstanding faculty as well.”

Another $30 million will be reserved for improvements to living and learning spaces that will transform the College campus; in particular, vast improvements will be made to Henry Gymnasium and the surrounding athletic complex, U. Grant Miller Library, and the Presidents Row section of dormitories, all of which were constructed in the 1960s.

The expansion of the athletic complex will give varsity coaches and teams much-needed new spaces for recruiting and training, while also creating additional space for intramural and club sports.

U. Grant Miller Library will be reconfigured to accommodate additional digital research tools including, but not limited to, access to more databases, digital books and other online resources, as well as wireless classrooms and additional study space.

Presidents Row, originally known as The Quads, will receive significant upgrades, including new doors, windows and peaked roofs, as well as interior improvements, such as air conditioning.

The remaining $10 million will be used to strengthen The W&J Fund, which makes an immediate difference in the lives of current W&J students. By strengthening The W&J Fund, the College can increase levels of funding for scholarships, faculty positions, athletics, study abroad programs – including the Magellan Project, a program unique to W&J College – and an array of other programs for students.

“W&J taught me how to think, how to ask questions, how to grow into maturity,” Clark said. “I was not just a number; I was an individual who was held accountable, expected to be prepared, and yet also part of this comfortable community. This culture is still in place 46 years later.”

For more information about the campaign, see the An Uncommon Bond website. Those who have questions or wish to discuss a particular area of interest can contact the Office of Development at 724-223-6078 or anuncommonbond@washjeff.edu.

About Washington & Jefferson College

Washington & Jefferson College, located in Washington, Pa., is a selective liberal arts college founded in 1781. Committed to providing each of its students with the highest-quality undergraduate education available, W&J offers a traditional arts and sciences curriculum emphasizing interdisciplinary study and independent study work.

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