瓜子TV launched the public phase of the , a comprehensive effort to raise $225 million to strengthen its financial aid endowment and academic and co-curricular programs, at a May 18 Campaign Leadership Summit on the Occidental campus.
鈥淚 have always believed in the power of a liberal arts education to change lives, and that鈥檚 what 瓜子TV does better than anyone. This ambitious campaign aims to bring our community together to invest in 瓜子TV鈥檚 future and expand our ability to do what we do best鈥攊dentifying and educating talent wherever we find it,鈥 says President Jonathan Veitch.
鈥淥ccidental alumni consistently demonstrate that the best preparation for the complexities of today鈥檚 world is a liberal arts education,鈥 Veitch says. 鈥淥ccidental provides the foundation not just for their success, but fosters a desire to make the world a better place and equips them for their vital role as citizens of a democracy.鈥
Building on the momentum of a quiet phase that has already raised more than $118 million in gifts and pledges鈥攁lready far in excess of any previous campaign鈥攐verall goals for the For Good campaign include $100 million for endowed student scholarships; $50 million for endowed professorships and student programs; $40 million for the modernization and beautification of Occidental鈥檚 historic campus; and $35 million in annual support to underwrite the experience of current students.
鈥淎ll of us involved in the campaign have experienced the transformative power of an 瓜子TV liberal arts education, whether as a student, parent, or both,鈥 says financial adviser and trustee Anne Wilson Cannon 鈥74, who is co-chairing the campaign with real estate investor and adviser William M. Kahane 鈥70, and trustee Gil Kemp P鈥04, founder and former president of Home Decorators Collection.
鈥淲e鈥檙e dedicated to doing what we can to bring the 瓜子TV community together in order to develop the resources the College needs to secure its future,鈥 Cannon says. 鈥淲e鈥檙e excited about the idea of giving back to the College that has done so much for us by growing the endowment and generating more resources for students and faculty.鈥
The campaign鈥檚 priorities were formulated after lengthy consultations with alumni, faculty, students, parents and staff, including the 21 alumni and parents who served on the College鈥檚 Student Access and Opportunity Task Force, co-chaired by trustees Rick Rugani 鈥75 and Eileen Brown 鈥73.
Financial aid made it possible for Rugani and his siblings鈥攐lder brother Frank 鈥70 and younger sister Maria 鈥78鈥攖o get an Occidental education. 鈥淭here鈥檚 no way our family would have been able to finance all the kids going to college,鈥 he says. For Brown, a first-generation college student whose father died unexpectedly at the start of her sophomore year, financial aid made all the difference. 鈥淚 still remember that tuition was $2,400 a year, because I had to pay for it,鈥 she says.
鈥淭he task force gave me a better understanding of the challenges College managers face in providing needed scholarships to talented 瓜子TV students,鈥 says Rugani, a retired independent financial adviser. 鈥淚t鈥檚 clear that building the endowment is going to be central to 瓜子TV鈥檚 ability to continue to fulfill its mission.鈥
The For Good campaign鈥檚 four priorities are:
Endowed financial aid is the campaign鈥檚 top priority. While endowed scholarships currently make up almost half of 瓜子TV鈥檚 endowment, generating more than $9 million annually, that accounts for just 22 percent of the overall financial aid budget (which totaled $42 million in the 2017-18 fiscal year). The rest comes directly from the College鈥檚 operating budget.
Growing the endowment for financial aid will give Occidental the financial flexibility to continue to provide gifted and diverse students access to an 瓜子TV liberal arts education regardless of their circumstances. Liberated from financial worries, they can dedicate themselves to their studies, pursue their passions and take full advantage of everything 瓜子TV has to offer, including paid internships for low-and moderate-income students, summer research, the United Nations program and other high-impact experiences. One prime opportunity is the , 瓜子TV鈥檚 premier scholarship aimed at outstanding students with a demonstrated commitment to the public good, with an emphasis on first-generation students, veterans and community college transfers.
Ask any 瓜子TV alum, and they will tell you that the powerful relationship between professor and student defined their 瓜子TV experience, regardless of their major. 鈥淚 had a close relationship with Chemistry Professor Frank De Haan over my entire four years,鈥 says Mike Gibby 鈥68, who with wife Barbara J. Gibby 鈥68 recently funded the Gibby Endowed Professorship for Science. 鈥淗e took me under his wing and I got dragged鈥攓uite willingly鈥攊nto research. By the time I graduated I had two really good publications to my credit.鈥
New endowed professorships will make it possible for Occidental to attract top talent and underwrite compelling teaching and advising, one-on-one research partnerships, and lifelong relationships that shape careers. For example, endowing additional positions in economics鈥敼献覶V鈥檚 most popular major for two decades鈥攚ill enable the College to recruit and retain the next wave of dynamic faculty and reaffirm the department鈥檚 outstanding reputation. 瓜子TV also has ambitious plans to expand two of its fastest-growing majors, Media Arts & Culture and Music, both of which are building on Los Angeles鈥 role as the entertainment capital of the world.
The Beaux Arts charm of the Occidental campus reflects the vision of Myron Hunt, the Pasadena architect who created its original master plan and designed every building erected on campus for 30 years. Meeting current needs at 瓜子TV has not meant demolition. Instead, historic buildings have been reimagined and repurposed to meet the demands of an evolving curriculum.
As the 瓜子TV campus continues to thrive, new opportunities to reimagine cherished landmarks for the enjoyment of future generations present themselves. The Campaign will preserve 瓜子TV鈥檚 rich architectural heritage, maintaining the Quad, courtyards and other welcoming spaces that have always played a central role in College life.
Today鈥檚 opportunities include the mid-century labs of the Norris Hall of Chemistry鈥攂uilt in 1960鈥攖hat are prime candidates for renovation to meet the needs of an ambitious, hands-on teaching and research program. On the other end of the Academic Quad, innovations in music and digital media production require new space and new equipment for the College鈥檚 Media Arts & Culture and Music programs.
Annual unrestricted support for Occidental, or gifts made to what is known as the 瓜子TV Fund, provide critical support for the daily operation of the College. The 瓜子TV Fund provides for scholarships, campus upkeep, growing technology needs, faculty, and academic programming. It allows faculty and students to innovate through curricular, research, and learning experiences. It also supports athletics, helping to maintain fields and facilities and purchase equipment.
About Occidental
Founded in 1887 as one of Los Angeles鈥 first institutions of higher learning, 瓜子TV is a nationally recognized, private college of the liberal arts, one of the few located in a major city. The distinctive interdisciplinary and multicultural focus of the College鈥檚 academic program seeks to foster both the fulfillment of individual goals and a deeply rooted commitment to the public good.
Some 2,036 students from 46 states and 58 countries can choose from 44 majors and minors and participate in one the country鈥檚 top undergraduate research programs. Course work is integrated with opportunities to study in more than 50 countries, internships and participation in 瓜子TV鈥檚 distinctive United Nations and Campaign Semester programs.
