1. What is the financial goal of the campaign?
Canisius has set a goal of $90 million.
2. How much has been raised to date?
As of January 5, 2009, the campaign has raised $65 million.
3. How will the money be used?
The $90 million we raise will fund several major initiatives that are crucial to the future of Canisius.
- $47 million will go toward the purchase and renovation of the BlueCross BlueShield building to create Science Hall, a state-of-the-art interdisciplinary science center.
- $24 million will be earmarked for endowment to expand support for scholarships and academic programs.
- 2 million will fund renovations to the library
- A total of $17 million will be raised through the college’s Annual Fund over a seven-year period to provide additional annual operating support.
The building sits in the heart of the Canisius campus. Opportunities of this kind do not arise often, so the college seized the opportunity to execute its vision for Science Hall. Canisius purchased the building for $18.45 million, and the preliminary cost estimate to convert the existing office space into state-of-the-art teaching and laboratory space is in the range of $25 to $30 million. The building integrates our campus and provides a single site large enough to consolidate all of our science programs, which are currently housed in three separate buildings. Some would argue that most important, is the attached parking pavilion, which solves the college’s parking problems in a single stroke.
5. Why does Canisius need a science center?
Canisius has long been a leader in undergraduate science education and garners national recognition for the excellence of its science programs. The development of Science Hall will enable Canisius to build on this core academic strength and prepare students with the latest knowledge and skills for 21st century science. Science Hall will allow students and faculty to explore complex research questions in a state-of-the-art setting. It will promote new interdisciplinary ventures within the sciences and with the education, humanities and business departments. The new facility will also bolster important collaborations with the institutions of the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus.
6. What is endowment and why do we need an additional $24 million for it?
The classic definition of endowment is a gift that is invested with the institution whose principal can never be spent. The gift exists in perpetuity and its earnings provide permanent sources of revenue to support key academic programs, student scholarships, faculty recruitment, research, and other initiatives that promote academic excellence at Canisius. Because tuition funds between 80 to 90 percent of the costs to operate Canisius annually, there is a gap that must be filled through other sources of revenue, such as endowed funds.
7. What are the programs that will be supported through an expanded endowment?
- Scholarships: Canisius provides financial assistance to more than 90 percent of students. Scholarships make a Canisius education affordable and accessible to a broad cross-section of students. They enable the college to attract and retain talented students, who enrich and diversify the learning environment.
- The Institute for the Global Study of Religion: The programs of the institute provide students, faculty and the public with the opportunity to explore the dynamic relationship between religion and culture. Examples of programs administered by the institute include Christianity on the Road Less Traveled, which takes students to Third World countries to study, reflect and serve others, and the Joseph J. Naples ’41 Conversations in Christ and Culture Lecture Series.
- The Urban Leadership Learning Community: This program recruits academically talented, typically underrepresented students from the city of Buffalo and immerses them in an innovative program that includes significant scholarship support, team learning courses, on-campus residency and leadership development.
- The All-College Honors Program: This program brings outstanding students to Canisius and engages them in exciting research and scholarship endeavors. The Honors Program invigorates the intellectual life of the entire Canisius community through its speciallydesigned courses and co-curricular experiences.
- The Nelson D. Civello ’67 Family Financial Markets Lab: The Financial Markets Lab is home to the studentmanaged Golden Griffin Fund Program. Students learn to use the same tools as Wall Street analysts to conduct research, invest and manage real money. The experience provides students with a distinct advantage as they pursue their careers in financial services.
- Canisius Ambassadors for Conservation: Students travel the world to research animals in their natural habitats and return home to share their experiences, teach, and promote conservation at area schools, the Buffalo Zoo, the Aquarium of Niagara and Marineland of Ontario.
- The Canisius College Video Institute: The Video Institute combines student learning and service to others. Students gain hands-on experience producing documentaries and promotional videos that benefit not-for-profit arts, cultural, and humanitarian organizations both locally and abroad. Student productions have received national recognition for their quality.
- Department Endowments: In addition to the specific endowed programs, the college is attempting to create endowments in as many academic departments as possible. Even modest amounts of endowment will create permanent sources of funds for student/ faculty travel, conferences, and research, for example.
- Endowed Faculty Chairs: Endowed chairs are appointments awarded to distinguished scholars in recognition of their contributions to their academic disciplines. This academic honor provides funding to support the faculty members’ teaching, research or service activities. Endowed chairs are powerful tools for energizing the learning environment and recruiting and retaining the most accomplished faculty, which in turn helps Canisius to recruit the highest quality students.
- Endowed Professorships: Similar to endowed chairs, endowed professorships provide Canisius faculty with additional resources for teaching, learning and scholarship over a designated period of time. Professorships support innovative programs, lecture series, research and scholarly travel that strengthen the quality of the academic experience for our faculty and the students.
The first floor of the library will be redesigned to support the social dimensions of learning. A new learning commons will be developed to accommodate our students’ need for more interactive and group-learning spaces, as well as increased access to technology. The plans include 24-hour access to computers, a tutoring center, a coffee shop, quiet study spaces and collaborative study areas.
9. Why is the Annual Fund part of the campaign?
The campaign hopes to increase the Annual Fund by 50 percent over seven years, from its starting point of $2 million to $3 million by 2010. The increase in the annual fund will help provide more annual operating support for the many other college priorities.
10. What will the result be if Canisius is successful in this campaign?
The success of this campaign will help us to achieve our vision to be among the top comprehensive universities in the Northeast. It will cement the college’s place as a leader in undergraduate science education. The rich, innovative learning experiences supported through this campaign will ensure that our graduates are well prepared in the Catholic Jesuit tradition to take their places as leaders in whatever professions they choose. And finally, Canisius will continue to be a powerful force for positive change and economic revitalization in Buffalo.