| SPRINGFIELD As the final days count down on Transformations: the Campaign for Western New England College, college officials informed donors at a campaign celebration on June 3 that more than $23 million has been raised in the multi-year fundraising effort. The college saluted donors for their support of the campaign, the largest fundraising initiative ever undertaken by the institution. The campaign, which has produced some of the largest individual gifts in the college's history and secured $800,000 from the Kresge Foundation in fulfillment of a challenge grant issued by the foundation will formally conclude on June 30. "When I reflect on the accomplishments of this campaign, I keep coming back to the sense of optimism and the can-do spirit that prevails at Western New England College," Dr. Anthony S. Caprio, college president, said. "We've always had it, but I think the accomplishments of the campaign have strengthened this aspect of our institutional personality. There is a mindset, I think, that just about anything is possible for us. We have both the momentum and confidence to confront the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead of us. Western New England College will continue to move, grow, transform." Transformations: the Campaign for Western New England College aims to increase student financial aid, enhance academic quality and student enrichment and support the college's Annual Fund. The campaign exceeded its $20 million goal by 15 percent. Campaign donations have already been put into action in the form of the new entrance, new wing and renovation of the Law Center, the addition to the D'Amour Library, expanded athletic facilities and renovations to the St. Germain Campus Center. "Less obvious are the 79 new scholarships that were created by donors during the campaign, including 54 endowed and 25 annual scholarships," Caprio said. The college now has 130 named, endowed scholarships that will provide financial aid to generations of Western New England College students. The campaign also enabled the college to create new courses, a collaborative program known as the Law and Business Center of Advancing Entrepreneurship and equipment for laboratories and classrooms. In September the college will open a Collaborative Product Realization Laboratory with new high-end computer aided design (CAD) equipment, thanks to a $150,000 grant from the George I. Alden Trust. This is the largest project, in terms of equipment acquisition and facilities renovation, to occur at the School of Engineering since Sleith Hall was built in 1973. |
