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Report from the second annual
Posted October 7, 2003
IOWA CITY -- Increasing the number of endowed faculty positions funded by private gifts is crucial to the University of Iowa's ability to continually improve teaching, research and service to the state, speakers told a gathering of more than 160 UI contributors and faculty recently. UI officials and other speakers at the second annual Named Deanships, Chairs and Professorships Recognition Luncheon, held September 26, 2003, in the Levitt Center for University Advancement, stressed that increasing the level of private, endowed faculty support is essential if the UI is to achieve its strategic objectives within the University's current Good.Better.Best.Iowa campaign. The event recognized not only the contributors who established named faculty funds, but also many of the distinguished faculty members who hold these positions. Following are images from the September 26 luncheon:  Contributors, faculty members, and members of the UI and UI Foundation staff gathered for a pre-luncheon reception in the Levitt Center rotunda.  Luncheon guests were greeted with colorful displays designed to highlight the campaign's major goals, including faculty support.  Steve Sanders, the UI Foundation's vice president for development programs, served as the event's master of ceremonies.  UI President David Skorton stressed the importance of attracting, retaining, and rewarding top faculty.  Len Hadley, a 1958 graduate of the UI business school and retired CEO of the Maytag Corporation, spoke on behalf of contributors who have chosen to support UI faculty funds.  Kate Gfeller, professor in the Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology and director of the UI's Music Therapy Program, holds an F. Wendell Miller Professorship. She explained the impact of such endowed positions on faculty members. Raising $189 million for faculty/staff support is a major goal within the UI's $850 million comprehensive campaign, which will run through 2005 and is being conducted under the guidance of the UI Foundation. Named Good. Better. Best. Iowa: The Campaign to Advance Our Great University, the seven-year effort is raising private funds to help launch a variety of initiatives across the University, substantially increase the number of UI scholarships and endowed faculty positions, support new educational and research facilities, build the UI's endowment and fund outreach and service programs to benefit Iowans. A named deanship requires an endowment of $2 million or more. This position provides flexible resources for a dean to meet special needs in his or her college. A named chair is the highest honor the university can bestow on a faculty member and requires an endowment of $1.5 million or more. A named professorship -- which recognizes a distinguished faculty member and provides an annual amount in partial support of salary or teaching, research and scholarship expenses -- requires an endowment of $500,000 or more. The UI Foundation is acknowledged by the UI as a preferred channel for private contributions that benefit all areas of the university. For more information about the Good. Better. Best. Iowa campaign, visit its web site at www.GoodBetterBestIowa.org. Contact Information
Steve Sanders |