ConU to launch biggest fundraiser

Concordia University is planning a September launch of the public phase of its biggest fundraising campaign to date, it was revealed at a Board of Governors meeting March 18.
The campaign will run until 2014, with a goal of raising $225 million for the school.
The public phase of the campaign will coincide with Concordia’s 40th anniversary.
The campaign has been in progress since 2007 on a private level, with Concordia reaching out mostly to private corporations and funds, as well as alumni.
To date, $129 million has been collected, but about 18 cents of every dollar raised is earmarked to cover administrative overhead costs.
The last large-scale fundraising campaign ran from 1996 to 1999 and raised $69 million, according to the university’s vice-president advancement and alumni relations Katherine Assayag, who is also heading the new fundraising initiative.
The public campaign will be branded around the phrase “I Choose Concordia,” which Assayag said reflected that Concordia is no longer seen as a “last chance university,” but rather a first choice for many students.
If the economy takes a downturn though, Concordia may delay the campaign. “We’re not going to jump into an empty pool,” said Assayag at the meeting.
While the campaign is expected to meet its target, it had to be extended by two years in order to meet its goal because of the global recession.

University’s finances, enrolment sitting pretty
The university continues to benefit from increased enrolment.
There are currently 1,852 more full-time equivalent students than originally anticipated and budgeted for. The increased enrolment represents $10 million more in the budget, which the university is currently considering applying towards pay equity, pensions and benefits.
“Given our projected results, we expect to be in a better position than in the past few years to begin addressing these financial matters,” wrote interim chief financial officer Patrick Kelley.
It also seems as though the good times will continue as Concordia has been receiving more applications and issuing more letters of acceptance than last year, with Canadian students from outside Quebec leading the application surge.
As of March 8, Concordia had issued 3,518 acceptance letters to undergraduates; that is 943 letters, or 37 per cent, more than the same time last year.

Concordia University is planning a September launch of the public phase of its biggest fundraising campaign to date, it was revealed at a Board of Governors meeting March 18.
The campaign will run until 2014, with a goal of raising $225 million for the school.
The public phase of the campaign will coincide with Concordia’s 40th anniversary.
The campaign has been in progress since 2007 on a private level, with Concordia reaching out mostly to private corporations and funds, as well as alumni.
To date, $129 million has been collected, but about 18 cents of every dollar raised is earmarked to cover administrative overhead costs.
The last large-scale fundraising campaign ran from 1996 to 1999 and raised $69 million, according to the university’s vice-president advancement and alumni relations Katherine Assayag, who is also heading the new fundraising initiative.
The public campaign will be branded around the phrase “I Choose Concordia,” which Assayag said reflected that Concordia is no longer seen as a “last chance university,” but rather a first choice for many students.
If the economy takes a downturn though, Concordia may delay the campaign. “We’re not going to jump into an empty pool,” said Assayag at the meeting.
While the campaign is expected to meet its target, it had to be extended by two years in order to meet its goal because of the global recession.

University’s finances, enrolment sitting pretty
The university continues to benefit from increased enrolment.
There are currently 1,852 more full-time equivalent students than originally anticipated and budgeted for. The increased enrolment represents $10 million more in the budget, which the university is currently considering applying towards pay equity, pensions and benefits.
“Given our projected results, we expect to be in a better position than in the past few years to begin addressing these financial matters,” wrote interim chief financial officer Patrick Kelley.
It also seems as though the good times will continue as Concordia has been receiving more applications and issuing more letters of acceptance than last year, with Canadian students from outside Quebec leading the application surge.
As of March 8, Concordia had issued 3,518 acceptance letters to undergraduates; that is 943 letters, or 37 per cent, more than the same time last year.