Student Senate intends to ask students to chip in their cash for Ohio University’s Promise Lives Campaign.
Senate President Kyle Triplett approached OU’s Vice President for University Advancement Bryan Benchoff about involving students in the $450 million fundraising effort.
Although students pay tuition — to the tune of $9,870 apiece this year for in-state students — donating extra money could be beneficial to their education, Triplett said.
“We should donate toward something we’re passionate about,” he said. “Give some money to support the library or your college.”
The Promise Lives campaign has been going on for more than four years. The university hopes to raise $450 million by June 2015 to fund scholarships, professorships and research. So far, the campaign has drawn in about $377 million.
“We’re almost there, and we hope to reach the goal by 2015,” Triplett said.
Benchoff said at last week’s Ohio University Foundation Board of Trustees meeting that he expects the university to exceed the $450 million goal.
The benefits of student donations are more than monetary, Benchoff said.
“That’s a powerful message when we talk to donors,” Benchoff said, “to demonstrate that students, even while they’re here, are willing to donate.”
Benchoff has not yet met with senate to discuss specific plans for targeting students, but he said the way students contribute would ultimately be up to them.
“We’re trying to find something at the university that’s in need and that students can help fundraise for,” Triplett said.
Students are already able to donate to the university at any time by going to the Office of Advancement, but Triplett said he hopes a concentrated effort between the advancement office and Student Senate will rally students to support the fundraising.
As OU faces uncertainty regarding state funding, support from donors is important, said Stephen Golding, vice president for Finance and Administration.
“In the world of constrained resources for public education, it’s a powerful message to sit there and identify what students have done to support their institutions,” Golding said.
tl674710@ohiou.edu
