A number of Buffalo-area community members have committed gifts of $25,000 and above to St. Bonaventure University’s School of Business Campaign, the university announced today.
St. Bonaventure recently entered the public phase of a $15 million campaign to construct a 26,000-square-foot building to house its School of Business.
The new center will feature a financial services lab with electronic ticker tape, dean’s suite, corporate boardroom, state-of-the-art classrooms, break-out areas, spaces for student collaboration, team building and faculty research, innovative technology uses, and a commitment to sustainability.
Support from the Buffalo area includes gifts from: Drew (class of 1984) and Candace Blum; Bill (class of 1973) and Jane Greene; Paul (class of 1965) and Jane Hilbert, the Lawley family, including graduates Bill Sr. (class of 1957), Bill Jr. (class of 1985), Mark (class of 1991) and Michael (class of 1992); Jay and Mary McWatters (both from the class of 1980); Bill and Jody Mabee (both from the class of 1977); Jean MacLeay (class of 1986) and J.D. Oliver; Betty Ramming (in memory of her husband, Allan D. Ramming, class of 1963) ; and Jim Skrip (class of 1984).
“My fellow alumni and I have a sincere appreciation for what St. Bonaventure gave us, not only in the form of business education but in the form of lifelong lessons as well. Contributing to the School of Business center couldn’t be a more fitting way for us to express our thanks and hopefully encourage others to do the same,” said Drew Blum, president and CEO of Allied Frozen Storage, Inc.
Construction will begin by June 2012, with the building set to open in fall 2013.
“The new School of Business center is a key element in our overall strategic plan,” said Sr. Margaret Carney, O.S.F., S.T.D., president of the university. “We have seen firsthand the power of new facilities on our campus, and know that investing in this building will position us to better compete for high-quality students and faculty who want to be part of a unique and distinctive scholarly environment."
The $15 million campaign will provide: $10 million for the construction of the new business center; $4 million in endowments for faculty and programmatic support to ensure a vibrant intellectual community; and $1 million for building endowment.
More than $10 million has been raised to date under the leadership of Robert Daugherty, ’77, University trustee and campaign chair.
“We are grateful for the financial commitments that have been made to date,” said Mr. Daugherty, a retired partner of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. “Now we need the leverage of many. We need the help of our alumni, parents and friends to make this campaign a success.”
St. Bonaventure’s School of Business is one of only 5 percent of business schools worldwide to hold accreditation by the Association for the Advancement of Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).
“We are in demand,” said Carol Fischer, associate dean of the School of Business, adding that some 30 percent of St. Bonaventure’s student body is composed of business majors.
“Our faculty, students and graduates have made the case for this new building,” Dr. Fischer said. “They have demonstrated through academic excellence and through success in the business realm that St. Bonaventure’s School of Business is world-class quality. Reaching our goal in this campaign will enable us to maintain and build upon our traditional strengths, as well as develop new strengths in our distinctive niches such as service learning.”
These gifts are among more than 50 commitments made to the campaign by St. Bonaventure alumni and friends. The university expects to release information about the additional lead donors to the campaign as it continues toward its goal of $15 million.
Donations to the campaign may be made by visiting www.sbu.edu/bullishonbusiness/donate or by calling (800) 664-1273.
For more on the planned Business Center and the School of Business Campaign, go to www.sbu.edu/bullishonbusiness.
About the University: Inspired for more than 150 years by the Catholic Franciscan values of individual dignity, community inclusiveness, and service, St. Bonaventure University cultivates graduates who are confident and creative communicators, collaborative leaders and team members, and innovative problem solvers who are respectful of themselves, others, and the diverse world around them.