Plan devised to fund construction
Campaign could raise as much as $230 million
By Kyle Wittenbraker
Staff Reporter

University Advancement officials are preparing to start a public campaign to raise $230 million to pay for existing and planned campus construction projects.

Nancy Petruso, assistant vice chancellor for University Advancement, said money is needed to pay for the University Recreation Center, Steve and Sarah Smith Entrepreneurs Hall, the MBA program and Center for Texas Studies, and an artificial turf football practice field.

Bronson Davis, vice chancellor for University Advancement, said the MBA program has raised $660,000 towards its $5 million price tag.

He said planned construction projects include a new building for the School of Education, renovation of the ballet building and a Brite Divinity School academic complex. Possible projects include a student media center and building projects for the music department, he said.

Megan McLaurin, junior music education major, said the music program has already had its main needs fulfilled by new practice space. She said she would like the band hall to be expanded.

“The marching band has to pray that they reserved Ed Landreth or that it’s open,” she said.

Petruso said about $104 million has been raised in the last three years.

Davis said the campaign is on target, but the goal may change.

“If something exciting happens, we might go for $250 (million),” he said.

Petruso said the campaign, planned to begin in fall 2003, was delayed after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the economic slump and the naming of a new chancellor.

“We had some things happen, and we lost some traction,” Davis said.

Petruso said TCU’s best donor prospects have been asked about their financial commitments.

“No one was in a position to make a large commitment to the campaign,” she said.

Davis said Chancellor Victor Boschini is conducting a committee to evaluate fund-raising efforts. Chancellor Michael Ferrari’s retirement forced the campaign to be divided into phases, he said.

“The chancellor is your number one salesman. He is the leader,” Davis said.

Davis said the university depends on large gifts from a few donors.

“It makes you a little nervous when our top 12 gifts have averaged 47 percent of giving over the last six or seven years,” he said. “The less dependent you are on large gifts, the more stable you are.”

University Advancement plans to publicly announce their goal and start a public fund-raising campaign in fall 2004, Petruso said.

Davis said he would feel good about the start of the campaign if the university could get a naming gift for the University Recreation Center. He said the TCU Board of Trustees will decide on the fund-raising goal after considering University Advancement’s recommendation.

Petruso said the campaign is tentatively scheduled to finish at the end of TCU’s fiscal year on May 31, 2007.
Kyle Wittenbraker
k.k.wittenbraker@tcu.edu