Western Colorado University President Brad Baca recently released the sent letter to the Mountaineer Community to announce the public launch of Western’s ambitious Elevate Western campaign:
Western Alumni and Donors,
On Saturday, September 30th, we announced the public launch of the most ambitious and transformational campaign ever undertaken by Western Colorado University. A seven-year effort to raise $80 million! I am proud to report that since we began in July 2019, we have raised over $64 million
to strengthen our university and Elevate Western! While financial resources are critical to Western’s future success, it’s the impact of these funds that can be seen throughout our campus and among our student population. Thus far, generous support of the Elevate Western Campaign has:
- Provided hundreds of students an opportunity to attend Western by launching over 75 new, privately funded scholarships.
- Endowed faculty positions for the newly named Clark Family School of Environment & Sustainability, greatly expanding research and teaching experiences for our students.
- Transformed the Mountaineer Bowl, the centerpiece of the Rady Family Sports Complex, creating a state-of-the-art facility to host community and athletic events and give our fan base a one-of-a-kind elevated experience.
- Strengthened our ability to provide professional pathways for our students to ensure they have the skills needed to successfully compete in the job market.
- Created a program to support our local Gunnison Valley students, for those that have no clear pathway to higher education, by providing them mentoring services while in high school and scholarship support when they enroll at Western.
While we have made incredible progress on this journey, we have not yet reached the peak. As we push ahead, my hope for Western is that we can:
- Expand funding to attract and retain top faculty talent to ensure our students are being taught
by the most highly regarded educators in their field. - Strengthen our largest undergraduate program, the Business School, by seeking nationally
recognized accreditation. - Address regional and state workforce needs by enhancing our curriculum, including rural health
and nursing programs and expanded engineering offerings. - Explore the creation of academic centers that play on Western’s strengths, including an Energy
Center, an interdisciplinary collaboration offering a solutions-oriented approach to the critical
issues of our complex and ever-evolving energy landscape. - Enhance our spaces to meet the changing needs of our students, faculty and staff.
- Create an inclusive, diverse, and accessible campus by expanding our scholarship resources for
First Generation and underserved populations. - Provide unique hands-on experiences for both our faculty and students by increasing funding for
research and project-based learning.
All this can be accomplished with your financial support. Please join us as we work together to Elevate Western. To learn more about this transformational campaign, click here.
Onward!
Brad
