Since its launch in 2007, The Campaign for San Diego State has managed to raise $750 million.
Almost 68,000 donors made up of alumni, faculty,staff, community members and students have donated to The Campaign. About 129 donors have made contributions of one million dollars or more.
Director of Media Relations Gina Jacobs said the campaign has had wide-ranging impacts on the university.
Such impacts include the provision of funding for scholarships, endowment of faculty chairs, research, student success activities, athletics, academic programming, the Weber Honors College, and alumni activities.
Engineering sophomore John Wiggins said he would love to see some of the funds go to support some of the major programs across campus.
“As an engineer, I find that there is a huge lack in female presence and I have yet to come across a single female professor in engineering,” Wiggins said. “Some outreach programs would be a major help in this area.”
Wiggins also mentioned how he, as a music minor, would also like to see some funding go toward helping assist the workshop and other programs within the music department.
“The arts are always in need of funding and are the most important thing, in my opinion, to developing a creative and progressive culture,” he said.
Biology sophomore Hannah Prieto said she would like to see some of the money go to aiding students and instructors in creating a smoother learning environment.
“I would love to see some funding go into hiring more professors and opening more sections of classes, as well as helping students get the supplies they need by lowering the costs of books,” Prieto said.
Although there is a general campaign donation which supports priorities of the university, like scholarships and campus enhancements, many donors decide where they want the funds directed to.
“There is a gift agreement with every guest that the university will dedicate the money according to their specifications,” Jacobs said.
For example, a recent $250,000 donation from Jack McGrory will provide scholarships for student veterans attending SDSU.
In addition to serving in the U.S. Marine Corps, McGrory earned a master’s degree in public administration from SDSU, where he also taught for nearly three decades.
Jacobs said one of the top priorities of the university is to raise money for the Engineering and Interdisciplinary Sciences Complex that broke ground in fall 2015.
Such a complex will create more classrooms and work spaces to match the increase in popularity in majors such as geoengineering, bioengineering and computer engineering.
SDSU Vice President for University Relations and Development Mary Ruth Carleton said philanthropic support is crucial to the university’s ability to grow and thrive.
Carleton has led the campaign for the last ten years.
“The entire campus community has played a role in the success of The Campaign for SDSU,” Carleton said. “When we talk to our donors, they are in awe of all the good work being done by our students, faculty and staff and they want to be a part of it.”
