ACADEMIC UPDATE!!!! (Part 32) (The Endowment) *originally posted February 7, 2006.Endowments,
more than ever, are extremely important to colleges and universities.
The importance of a strong endowment can not be understated. Endowments
provide permanent funds in which an institution can draw to bolster
scholarships, programs, etc. In this day and time, Public institutions
must rely on strong endowments to provide stability and competition.
All major universities are working hard to compete with each other.
Endowment goals are a moving target as competitors realize increased
tuitions, salaries, construction costs, etc. The University of Alabama
will launch the public phase of an ongoing Capital Campaign to raise
the endowment to over $1 billion. Only 53 colleges and universities in
the United States currently have reached this landmark. It is time for
OUR University to reach this plateau. Everyone can help. There is
strength in numbers and, judging by UA’s history of strength among its
alumni and friends, the goal will be reached. -As noted above, a
major measure of the strength of a university and the success of its
alumni can be found in the level of its endowment. For instance,
Harvard University is widely considered to be the top university in the
United States, therefore, it is no surprise that its $25.5 billion
endowment is the largest in the nation. In a recent issue (1/27/06) of
The Chronicle of Higher Education, endowment rankings for the nation’s
colleges and universities were released in its annual survey. The
University of Alabama's endowment faired well, ranking 76th among all
colleges and universities in the nation (#33 among all Public
institutions). Among SEC member institutions, Vanderbilt University
ranked 1st with ($2.6 billion), followed by The University of Florida
($836 million), The University of Alabama ($765 million), The
University of Tennessee ($715 million), The University of Arkansas
($692 million), The University of Kentucky ($577 million), The
University of Georgia ($517 million), Louisiana State University ($505
million), The University of Mississippi ($398 million), The University
of South Carolina ($330 million), Auburn University ($316 million), and
Mississippi State University ($211 million). Within the state of
Alabama, The University of Alabama ($765 million) ranked 1st, followed
by Auburn University ($316 million), The University of South Alabama
($266 million), Samford University ($255 million), Birmingham-Southern
College ($114 million), and Troy University ($18 million). -The
University of Alabama’s Manderson Graduate School of Business boasted
three top-10 rankings in The Princeton Review’s “Best Business Schools”
guide, released in October. UA ranked 4th in the Nation for “Best
Campus Facilities”, 5th for “Best Professors”, and 8th for “Best
Administered”. The University of Alabama ranked ahead of schools such
as Duke University and Harvard University on the “Best Professors”
list; Harvard University, The University of California-Berkley, and The
University of Virginia for “Best Facilities”; and Emory University in
the “Best Administered” category. No other program from the state of
Alabama was ranked in the report. -The 2005 freshmen class at The
University of Alabama includes a total of 145 National Scholars (72
National Merit Scholars, 13 Achievements Scholars, and 60 National
Hispanic Scholars). The number of National Scholars in UA’s freshmen
class has more than doubled in the last three years. Also, total
enrollment at The University of Alabama reached a record high of 21,750
this Fall. -Dr. Guy Caldwell, associate professor of Biological
Sciences at The University of Alabama, was named the state of Alabama’s
“2005 Professor of the Year” by the Carnegie Foundation for the
Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of
Education (CASE). Dr. Caldwell was honored in Washington, D.C. in
November. CASE established the Professors of the Year program in 1981
and the Carnegie Foundation became the co-sponsor a year later. -Three
students at The University of Alabama have been named winners of the
prestigious and highly competitive Hollings Scholarships.
Congratulations to Jacob Batson (chemistry major), Micah Bennett
(biology major), and Barbara Blaylock (double major in economics and
mathematics) for winning this award and making OUR university proud.
The Hollings Scholarship Program is designed to improve undergraduate
training in oceanic and atmospheric science, research technology, and
natural resource education; increase public understanding of the
importance of stewardship of the environment; prepare students for
careers with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
and other federal, state, and local levels of government that deal with
natural resources; and improve scientific and environmental education
in the United States. UA ranked among the top-5 universities in the
Nation in total number of recipients for the scholarship. -Jason
E. Roberts, a student in the Master of Music program at The University
of Alabama, has been awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to study
musicology in Romania for the 2005-2006 school year. The prestigious
Fulbright Scholarship is an international exchange program created in
1946 to build mutual understanding between the people of the United
States and the rest of the world. Students are chosen on their academic
or professional achievements and leadership in their specific fields of
interest. -Previous ACADEMIC UPDATES (Parts 13, 14, 16, 17, 19,
21, 22, 24, 28, 29, and 31) have listed many successful UA alums that
have made a name for themselves in the current business world. The
following is a list of a half-dozen more alums that are successful in
their fields. * Ed Aldag- CEO of Medical Properties Trust * Don Ruggles- President and CEO of Martin Supply Company, Inc. * Bryan Godwin- President and CEO of Isochron, LLC. * Marillyn Hewson- President of Kelly Aviation * Paul Clark- President and CEO of ICOS Corporation * Michael Reilly- President and CEO of Randall Publishing Company As
you can see, The University of Alabama is producing winners on every
level. The time is now for you to help. When you receive a call from
The University in the near future, be sure to answer. As always, ROLL
TIDE FOREVER!!!!!
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