Faculty and Libraries launch Appeal with enthusiasm

A real show of support: Senior administration and their colleagues turned out for the official launch of the Faculty & Libraries Campaign on Dec. 10 at the Sir George Williams Faculty Club. For the names of all those involved, please see CTR online, at ctr.concordia.ca.

“In all my years at the university — 30 of them — I’ve never seen such positive excitement about the future.” That’s Randy Swedburg talking. As chair of the steering committee of the Faculty and Libraries Appeal, he’s pumped.

“The future looks so bright because of all the good things that are happening,” he told CTR. “We’re the fastest growing university in Quebec, and we’re attracting so many good students. We’re building new buildings, and our research profile is going up, up, up.

“Given where we’ve come from, it’s remarkable, and we owe a lot of the credit to our financial administrators.” This is the largest internal fundraising effort since the Campaign for a New Millennium. It is part of the university’s Annual Campaign. Swedburg has put together a team of 38 faculty members and librarians who will solicit gifts and pledges to enrich the university.

He said that every person he asked accepted with enthusiasm. “I’m hopeful that the response will be as successful, both in terms of number, and in the amount they’re willing to give.”

Urgent needs include graduate fellowships, library resources, faculty development and expansion of facilities for Recreation and Athletics. Faculty members and librarians can designate their contributions according to their interests. They may even create new scholarships and bursaries to support students in their own departments.

Swedburg wants to increase the number of faculty members and librarians who give to the university.

“Our support of the institution has incredible leverage. It helps to us get support from the larger community. Internal giving sends a strong signal to the community at large that those who work here believe in the university’s mission and the work it does.”

The campaign steering committee comprises Swedburg, Bill Bukowski, William Curran, Charles Draimin, Charles Ellison, Paul Fazio, Robert Kilgour, Lucie Lequin, Danielle Morin, Irene Sendek, Frances M. Shaver, Umanath Tiwari, Reeta Tremblay and Marion Wagschal.

The department leaders are Asim Al-Khalili, Judy Appleby, Pamela Bright, Terence Byrnes, Meral Büyükkurt, Kate Connolly, Miranda D'Amico, Graeme Decarie, David Frost, Gene Gibbons, Clement Lam, Jordan Le Bel, Bluma Litner, Sheila Mason, Jean McGuire, Mia Massicotte, Françoise Naudillon, Everett Price, Ian Rakita, Subhash Rakheja, Enn Raudsepp, Wendy Roscoe, David Thirlwall and Radu Zmeureaneau. Others are expected to join the team.

The last word goes to Professor Swedburg: “I think we have our finger on the pulse of what higher education should be, and that includes the diversity that makes life here so interesting. Concordia is really growing up.”