“Reaching Stellar,” the UIS fundraising campaign which started with a quiet phase in 2014, concluded on June 30th of this year, exceeding its $40,000,000 goal by more than 6%.
At an on-campus celebration Thursday night, the total amount was announced: $42,486,248.
UIS Chancellor Janet L. Gooch, who assumed her new role in July of this year, credited her predecessors—Chancellor Emerita Susan Koch and former interim Chancellor Karen Whitney—with the success of the campaign.
Thursday night’s party, marked by fireworks and fine food, was a thank you to the school’s alumni, friends and donors.
The funds will go mostly to scholarships, said Gooch. “We’re able to offer many more students the opportunity to come to UIS through the money raised that will help offset the cost of tuition.”
Some of the money will come via estate giving. Jeff Lorber is Vice-Chancellor for Advancement at UIS. “When that is realized—hopefully in many years—it will double the amount of scholarships by today’s dollars that we can provide for students in the future.”