| State of the University
Casteen warns of 'tough work' ahead on $3 billion campaign
By Dan Heuchert
The University’s $3 billion capital campaign is aimed at placing U.Va. among the top 10 to 15 schools — public or private — in the nation over the next decade, and the trajectory of its results to date is positive, President John T. Casteen III said March 22 during his annual “State of the University” address.
Fifteen months into the campaign’s so-called silent phase — “which means we talk about it everywhere,” Casteen quipped — the University had raised more than $600 million. That puts the campaign just past 20 percent of the way to its goal with only about 14.5 percent of its allotted time to raise the money having elapsed.
Raising $3 billion “is a huge challenge,” he acknowledged. It is also “critically important,” he added, that the University — a public university that stands for public education — “has to achieve this level of excellence,” even though “the obstacles are considerable and are going to require a lot of consolidated work.” Full story
At your service
Students invest their energies in volunteerism
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Dan Addison |
| Fourth-year student Sally Wood volunteers as a Big Sibling. Here, she helps her “little sister” ice skate. |
By Dan Heuchert
The college years are potentially among the most self-indulgent in a person’s life. Day-to-day parental supervision is over; the demands of full-time employment are looming in the future. It’s a time to taste new freedoms and test limits.
The overwhelming evidence suggests, however, that U.Va. students are very concerned with the world beyond their own spheres, and they act on these concerns — in huge numbers. Often, their public service changes their lives.
“When you look at the number of our students who end up joining the Peace Corps, Teach for America, or deciding to work for nonprofits, one can conclude that service is a major part of the undergraduate experience — so strong that it influences students’ decisions about careers,” said Patricia M. Lampkin, vice president for student affairs. Full story
Neale wins Truman award
By Matt Kelly
Catherine S. Neale, a third-year student, has been named a 2005 Truman Scholarship winner.
Neale, 20, a resident of Richmond, is among 75 students chosen for the award, which is worth about $30,000. Given by the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation, the award goes to college juniors who exhibit exceptional leadership potential and who are committed to careers in government, the nonprofit or advocacy sectors, education or elsewhere in public service. The scholarship provides financial support for graduate study and leadership training for students committed to public service.
Neale is a history and American studies major and plans to attend law school upon graduation from U.Va. She wants a career in public higher education, both as a law school instructor and a college administrator, and eventually hopes to become a university president. Full story |
