A $446 Million capital campaign!?!

[filbert]

I got a postcard from Pres. Chicoine today, asking me to go out to a web site and take a survey.

Since the link to the survey is right there out in the open, I figured I'd go ahead and let y'all know what's up.

If you go to the http://www.sdsufoundation.org web site, you'll find a survey under the "National Distinction, Local Relevance" picture of the Campanile.

The survey there is evaluating the feasibility of a capital campaign that, if everything makes the cut, would be a $446.5 million campaign. That's closing in on a half-billion dollars, folks! Numbers with lots of zeroes behind them.

Anyway, you too can go through the survey, and you'll see what they're thinking about up in Brookings. A shade over $100 million of the campaign is for athletics:
$35 million for Coughlin-Alumni Stadium;
$15 million for HPER Center renovation;
$9 million for the Dykhouse Center;
$15 million for the Indoor Athletic Facility;
$26.5 million for endowed scholarships;
$6 million for a coaching salary endowment.

Oh, yeah, they want to do a lot of good non-athletic stuff, too.

Now, obviously they have some donations in hand already ($6m for the Dykhouse Center, for instance) but it's good to see the powers that be in Brookings thinking this big. Hopefully we can figure out a way to fund most if not all of what's on the wish list.

(Somebody get Bill Gates on the phone! Warren Buffett! Buy those Powerball tickets! )

[State_fan]

Re: A $446 Million capital campaign!?!

It will be interesting to see the response from this survey. These are some very lofty goals, but if you shoot very high and miss, you still are way ahead of where you were.

Dollar figures from the survey:

STRENGTHENING THE FACULTY: ENDOWED FACULTY POSITIONS — $55.5 MILLION
- $40.5M Endowed Chairs - Necessary to recruite and retain the best senior faculty
- $15M Endowed Professorships -30 proposed professorships

OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS: ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIPS AND FELLOWSHIPS — $80 MILLION
- Major boosts to Jackrabbit Guarantee, Special Jackrabbit Guarantee, and graduate fellowships

FUNDS FOR EXCELLENCE ENDOWMENT - $44 MILLION
- $40M to reserarch, leadership and the arts - Various departments and organizations
- $2M a piece for Honors College and Museums

STATELY SURROUNDINGS: NEW AND REVITALIZED FACILITIES — $160.5 MILLION
NEW CONSTRUCTION
- $35M Bioprocessing Development Center
- $17M Performing Arts Center Phase II
- $13.4M Avera Health & Science Center
- $12M Ag and Biosystems Engineering Building
- $8.4M Student Learning Center
- $8M Electrical Engineering Building Phase II
- $7.5M Architecture and Design Center

and Revitalization ($53.7M)
-Scobey Hall ($10 million)
-Agricultural Hall ($8 million)
-Harding Hall ($8 million)
-Wenona Hall ($6 million)
-Hilton M. Briggs Library and Learning Center ($5 million)
-“The Barn” ($5 million)
-South Dakota Agricultural Heritage Museum ($4 million)
-Tompkins Alumni Center ($4 million)
-Lincoln Hall ($3.7 million)

CAMPUS SPACE AND GATEAWAYS ($5.5 MILLION) — Projects to provide a positive first impression of campus will include defined campus entrances, a McCrory Gardens visitors center, public art and campus green spaces.

ATHLETICS - $106.5 MILLION
- See previous post

This is the bulk of the info from the survey. More indepth explanations are within the study.

[JackJD]

Re: A $446 Million capital campaign!?!

Steve Erpenbach, SDSU Foundation President, was on the radio today talking about the $21 million donated this year to the Foundation. That top's the 2006 tally (which was the record) of $14 million.

These donations are not part of any big campaign...just money coming in! The amount does not include the $15 million pledge from Avera because that doesn't start until this year, 2008.

I think I heard this correctly: the money came from about 11,000 donors. That's great diversity!

[Jack4Life]

Re: A $446 Million capital campaign!?!

I see in the Argus-Leader the Foundation is starting a $190 Million fund drive.

http://argusleader.com/apps/pbcs.dll...NEWS/804260334

Right before the IRS gift is being sent. Good timing...

[GoJacks]

Re: A $446 Million capital campaign!?!

I could not agree more, The sun is shining down on South Dakota State University. After yesterdays freak storm and being bummed that weather to away a great home weekend for Jackrabbit athletics, I am now giddy with enthusiam. The capital campaign is historic for SDSU. I am excited to do my part and donate. Thank you Fishback Financial for contributing right away and supplying the campaign with working capital.

[crjack]

Re: A $446 Million capital campaign!?!

I was in southwest Minnesota last weekend for a graduation and made a side trip over to the SDSU campus and was dismayed to see the condition of Coughlin-Alumni Stadium, the crumbling steps at Frost Arena and the track...although I understand it is no longer used. Upgrades are obviously needed if SDSU is going to be a truly Division-I school. Where does the track team practice?

While in Marshall, walked around the SW Minnesota campus where they're building a new football stadium. Not much seating, but it looks like a skybox/press box area that extends the entire length of the field.

While at SDSU, got a tour of the Journalism building which is state-of-the-art and impressive. So was all the construction. But I was sad to see half the letters missing outside my old dorm, Pierson Hall, and the steps in obvious need of repair. My son, an architecture student at Iowa State, was somewhat underwhelmed by the state of disrepair of some buildings. He was aware of the renovation of the Student Union and was disappointed that it was closed when we were there. I hope steps are being taken to "spruce up" areas of the campus.

[State_fan]

Re: A $446 Million capital campaign!?!

But I was sad to see half the letters missing outside my old dorm, Pierson Hall, and the steps in obvious need of repair.

No no no, the letters aren't missing. They're renaming it to 'iron hall', and they just improvised due to the name change.

Kidding.

Its funny you mentioned that, I noticed the same thing today when riding the VTX around. I would guess both these issues (the steps and the letters) will be repaired this summer.

As for upgrades to Coughlin, better relax for a little while. Greater needs are elsewhere. The crumbling steps at Frost are ridiculous I agree. The track team practices on the track (whether permitting) and on the indoor track in the HPER.

I thought I had heard that they were replacing more of the wood bleachers in Frost this summer. Anyone know whats going to happen there?

[EQguy]

Re: A $446 Million capital campaign!?!

I don't know if its happening yet or not, but I understood that there was thought to making some of the East side reserved and putting in chair backs similar to the west.

[JACKGUYII]

Re: A $446 Million capital campaign!?!

I don't know if its happening yet or not, but I understood that there was thought to making some of the East side reserved and putting in chair backs similar to the west.

Won't happen until they reshuffle the season tickets again in 2years.

[Nidaros]

Re: A $446 Million capital campaign!?!

I was in southwest Minnesota last weekend for a graduation and made a side trip over to the SDSU campus and was dismayed to see the condition of Coughlin-Alumni Stadium, the crumbling steps at Frost Arena and the track...although I understand it is no longer used. Upgrades are obviously needed if SDSU is going to be a truly Division-I school. Where does the track team practice?

While in Marshall, walked around the SW Minnesota campus where they're building a new football stadium. Not much seating, but it looks like a skybox/press box area that extends the entire length of the field.

While at SDSU, got a tour of the Journalism building which is state-of-the-art and impressive. So was all the construction. But I was sad to see half the letters missing outside my old dorm, Pierson Hall, and the steps in obvious need of repair. My son, an architecture student at Iowa State, was somewhat underwhelmed by the state of disrepair of some buildings. He was aware of the renovation of the Student Union and was disappointed that it was closed when we were there. I hope steps are being taken to "spruce up" areas of the campus.

I think its disappointing to come back to the campus after several years maybe as crjack has done and notice all the various eye sores. I dont recall the exact date that I first noticed the crumbling steps at Frost, but its been a few years back and we apparently still have this same problem.

Thinking about this, I believe of the 25-30 percent of the total SDSU budget that is appropriated from the SD Legislature, its been my understanding that most of these funds are for the salaries, utilities of campus buildings and I believe deferred maintence. Seems when we talked about the steps project at Frost, those in the know had indicated that the projects earmarked for deferred maintence exceeed the dollars appropriated by the Legislature and its a matter of priorities amongst the deferred projects and that is this the main reason the steps have never been repaired. Is my recollections of past discussion correct?

Does anyone have any insight into the percentage if any of the $446 million fund drive that will be used to catch up the back log on deferred maintenence? I noticed one of the proposed projects in the fund drive is 5 million for the "Barn". Is this more of a retrofitting project than deferred maintence project? In other words is the Barn being redone for other purposes than athletics?

These are questions in my mind, and as the State Fan who made the first second post in this threadt said, "this drive seems to have lofty goals,and I do agree, but also can't help think about the TV and radio promos for the Shooting Star Casino in Lakes country of Minnesota, "The Sky is the limit at Shooting Star" so it goes with the fund drive. Think big, but I been told by people who have been associated with larger universities that this drive is very modest in terms of dollars. Stated differently, some universities besides SDSU have had much larger fund drives.

[BTownJack]

Re: A $446 Million capital campaign!?!

In other words is the Barn being redone for other purposes than athletics?

Right now the barn is curretly getting a lot of work done to it to help temporarily house the Pharmacy department next year while their building is being remodeled. I can't say for sure if the $5 million you are referring to is to pay for these upgrades or for future enhancehemnts but that is what is currently going on.

[JimmyJack]

Re: A $446 Million capital campaign!?!

Does anyone have any insight into the percentage if any of the $446 million fund drive that will be used to catch up the back log on deferred maintenence?

I hope it's zero percent.

Here's my theory: The state's campuses "belong" to the people of South Dakota. Thus, it is the responsibility of all of us to maintain those buildings. The universities should be free to find private, donor funds to pay for programming and new buildings. (And if you want a policy that says NEW, privately-funded buildings have to be maintained through local dollars, that's fine. But you can't turn back the clock and say universities must find private dollars to maintain publicly-funded buildings, like Ag Engineering, that are falling apart.)

Why should private donors be responsible for backfilling state accounts that should take care of maintaining publicly-funded buildings? To me, it's the Legislature's responsibility, acting on our behalf, to maintain the public institutions' physical structures and spaces.

[/end rant]

[Jacks#1Fan]

Re: A $446 Million capital campaign!?!

I hope it's zero percent.

Here's my theory: The state's campuses "belong" to the people of South Dakota. Thus, it is the responsibility of all of us to maintain those buildings. The universities should be free to find private, donor funds to pay for programming and new buildings. (And if you want a policy that says NEW, privately-funded buildings have to be maintained through local dollars, that's fine. But you can't turn back the clock and say universities must find private dollars to maintain publicly-funded buildings, like Ag Engineering, that are falling apart.)

Why should private donors be responsible for backfilling state accounts that should take care of maintaining publicly-funded buildings? To me, it's the Legislature's responsibility, acting on our behalf, to maintain the public institutions' physical structures and spaces.

[/end rant]

Well, your point is well taken JJ, in a perfect world. The fact of the matter is that the state does not appropriate enough money for deferred maintenance (actually it is complicated as to what is "appropriated" as the tuition and fee money goes into the HEFF fund, and some of that goes back to the campus for deferred maintenance). All of the campuses are behind on upkeep and deferred maintenance, and so the priority items go first. It is my understanding that the steps at Frost are finally included in this year's funding and will be repaired. For the most part, the institution does a good job in stretching its money and doing what HAS to be done.

The same lack of money is true of new building needs...SDSU will get it's first HEFF capital funding in many years for the new Pharmacy/Science building, but even there, the university is having to raise private funding to complete the $30+ million buildig.

[Nidaros]

Re: A $446 Million capital campaign!?!

I would not have a problem if some of the deferred maintence was included in the fund drive if it was for specific "eye sores" fix up projects such as the Frost steps. When people come back after several years and see the negatives, that does not mean they are about to reach for their wallet. They should but maybe they feel just the opposite and question campus leadership which is unfair when you consider that they have to deal with Board of Regents who inturns deals with the SD legislature.

The downside to including deferred maintence as JJ alluded to is that the SD Legislature is then off the hook in terms of appropriating the needed funds. Our legislatures have been historically conservative and never have felt the big urge to support higher education that you might find in neighboring states.

I do support our President and Foundation in this fund drive. Its badly needed.

[Jacks#1Fan]

Re: A $446 Million capital campaign!?!

I guess I didn't comment on JJ's remarks vs. deferred maintenance in the Capital Fund Drive. There is indeed 0%...it includes endowments for teaching, etc., and for capital construction, and for research, etc.