Dean's Walk

For the past eight years, the College of Liberal Arts has focused on three major priorities from Vision 2020– building programs of national prominence, creating an environment supportive of diversity, and extending the international reach of students and faculty. During this time the college has experienced extraordinary success and growth. Much of that can be attributed to our dedicated faculty and staff. But equally important to this effort are our friends who have embraced our priorities and demonstrated their support through philanthropic giving. There is a clear correlation between the college’s continuing ascent to excellence and the growth of philanthropy during this past eight years, as shown in the results of the One Spirit One Vision capital campaign.

At the start of the campaign in 2001, the College of Liberal Arts had an endowment of approximately $18.5 million and had set a goal of raising $35 million. By the end of the campaign in 2006, our donors and friends had more than risen to the challenge, raising more than $41 million (over half of which are planned estate gifts), including several gifts exceeding $1 million. Eighty-five percent of the gifts targeted our students and faculty and their related academic endeavors. As I reflect on that experience, one of my most enjoyable activities as dean was conversations with donors about the quality faculty and outstanding students to whom philanthropic gifts are directed. And equally gratifying is that this momentum among our donors has continued three years later. Today, the college is pleased to report $40 million in gifts for endowments, with $20 million more in planned estate gifts.

Philanthropic giving has advanced each of our priorities substantially. Building nationally prominent programs requires that faculty, students, and programs pursue projects that lead the discipline or a field in new directions. New discoveries and increased understanding are the products of faculty supported by endowed centers and institutes where collegial discussions are critically important for advancing scholarly agendas.

The permanent endowments of the Glasscock Center for Humanities Research and the Center for the Study of the First Americans will ensure that these intellectual centers continue to support the advancement of research and study in their respective areas. At the individual level, faculty holding endowed chairs, professorships, and fellowships have also drawn on these endowments for path breaking work that has been chronicled in Pathways in past years. The growing national prominence of scholarly work at Texas A&M will continue because of the permanence of these endowments. Importantly, graduate and undergraduate students benefit by working on projects in endowed research centers and on scholarly projects directed by faculty holding endowed positions.

There is probably no greater challenge facing Texas A&M University than creating an environment supportive of diversity. The university and the College of Liberal Arts have made important and substantial progress toward this goal, and philanthropic giving has played an important role. One element in creating a supportive environment for diversity is bringing students to Texas A&M who represent the tremendous diversity of the state and nation. Undergraduate scholarships are absolutely critical to achieving a diverse student body, and gifts that support Foundation Excellence Awards (FEAs) or Regents’ Scholarships for first generation students have made the difference for hundreds of students in our college. Similarly, gifts that supported Presidential Endowed Scholarships have brought outstanding students from a variety of backgrounds to Texas A&M. Private funding has also supported a civil dialogue initiative in the college. This new initiative will ensure that all voices are listened to respectfully on campus and that enlightening conversations about diversity and diverse ideas are a part of every liberal arts student’s experience.

Extending the reach of students and faculty on the international front is absolutely essential if they (and Texas A&M) are to prosper in the 21st century. Here, too,private funding has been tremendously important for international travel and international conferences that involve both faculty and students. Moreover, scholarships for study abroad experiences have enabled hundreds of students to pursue these high impact educational experiences to broaden their education at Texas A&M. For students such as those in our Cornerstone and Regents’ Scholars learning communities, private funding supported week-long international trips for the classes that planted the seeds for further international experiences and affected career choices.

Throughout my service as dean, I have been especially grateful for the friendship and support of the Liberal Arts Development Council. The individuals on this council are committed to supporting the College of Liberal Arts as one of the cornerstones of Texas A&M University. Council members have been generous with their gifts, welcoming to new members, and supportive of the college in all respects. I have valued their personal friendship and all they have taught me about philanthropy.

I look forward to the coming 2009-2010 academic year as I bring my service as Dean of Liberal Arts to a close. In this coming year, we will continue to pursue college priorities and seek philanthropic support to elevate liberal arts at Texas A&M University. And, I hope to offer a personal thanks to the many good people who have made the college a better place for scholarship and learning through their generous gifts.

Best wishes,
Charles A. Johnson Dean