Insight/Report on Private Giving

Spring 2004

Message from the Dean

Dear Friends,

The annual Report on Private Giving is not only an opportunity for the College to say thank you to all our wonderful donors, it is a chance for us to inform you about the state of the University. As long-time supporters of this University and this College, I know you take an interest in our welfare. After all, you are investing in us and expect a return on that investment, whether through a student who graduates with the help of scholarships or through a veterinary medical breakthrough made possible with private gifts.

If you are familiar with the book Who Moved My Cheese?, it might give you some idea of what we are facing here at the College. The book is about two little people and two mice that go through a maze each day to eat at a cheese station. One morning, they arrive at the cheese station to find it empty – someone has moved their cheese! It’s an apt metaphor for what is happening to higher education in Colorado – the cheese moved and we have to go through the difficult process of finding new ways to "feed" our organizations.

A few hard facts will give you an idea of the challenges with which we must contend. Colorado ranks 47th nationwide in higher education appropriations per capita. The State has cut higher education funding by more than 22 percent in the last two years. To be sure, the State Legislature is caught between a rock and a hard place. In Colorado, funding for higher education is discretionary and not a legal necessity as required by law for programs including K-12, Medicaid, and corrections. Funding for higher education is dramatically affected not only by the current economy, but also by various pieces of legislation that inadvertently move money out of higher education.

At Colorado State University and the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, we are tackling this challenge on a number of fronts. First, University officials are working closely with the State Legislature, the Joint Budget Committee, the Colorado Commission on Higher Education, and our lobbyists to stem the flow of resources from higher education. Second, we are aggressively pursuing other funding sources – including federal research grant dollars – to maintain and enhance our existing programs. Third, we are asking our donors to continue to invest in the University and in the College so that, even with the state fiscal challenges, we can continue to expand our margin of excellence in research, education and outreach. Your gifts make possible today much of the groundbreaking work in scientific and medical research, enhance outreach programs, and fund the scholarships that make an education possible for many of our students.

To that end, this year on the whole has been positive. While the overall amount of private giving in 2003 is down as compared to 2002, our research funding is up. And we realize that for the College this was a year of transition and planning as we refocused our efforts on our next project, the campaign to fund needed facilities and renovations at the South Campus, including renovations within the James L. Voss Veterinary Teaching Hospital.

We hope that you will continue to invest in us. We believe you receive a great value for your investment and we will work hard to make sure we have a partnership that allows us to work together, keep you informed of our progress, and further your and our societal goals.

In this edition of Report on Private Giving, we will give you a sense of how your investment already is paying off. We feature a number of stories about students and student organizations that are helping out in the community through their own philanthropy and volunteerism. You are their first teachers in what can be accomplished when you invest your time and resources in the right places.

Again, I’d like to thank you for your continued support of the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. In these especially challenging times, your friendship, encouragement and gifts are even more valuable than you might know. We also hope that you will make your voices heard as we work with our elected officials to make higher education a priority in Colorado.

Best Wishes,

Lance Perryman, DVM, PhD
Dean, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences