College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

• Investing in LAS
  

  Development officers have helped increase fundraising in LAS substantially.

  
  In the most recently completed fiscal year, giving to the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and its academic programs more than doubled over the previous year.
  
  A $1 million gift was given to the Department of Music. Geology received a $250,000 deferred gift to support three areas in the department including the Wyoming field camp.
  
  A $200,000 deferred gift was established in foreign languages and literatures. Additional funding was given for the Fritz Lecture in psychology. Lee Enterprises and the Meredith Corporation are funding programs in the Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication - both gifts instrumental to their fund-raising success.
  
  All told, LAS received almost $8 million in gifts last fiscal year, up from just under $3 million the year before.
  
  Alsatia Mellecker, LAS senior development officer, says the increase is due to a number of reasons including stability in LAS leadership and development officers and creating an infrastructure for increased alumni activities and communications within the departments and College.
  
  "We're working closely with departments in the College and I think the campus community has a better understanding of what we do as development officers," she said. "We're not the Foundation out there raising money for the Foundation, but rather the Foundation raising money for the University.
  
  "Our sole mission is supporting students and faculty through providing resources that otherwise might not be possible to create a better learning and teaching environment."
  
  Plans for a university-wide comprehensive campaign are in the works, and you can expect LAS to play a large role. A campaign can rally support from the University community and its alumni and friends and call attention to the difference private support can make.
  
  "LAS priorities will continue to seek support for students and programs, but our top priority is faculty support," Mellecker said. "We need to have the resources to attract the best and brightest faculty members to Iowa State and endowed professorships and chairs speak volumes."
  
  Faculty support will come with an initial goal of establishing 10 new endowed chairs and 10 new professorships in LAS academic departments. All LAS departments, programs and schools indicated in a survey that increased faculty support was a priority.
  
  To reach all the College's goals in the upcoming campaign, the development staff of Mellecker and directors of development Sherry McKinstrey and Melissa Johansen travel throughout the country meeting with alumni and friends.
  
  With close to 60,000 living alumni, the addition of Johansen full-time this past summer to the development team will enable the three fundraisers to reach more people. Mellecker, McKinstrey and Johansen each have specific geographic areas they cover and represent all programs in LAS.
  
  "We have a constituency that is passionate about Iowa State and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences," Mellecker said. "They want to make a difference by investing in an institution that added value to their lives and to make sure that same opportunity is available for the students of today and tomorrow."

Ames, Iowa 50011, (515) 294-4111. Published by: University Relations, online@iastate.edu. Copyright © 1995-2004, Iowa State University of Science and Technology. All rights reserved.

Non-Discrimination Statement and Information Disclosures

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Ames, Iowa 50011-1302

General Information: (515) 294-7740

Academic Advising: (515) 294-4831

Email: las@iastate.edu

Michael Whiteford - Dean

Bret Larwick - Director of Technology

Dave Gieseke - Director of Communications