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by Kevin Collins
Extra Features , May 1, 2007
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Whitey Ellerman (left) talks with colleague Don Lindemuth about the campaign. Ellerman, whose three children are Dickinson alumni, is one of the people responsible for the success of the campus campaign. |
Would-be investors take many things into account when calculating the rate of return on a proposed project. For the more than 600 faculty and staff who already have invested in Dickinson's $150 million First in America capital campaign, their "profits" are about more than just financially supporting the college.
Campus-campaign donations benefit the Annual Fund goal of the capital campaign. Growth in the Annual Fund is one of the four goals of the campaign, along with added faculty chairs, endowed scholarships and the new Rector Science Campus.
"Supporting the campaign by giving to the Annual Fund is an important way to say, 'I'm a member of this community,' " says Christina Van Buskirk, associate provost of the college and head of the campus-campaign committee. "It also expresses confidence in the goals and future of the college and makes the statement that 'We believe in ourselves.' "
As Van Buskirk points out, Dickinson's campus campaign is intended to be inclusive by reaching out at every level to those who are helping the college sustain its excellence.
"When faculty and staff are invited to be involved with the campaign, it's an acknowledgement that they're valued members of the Dickinson community," she says. "The campus-campaign committee was deliberately structured to include all divisions of the college to emphasize this."
Donations made to the Annual Fund help bolster the college's commitment to academic programs, student life, financial aid and campus upkeep, and the emphasis for the campus campaign is less on the amount donated and more on getting broad "buy-in"—participation from every sector of the college.
And the campaign has been successful. Overall, 80 percent of employees have contributed, and six offices (college relations, human resources, financial operations, the president's office, student life and development) have 100 percent of staff participating.
The Department of Public Safety lived up to its reputation for prompt response, being the first unit to achieve 100 percent participation. Quickly following on its heels were two of the college's largest service-support operations, facilities management at 98 percent and dining services at 80 percent.
Continuing education
The high participation rate for facilities management is due in no small part to Durwin "Whitey" Ellerman, associate director for operations. Like many of the campaign leaders for other departments, he met one on one with each member of his staff.
Ellerman, who has been a part of the Dickinson family for 32 years—and whose three children (Jaimee '99, Jessica '03 and Durwin II '06) have attended the college—enjoys sitting down with all 96 members of his group to talk about the campaign.
"A lot of people are busy doing their particular jobs and are not fully aware of all the things that the college is doing and planning," he says. "The individual meeting I have with each of them is often an education process. Their nearly universal response is to see themselves as stakeholders in the college's future and to support the campaign."
Moreover, many employees feel honored to be asked to be involved with the campaign, Ellerman points out, because participation underscores that they are an important part of the Dickinson community. "Many employees say they appreciate that I took the time to bring them up to date on how the college is moving forward," he says.
Ellerman makes a persuasive case—94 of his group of 96 are participating in the campaign.
Stakeholders' Meeting
The college will host a cocktail reception for the campus community on Friday, May 4, at the Social Hall, HUB, to celebrate the success of the campaign.
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