After meeting in Florida last weekend for the annual DePauw University's Board of Trustees meeting, President Brian Casey announced that the university has accepted $14 million in donations in a Feb. 10 email sent to faculty, staff and alumni. The gifts will go towards various projects the University is planning to complete in the near future.
The board accepted three gifts from alumni that will support the University's 20/20 plan and received updates on the current capital projects, the admissions cycle and the faculty's response to the recent Winter Term changes, the email stated.
Jonathan Coffin, director of communications and strategic initiatives, said these gifts are only possible through generous and supportive alumni.
"Whenever a university receives gifts like this, it is the product of many, many conversations," Coffin said. "It's a conversation about how that donor wants to help DePauw to be a stronger and better institution."
Janet Prindle Seidler, '58, gave the largest gift at $10 million. Seidler's donation will be used for future programming for the Prindle Institute of Ethics. Seidler gave a previous donation to Prindle in 2005, which supported the building's initial construction.
Dr. J. William, '50, and his wife Dorthory A. Asher's $1 million donation will be used to create a new endowed fund in the humanities. The Asher's' have previously donated $2 million to the psychology and social science departments. The last donation came from the late Patricia Fehl, '49.
Fehl gave an estimated $3.4 million towards the athletic fields project. During her four years at DePauw, Fehl played volleyball and field hockey. She was inducted into DePauw's Athletic Hall of Fame in 1994.
Most of the donations DePauw receives are mainly going towards new projects and buildings, however, Vice President of Finance and Administration Brad Kelsheimer affirms that DePauw has a fund for current maintenance on older buildings on campus.
"We spend approximately $1.75 million on repair/maintenance and capital renewal and replacement annually," Kelsheimer said in an email. "We hope to double that amount over the course of the next five years to the extent our operating budget allows. "
Melanie Norton, vice president of development, echoed Kelsheimer in a phone conversation early Thursday morning.
"We have the resources to maintain all of our buildings," Norton said. "We have a budget for that type of upkeep."
Each year the University completes a comprehensive building assessment, and maintenance needs are identified and then prioritized for each building on campus, Kelsheimer said.
Buildings are updated once the funds become available. Since the market crash in 2008-09, DePauw's operational budget, from which maintenance draws, has been decreased. It is possible for a donor to give to this fund, but it is not a common occurrence.
"It is extremely unusual for a donor's interest to align with some of the 'gritty' fixes of our physical plant," Kelsheimer said.
Even with all the donations, the Administration could use more money to complete their plans.
"We're always seeking additional funds," said Vice President of Development Melanie Norton. "There's definitely a commitment to raising funds for all of our projects."