Its graduates infuse the power of new ideas into the workforce and economy. Business, governmental, and professional communities look to U of L’s leadership to propose and propel ideas that will increase economic productivity.

Yet the university faces its own economic crisis on a daily basis. Rising tuition and ancillary costs have made access to a public college education a major obstacle for many qualified applicants, creating an ever-growing need for scholarships and other student financial support. At the same time, state appropriations now account for only 39 percent of the university’s total revenue for the 1997-98 fiscal year, making private fund-raising a critical need for future growth.

U of L must respond to these changes to be competitive in an increasingly challenging educational marketplace. That response will require significant new funding for student scholarships, faculty and research, academic programs and support, and new facilities.

Kentucky Governor Paul Patton and the state legislature recognize these challenges to higher education that are being fought by all state universities, and they have taken heroic steps to increase state support. In its 1998 session, the legislature appropriated $110 million in state matching funds for endowed professorships, with $33 million earmarked for U of L. That money will be used for dollar-for-dollar matching with private fund-raising by the
university.

In order to take advantage of these state matching funds and to raise the additional funding needed to meet the goals of the Challenge for Excellence, U of L must become more aggressive than ever in raising funds from private sources.

The university is currently in the final phase of a five-year capital campaign to raise those needed funds, with a goal of $200 million. To meet this goal, we need the support of all alumni and friends of the university. Your generous gift to the "Building for Excellence — Architects of the Future" campaign will ensure a first-rate institution for our children and theirs.

The community in which we live is only as strong as the university to which it looks for intellectual leadership. U of L must continue to provide scholarships, realizing that educated and prepared graduates, most of whom stay in this region, become a true asset for our community. We need to employ technology and research not only to provide intellectual excitement for our students, but also to serve as the bridge between theory and practice for the economic benefit of our citizens.

We also owe our students the opportunity to develop a passion for disciplined study, for exploration, for research, and for understanding.

We can accomplish these goals only by providing the strongest faculty with the best resources for teaching and research. Although the financial demands upon the university increase daily, our challenge is never to compromise academic excellence.

Meeting these challenges will require a special commitment from you. Improvements for
U of L students of the future, and for all who are touched by the university, will depend on your help in moving our blueprint from conception to reality. In this Bicentennial year at the University of Louisville, I urge our friends and alumni to join us as we become architects of the future.