Canisius News Briefs: Marketing and Science Hall

By CJ Gates
Editor-in-Chief

When can we do Science at the Hall?
The fundraising efforts for Science Hall are continuing on with the end goal of $35 million still looming overhead. While Vice President of Institutional Advancement Bill Collins would not specify how much money has been raised thus far, he did say that the College was focusing on a smaller number of large donations, rather than large number of small donations. As with most fundraising efforts at colleges and universities across the country, most of the funds will be coming from Canisius alumni. While there is no firm end date for the fundraising as of yet, Collins said that in an ideal world, the $35 million would be raised by the end of 2017 at the latest. According to Vice President of Business and Finance Marco Benedetti, it would be “approximately an 18 month process to get detail drawings, quotes, make selections and get permitting” to utilize the donated funds. Following that 18 month planning process, it would take another 18 months or so to complete the construction process. So, in a best case scenario, Science Hall will be looking at a completion date of 2020, just in time for Canisius’ 150th birthday.

 

Are we well-endowed?
At this past September’s convocation, Canisius President and former Griffin editor John J. Hurley announced that the endowment fund had grown to $108 million. However, given the instability with the stock market (regrettably, The Griffin does not have access to exact portfolio choices), the endowment has taken a bit of a hit this past year. “The endowment has fared pretty well during these turbulent times,” according to Benedetti. “For the year the endowment was down 1.1 percent.” However, that is worse than the national average. According to the New York Times, endowments across the country grew by an average of 2.4 percent last year.
You Can choose to come to Canisius
As we move our way through winter into the spring season, high school seniors everywhere will begin narrowing down their options for higher education. As students kick their decision-making process into high gear, Canisius plans to reciprocate by increasing the magnitude of the College’s marketing campaign. The “You Can” premise that debuted last October has been well received by the Canisius community including professors and students alike, with even Canisius alumni chiming in with their approval of the campaign, which is important in recruiting legacy students. According to Bill Collins, the College plans on ramping up their television commercials in mid-March or so after taking a hiatus from advertising in late November. In addition to the marketing campaign, the Canisius website should be fully revamped by the time the 2016 academic year commences.