Today's Update: Wednesday, February 7, 2024
February 7, 2024
Dear Student Life team,
I have some exciting news to share: Student Life has already met and surpassed our fundraising goal for the university’s Time and Change campaign!
We have now raised more than $25 million to support the student experience at Ohio State. It is a truly significant accomplishment and one that speaks to the support and respect Student Life has achieved among those who are willing to help us provide an opportunity for all students to engage, learn and thrive.
On October 3, 2019, The Ohio State University publicly launched Time and Change: The Ohio State Campaign, the most ambitious, comprehensive, community-building and fundraising endeavor in the university’s 150 years of making history.
The campaign strives to engage 1 million supporters who believe in our mission and want to join us in creating a better future for the citizens of Ohio, the nation and around the world. This level of engagement is unprecedented in higher education.
Time and Change has a financial goal of $4.5 billion – also the largest in Ohio State’s history – with three core areas of focus: student success; discovery; and healthy, vibrant communities. New donors are essential to the university’s growth and long-term future, and it is important that we demonstrate how, when Buckeyes come together, we can transform the world. To date, over $4.3 billion has been raised from over 750,000 donors.
These dollars are crucial to the work we do. Our programs and initiatives not only take time, they also take money and an incredible staff to implement. Whether we want to continue a program, expand it or create something new, success comes down to whether we have the resources to make it happen.
This is about more than just getting people to write us checks. This is about enabling donors to see that we are worthy of their support. Surpassing our goal confirms that the work we do not only matters to our students but is held in high regard by our friends and alumni. You should personally be very proud of this milestone because without your dedication, it would not have been possible. High Five!
A special High Five should also go to Carla Smith Jones, our Senior Director of Development, and her team, for spearheading this remarkable effort. And High Fives to everyone who contributed, including those of you on our own Student Life team who donated.
Of course, we aren’t done yet. We will continue to look for additional fundraising opportunities that will allow us to do an even better job of supporting every Buckeye - undergraduate, graduate and professional - meeting them where they are and connecting them with the resources they need to be successful.
Together, we empower our students to believe that the extraordinary is possible. And we model that behavior by being extraordinary ourselves. The result is a university that donors recognize as worthy of their investment.
Our future is truly Scarlet and Great!
Melissa S. Shivers, PhD
Senior Vice President for Student Life
The Ohio State University