Gonzaga University says it has raised $148 million through a capital campaign it launched three years ago, far exceeding its $119 million goal, and plans to conclude the campaign at a ceremony next week.


The ceremony will be held Oct. 20 at the McCarthey Athletic Center, one of the structures built as a result of the millions of dollars that were raised for new facilities, says university spokesman Dale Goodwin. Also as a result of the fundraising campaign, called Educating People the World Needs Most, the universitys annual cash receipts from donations soared by 144 percent, from $5.7 million to $13.9 million, and the number of donors increased from around 7,000 to nearly 12,000, Goodwin says.


Because of the Capital Campaign and other progress that has resulted largely from the campaign, Gonzagas budget, capital assets, and contribution base have more than doubled, says the universitys president, Rev. Robert J. Spitzer. This will enable us to leverage a high degree of continuing quality improvements in the upcoming years.


The campaign has raised $45.8 million for new facilities; $34.5 million for scholarships; $8.1 million for the universitys five mission areas, which include faith, ethics, service, justice, and leadership; $4 million for its study-abroad program in Florence, Italy; $4 million for academic programs such as the Hogan Entrepreneurial Leadership Program; $5 million for the School of Law; and $46.5 million for program support, Goodwin says.


The campaign helped Gonzaga build, expand, or renovate 11 buildings, Goodwin says.


Perhaps the most prominent of those, the $25 million McCarthey Athletic Center, was completed last November, he says.


Also, the Jepson Center School of Business building was doubled in size to 68,000 square feet of space, he says. Part of that $7 million project included creating the Hogan Wing, which houses a new venture-capital lab where students assist Spokane-area companies in analyzing their prospective ventures.


A $14 million expansion and renovation of Hughes Hall, the universitys chemistry and biology building, was completed in 2003, he says. That project created the Inland Northwest Natural Resource Research Center, which houses Gonzagas chemistry department and research labs.


Gonzaga also has bought and renovated a building in Florence, Italy, that now houses the Gonzaga-in-Florence study-abroad program. That program enrolled 167 students this fall, the largest class in the programs 42-year history, Goodwin says.


A few of the other building projects made possible by the capital campaign included a $3 million exercise-and-fitness center, major renovations to Gonzagas administration building, and a $1.9 million expansion of Cataldo Hall, a dining hall and multipurpose-events facility, he says. Gonzaga also bought and renovated buildings located on Boone Avenue to house its Broadcast Studies and Journalism Center and St. Gregory Choral Hall.


A $2.8 million expansion and renovation project at the School of Engineering included an addition to the schools Herak Center, which created a new manufacturing lab and classrooms, he says. Enrollment in that school has risen to 450 students from roughly 250 at the beginning of the capital campaign, he says.


During its campaign, Gonzaga began raising funds for a power transmission and distribution engineering degree program that will meet a serious need among our power providers, Goodwin says. Fund raising is continuing for the new program, which initially will have 25 students, and is expected to start next fall.


The first class of the universitys Hogan Entrepreneurial Leadership Program graduated last spring, he says. The now 5-year-old program provides foundational coursework in entrepreneurship, and requires an internship at an entrepreneurial organization. The program adds 20 to 25 new students each year.


The number of new interns the university provides through the program to businesses here has grown significantly in the last five years, Goodwin says, although he doesnt have specific figures.


The campaign has allowed us to add the facilities and resources to bring in more students and then send them out to the community, he says. Business leaders are saying those interns are enhancing their ability to do their work.


The campaign also has helped establish 104 new endowed scholarships, Goodwin says.


Gonzaga raised money for additional scholarships, faculty development, and an academic chair for its School of Law, and funds that were raised for program support included faculty development, academic chairs, and support for the College of Arts and Sciences, he says.


Gonzaga plans to continue to raise funds for building projects that currently are under way or are planned, such as renovations for the College of Arts and Sciences facilities and a new Performing Arts Center, and for faculty development and mission endowments, Goodwin says.


Renovations currently are under way on the third and fourth floors of the universitys administration building, which houses the College of Arts and Sciences. Work includes remodeling classrooms and offices, and is expected to be completed by next fall, he says.


The planned $14 million performing arts building is expected to be built just north of the Jundt Art Center at the western end of the campus. That project, which is planned to start in the winter of 2006, will include converting the 250-seat Russell Theater, located in Gonzagas administration building, into a multipurpose auditorium, he says.


Faculty-development goals include more training programs for faculty, additional research opportunities, and hiring more graduate assistants, he says.