Experience different places, different people and cultures was Anthony King's advice to the Harpur College December graduates and their parents at a recognition ceremony held December 2.

"It will help you to discover yourself and help you to discover the things that really matter," said King, a Bartle Professor of art history and sociology.

The recognition celebration held in Casadesus Recital Hall drew more than 200 students, guests, faculty and friends as candidates for the fall semester were recognized and honored.

In his address, Harpur College Dean Jean-Pierre Mileur congratulated the graduates, noting: "For five decades, Harpur has remained true to its founding principles--to provide a high quality, public, liberal arts education in an intellectually stimulating environment. You are now part of that proud tradition and will continue to be as you join the ranks of Harpur College alumni."

In the student address, Bruce Klaw, a philosophy, politics and law major, urged fellow graduates to continue the lessons they had all learned during their BU experience.

"We moved from high school to college, meeting new challenges along the way. We've learned how to be adults, including having the opportunity to vote for the first time. And more importantly, we've learned the lessons that can come from reflection and knowing when it's time to take action."

Julia Miller, Harpur's director of academic advising, noted that this was the third consecutive year that the college recognized its fall graduates with a special ceremony.

"It's become quite a Harpur tradition, " she said. "And as always, the emotions are mixed. One part sad and one part proud. For the graduates, this is the payoff for all the late nights in the library and the long hours studying."

A reception in the Green Room followed the recognition ceremony at which the Sendel String Quartet featuring Ben James, Morgan Kim, Tae-Ho Kwak and Patrick Lestrange, entertained the guests.

Q & A with
the Dean of
Harpur College

This will be a periodic feature of the
HARPUR HOTLINE and will answer
alumni questions on a variety of
topics.

Q. Why is Binghamton University putting such an emphasis on fundraising*? Binghamton is a state school, doesn’t the state pay?

A. New York State pays only about 1/4 of the cost of running the University. The remainder comes from tuition, grants and contracts associated with faculty research, and private giving, including gifts from alumni. Tuition is set by the state and can account for as much as 40% of the campus budget. This means that the dollars to meet unusual circumstances or to make major improvements in teaching and research have to come either from grants and contracts or from private giving. This is not unusual; virtually every state university system in the country faces a similar situation and is pursuing private fundraising in a big way.

* Binghamton University is in the middle of The Campaign for Binghamton University with a goal of raising $36 million. These funds will be used to support major initiatives in the areas of academic programs, support for students and faculty, campus enrichment and facilities enhancement. All gifts to Binghamton University and Harpur College are counted as part of the campaign and will help meet the goal. To date, $29.7 million has been donated or pledged toward our goal.

Q. What special circumstances make alumni giving especially important to Harpur College at this time?

A. We face two unusual challenges to the Harpur College tradition of combining quality education with accessibility.

First, Harpur College is facing a wave-- a tidal wave, really–of retirements. Out of 350 full-time faculty, 50 have retired in the last year and a half and more than 130 of those who remain are age 60 or older.

Thus, while our faculty base remains vital and strong, it is a very exciting time in that this intense recruitment of faculty provides the opportunity to design the curriculum and research program that will carry us through the next thirty years. It also offers the College serious challenges because the consequences of failing to recruit the best faculty, and in sufficient numbers, will be with us for years to come. Despite what you hear about an over-supply of PhDs, competition for the most desirable faculty has never been hotter. Unfortunately, the salaries and research support provided by the state are not by themselves enough. Harpur College needs funds to supplement salaries and to support faculty research. If we cannot raise this money from private sources, we have to cannibalize vacant faculty positions, which means fewer faculty, larger classes, and less personal contact with students.

Second, because Harpur College continues to attract the same high quality students, other schools have set their sights on these freshmen and are providing more and larger financial aid packages to recruit our prospective students. My fellow SUNY deans will come right out and say that they are coming after the Harpur freshman and they are spending big money to do it. Moreover, in a strong economy, the private schools are able to provide large scholarships and grants that-- in effect-- discount their tuitions. We need funds to be sure that the brightest high school seniors continue to choose Binghamton and to be sure that they can afford to choose Binghamton.

The quality of the faculty determines the quality of education and the availability of scholarship money affects accessibility.

Q. I hear a lot about a $36 million dollar campaign and about people giving hundreds of thousands, even a million dollars. I don’t have that kind of money, what can I do for Harpur?

A. The short answer is, give what you can to the Dean’s Campaign** and give it every year as part of a habit of giving. Harpur has over 40,000 alumni out there. If even half can be persuaded to begin giving $100 dollars a year to Harpur College, that’s $2 million dollars available to do what needs to be done now, right this minute.

Large gifts tend to be directed for specific purposes and they tend to assume the form of endowments, which may take years to become fully funded. A good campaign includes both a major gift component aimed at building the University endowment and carrying out major projects, and a small gift component aimed at providing flexibility to meet the immediate needs, especially of academic units.

Smaller donations play a crucial role in meeting the needs we face today. Your giving will have a major and lasting impact on Harpur’s future.

** The Dean's Campaign is a special fundraising effort that takes place during the spring of each year. Harpur graduates are asked to support their College by designating donations to be used specifically within the College. This allows the Dean of Harpur College to meet immediate and important needs within departments and programs.