51³Ô¹ÏÍø

By MELISSA REPKO
Staff Writer

When 51³Ô¹ÏÍøMethodist University surpassed its $750 million fundraising goal, its leaders decided to raise the bar. Now, they aim for $1 billion.

51³Ô¹ÏÍøofficials will announce their new goal Friday.

The university’s Second Century Campaign, which coincides with its five-year centennial celebration, is the largest capital campaign in 51³Ô¹ÏÍøhistory. It will continue through the end of 2015.

“We felt like having a real stretch goal would ensure the next two years would be as productive as possible,” 51³Ô¹ÏÍøPresident R. Gerald Turner said Thursday. “Why not use this opportunity to take the institution to another level?”

The new money will support the same priorities as the original campaign: student scholarships, academic programs, faculty positions and campus improvements.

Caren Prothro, 51³Ô¹ÏÍøboard of trustees chair and campaign co-chair, said the money raised already has translated to recruitment of top faculty members, more competitive student admissions and a more diverse student body at the private university, which has an enrollment of nearly 11,000.

The campaign has financed 472 new scholarships that allow 51³Ô¹ÏÍø“to go head to head with other peer or aspirational schools,” Prothro said. “We want to make it possible for talented, high-achieving students to come here, and in order to do that we need to step up our scholarships.”

About 70 percent of 51³Ô¹ÏÍøundergraduates receive merit- or need-based financial aid.

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