Sam Houston State University formally launched the public phase of a $125 million capital campaign in January 2017 with the announcement of four major priorities that will help position the university for the future.
The priorities of the campaign, “Honoring Traditions. Creating Futures,” include academic support and student enrichment; funding for the proposed Osteopathic Medical College (applicant status – seeking accreditation) and program enhancements for health sciences; facility upgrades at Gibbs Ranch for agricultural sciences; and renovations at Bowers Stadium for athletics.
Many of our generous donors have answered the call by supporting new areas of study and enhanced facilities, which will allow SHSU to attract high-performing students, faculty and student-athletes.
Merit-based scholarships provide another incentive for recruiting high-performing students. While the cost of a college education has grown steadily through the years, the university has also increased the value of an SHSU education. More and more, employers recognize that Sam Houston State University graduates bring workforce-ready skills to the job.
With an emphasis on operational efficiency, SHSU remains accessible; however, this becomes more of a challenge with continued reductions in federal and state funding, skyrocketing operational costs and an increasingly competitive market for recruiting high-quality faculty.
Donor support has also played a significant role in providing students opportunities that may not otherwise be available. Because of the generous support of our alumni and friends, the university was recognized as one of the top public colleges where students earn the most scholarship funding. Specifically, SHSU ranked No. 127 out of over 500 public schools in the United States by the Student Loan Report.
Although significant achievements have been made through the campaign along with growing scholarship opportunities for students, the work is far from complete. In order to attract future leaders, as well as prominent scholars and researchers, continued donor support is critical.
With the gifts received from this campaign, SHSU can affect the type of transformative change necessary to make a significant impact throughout the state and across the world.
SHSU is more than an institution of higher learning—we are a community, and we are forever grateful to have such a generous and growing base of committed donors who understand and respond to the need for private support.