“Non nobis solum,” Washburn University’s motto, which means “not for ourselves alone” has been at the center of President JuliAnn Mazachek’s mission since her inauguration a year ago.
This mission has been evident through the many projects the university has since begun under her leadership. With the launch of Washburn’s newest campaign, Forever Washburn, at the “Forever Starts Tonight” event, nothing different is to be expected.
“We are [announcing] a fundraising campaign to benefit Washburn University and its students, that will affect the university and [Washburn Tech],” Mazachek said. “The reason we named it Forever Washburn, is that we want to take all the really good things that are happening and make sure that they can continue forever. We’re going to seek out… people who will invest in our scholarships, buildings, programs and faculty so that we can be excellent forever.”
Forever Washburn will be a part of Washburn’s new strategic framework and campus master plan that has been in development for close to 18 months.
“Our strategic framework is the foundation for how we built the campaign, and our key goals as part of our strategic framework and our campus master plan are built into our fundraising campaign,” Mazachek said. “This will assist us in meeting our goals even faster and sooner… to serve our students in the best way that we can.”
Faculty, staff, students, alumni and community members were all invited to celebrate this momentous occasion and see what this new campaign means for Washburn.
Jill Sittenauer, Washburn University Alumni Association and Foundation board member, attended the event in hopes of learning more about what Forever Washburn entails.
“[I’m] interested to hear what Washburn has planned for the future with Dr. Mazachek kind of putting her stamp on things and her getting her plans in place,” Sittenauer said.
Later in the night, Marshall Meek, Washburn University Alumni Association and Foundation president, spoke in detail about the four pillars that make up the Forever Washburn campaign.
“Forever Washburn involves four pillars that empower our strategic plan and our vision for the future of Washburn,” Meek said. “[The] four pillars each have a fundraising goal behind them, and every single one of those goals, if met, will be the biggest investment Washburn has ever seen by a long shot.”
The first pillar, Forever Creating Opportunity, incorporates raising $80 million to fund scholarships and student opportunities. Meek noted that these funds will provide an “on-ramp” for every career pathway Washburn offers its students.
The next area in the campaign is Forever Enabling Success. Like pillar one, pillar two involves raising $80 million, which will be used to support teaching and program excellence. This will include funding for deanships, professorships and special programs such as the WIFI Film Festival, the annual pitch competition and the Aperion Undergraduate Research Forum.
The third component of Forever Washburn will help students build opportunities that prepare them for their future careers. The Forever Creating Connections program requires $25 million to assist in creating internship and externship opportunities for students. Meek emphasized that this pillar will go beyond just job preparation, it will help Washburn build programs that allow students to go out into the world to give back to their community.
The final piece of the campaign, Forever Building Community, will optimize space on Washburn’s campuses with an allotted $65 million. Projects in this pillar include the construction of Advisors Excel Hall, renovations to Lee Arena, the Institute for Healthcare Excellence and a manufacturing center at Washburn Tech.
Meek outlined the main goal of this pillar as creating spaces for students to be successful.
“[This] will help us create an optimal learning environment for our students and a comfortable and exciting campus where the Washburn community can thrive,” Meek said.
In total, the Forever Washburn campaign hopes to raise an astonishing $250 million by 2029 to complete and implement all four pillars on and around Washburn’s campuses.
“In just a few short years, our alumni and donors will have contributed a quarter of a billion dollars to this special place that will help catalyze a giant leap forward. Philanthropic support has always been a key ingredient, an ingredient that makes Washburn so special,” Meek said. “We are asking everyone, alumni, friends, students, faculty, staff, parents and partners to join in [because] Forever Washburn is our chance to show the world what Washburn University can do.”
Though the amount may seem daunting to most, Mazachek and Meek are ready to make their vision a reality. In the “quiet phase” of the campaign, donors have already contributed $139 million to Forever Washburn, which is just $5 million short of the total amount Washburn’s last comprehensive campaign, 150 Forward, was able to raise.
“A lot of schools [our size] would never even be able to dream about doing [a campaign this big], but we have such amazing alumni and friends of Washburn that care so much about what we do here and what we do for students and the future that they invest in ways that people can’t even imagine,” Mazachek said.
To accomplish her goal, Mazachek is relying on all members of the Washburn community to contribute in making Washburn better and setting it apart from other universities.
“I’m hoping that [Forever Washburn] stirs up a lot of enthusiasm, and if people maybe haven’t donated, or maybe even have donated in the past, see something that interests them and that they’ll want to be a part of,” said Jeanne Hoferer, Washburn University Alumni Association and Foundation Board of Trustees member.
With the campaign now being public, Washburn can expect major changes in the coming years. Mazachek is excited for what lies ahead and is ready to embark on the Forever Washburn journey.
“We are ready to seize these opportunities. This campus will be completely renewed over the next decade. We believe in what we are doing and we know our students deserve the very best. Through Forever Washburn, we will tell our story to the world,” Mazackek said.
As Forever Washburn continues on the path to fruition, a time of change and improvement will fall on the Washburn campuses to ensure the Washburn promise lives on for future all Ichabods.
Visit the Washburn University Alumni Association and Foundation website to contribute to the Forever Washburn campaign, because forever starts right now.
Edited by Stuti Khadka and Alijah McCracken
