Peacock

by EDWARD SZTUKOWSKI
News Editor

Appalachian State University’s Chancellor Kenneth E. Peacock and Vice Chancellor for University Advancement Susan Pettyjohn are gearing up for a fundraising initiative focusing on five areas on campus.

“Every school, every college, every program needs external funding,” Peacock said. “That’s going to be our ticket to the future.”

Peacock said he met with consultants who asked him what he wanted on campus.

“I just unloaded, I said, ‘here we go,’” Peacock said. “Of course I said things like scholarships and things like distinguished professorships…these are things I always want.”

However, consultants told Peacock his goals were too broad and too many to tackle at the same time.

Sustainable Development, the Health Initiative, the Entrepreneurship program, International Programs and the Honors Program are all targeted by Pettyjohn and her campaign steering committee as focus points for donators.

“From a programmatic standpoint they told me I need a focus and can’t do it all at once,” Peacock said. “That was a problem for me because I have many desires for this campus.”

The renewed push for donations comes after two years of losses in endowment money. In 2007, endowment growth was up 17.85 percent.

Conversely, donations fell by 3.66 percent in 2008 and 19.8 percent in 2009.

Peacock narrowed his search to five areas and gave Pettyjohn the task of heading up a steering committee to find ways to increase support to those areas.

“We haven’t set a goal yet, but the committee is really looking at engaging more people in the life of Appalachian, getting more people involved and getting more people supportive,” Pettyjohn said.

Peacock said all of these programs have been moving forward at the same pace, and need a more physical presence on campus.

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