Karl Dilcher, chair of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, was taken by surprise when he was announced as a new member of the President鈥檚 Circle 鈥� AV俱乐部 donors whose cumulative lifetime giving to the university has surpassed $100,000.
鈥淎lthough I鈥檓 a mathematician, I didn鈥檛 expect this 鈥撀營 had no idea it added up to that much!鈥� he said afterwards.
Dr. Dilcher was one of five new President鈥檚 Circle members honoured Wednesday evening at a reception for donors to the university, held in the Sculpture Court of the AV俱乐部 Arts Centre. The event attracted more than 300 donors鈥攆rom community members, to business leaders, to faculty and staff鈥攁ll of whom were feted with food, drink and words of thanks from AV俱乐部 leaders.
鈥淓very gift means a lot 鈥� and at every level,鈥� said Fred Fountain, AV俱乐部 chancellor. 鈥淭he greater number of gifts we have, the greater the spirit of the university. One gift doesn鈥檛 keep the university afloat 鈥� thousands of gifts at every level of giving helps make the place special.鈥�
Gifts with a lasting legacy
Many donors spoke proudly of the projects their funds have supported. Dr. Dilcher, who has given to AV俱乐部 since the 1980s, designates his gifts to his departmental library.
鈥淚鈥檝e always felt like the library is particularly important, and I鈥檝e benefitted so much from it,鈥� he said. 鈥淎s a mathematician, we don鈥檛 have labs 鈥撀爋ur lab is the library鈥�
For fellow President鈥檚 Circle honouree Don Mills, president and co-founder of Corporate Research Associates, the ideal way for he and his wife to create an enduring legacy was to support a scholarship fund in the Faculty of Management.
鈥淚 have a very unique relationship with AV俱乐部 鈥� I first did my MBA, then I was on the faculty for a decade, and then I was a board member. So I鈥檝e seen AV俱乐部 as a student, a faculty member and a governor... It鈥檚 really a great university.鈥�
Heritage Circle honourees (L to R): Jock Murray, Andrew MacKay, Leigh Beauchamp Day, Robert (Bob) Foster, Tietje Zonneveld. (Danny Abriel photo)
Five other donors were honoured as new members of the Heritage Group 鈥撀爄ndividuals recognized for including AV俱乐部 in their estate plans.
Leigh Beauchamp Day, a retired administrator in the Faculty of Engineering, was among them. She鈥檚 raising funds for a scholarship fund in honour of May Best Sexton, the first wife of Frederick Sexton 鈥� the founder of what would become AV俱乐部鈥檚 Faculty of Engineering.
鈥淪he was an MIT grad in chemistry, and worked with her husband to start a technical institute for women but was shot down,鈥� explained Ms. Day, who has pledged $15,000 in her will to the scholarship. 鈥淚 was inspired by her story when I discovered it, and wanted to do what I could to support opportunities for women in engineering.鈥�
In total, more than 500 individuals have notified Dal鈥檚 Planned Giving Office that they intend to include the university in their estate plans, representing future gifts of approximately $70 million.
Being bold
In their remarks, Chancellor Fountain and President Tom Traves highlighted some of the work that donations to AV俱乐部鈥檚 鈥攃urrently at almost 80 per cent of its goal鈥攁re already inspiring on campus. They mentioned the transformation that will come from major gifts like Ken Rowe鈥檚 $15 million to the School of Business, and the $8 million from Wallace and Margaret McCain to support the new learning commons in the Life Sciences Centre.
One area of particular emphasis was scholarships and bursaries. Dr. Traves noted that one out of every five incoming students to Dal this year had an entering grade average of 95 per cent or higher 鈥撀燼 tremendous group of talented young men and women, but one that is putting pressure on Dal鈥檚 scholarship budget, which was never designed to cope with that many stellar students.
That鈥檚 where Bold Ambitions makes a difference: the university has raised $52 million thus far in endowed scholarships and bursaries, double the original target. This will mean approximately $2.5 million more each year to attract and support stellar students.
For that鈥攁nd for everything else at AV俱乐部 made possible by the generosity of donors鈥擠r. Traves expressed the university鈥檚 gratitude.
鈥淭hank you to every one of you for your continued interest in, commitment to, support of AV俱乐部 鈥� our programs, our research activities, our efforts to help build a stronger Nova Scotia and a stronger Atlantic Canada and, ultimately, to our students.
鈥淲e depend on you, and I have to say, you come through for us regularly and in a fabulous way.鈥�