Dr. Griffith led off Presbyterian College’s inaugural Leadership College on Friday, Nov. 16 with a speech in Springs Campus Center gymnasium. As part of the luncheon, the president addressed the crowd of over 200 about the status and future of the college’s The Promise & The Challenge campaign.

Griffith reiterated the promise that he and members of the PC family agreed on when they began the campaign in 2002.

“Our promise was that we would create the future in such a way that our timeless core values were strengthened and expanded,” he said.

The challenge remains the same today as it was in 2002: to keep a PC education at the forefront of a rapidly changing world, he said.

Griffith spoke about the progress the PC family has made during the campaign. Contributors to The Promise & The Challenge effort have accepted the challenge, raising more than $100 million in six years. During his speech, Griffith recapped how Phase I has benefited the college.

More than $8 million so far has gone on to add faculty positions, to create academic programs such as establishing a philosophy major, and to make faculty salaries more competitive. Campaign donors have also given $45 million to go toward student financial aid, which Griffith called “the life blood” of the college.

Further, more than $10 million has been raised for the PC Fund, money needed for essentials such as salaries, books, and laboratory chemicals.

“The most visible outcomes of our efforts,” Griffith said, was the $34.1 million given to build Bailey Memorial Stadium, the Carol International House, and Lassiter Biology Hall, to name a few of the new buildings on campus.

“This is absolutely amazing,” the president said about the success with the campaign thus far. “Think of all the doors you have opened with your leadership giving.”

Although he didn’t publicly accept the praise in which the Washington Monthly ranked PC number one among 400 American liberal arts colleges, Griffith admitted during his speech that the acclaim served as proof that the worthwhile giving toward The Promise & The Challenge campaign has been noticed.

“Confirmation of our mission comes in the most unexpected of ways,” he said.  

He emphasized continuing the momentum during Phase II of the campaign, which was a focus of Leadership College. During the speech, the president outlined the goals for the second part of The Promise & The Challenge.

At least $9 million is needed in endowment for new faculty positions, to enhance faculty salaries, and to further expand liberal arts curriculum by increasing internship and intercultural experience opportunities.

Seventeen million dollars is needed to support capital projects such as:

·        renovating and expanding Springs Campus Center,

·        building and expanding dorms and facilities for the visual arts and music,

·        and building new stadiums for baseball and softball.

The president said that at least $20 million is still needed for financial aid “to assure our continued ability to enroll students of unique promise . . . and we will need $7 million in endowment for support of our campus ministry program and service and community outreach efforts.”

Finally, during Phase II of the campaign, the president has set $8 million as a goal to be gifted to the PC Fund. All in all, the goal for Phase II is to raise $60 million over the next four years.

“So this is where we stand today—the church-related liberal arts college that is fully competitive with the best there is, that examines the Christian faith in the context of global culture, and that produces servant leaders for the world community,” Griffith said. “Indeed our students are the heirs, the beneficiaries of your generosity through the grace of God.”

posted by sadyer@presby.edu