Kathy Wilbur: College of Medicine nearing 50% of fundraising goal

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The College of Medicine has raised nearly 50 percent of its $25-million fundraising goal.

During a board of trustees committee meeting today, Kathy Wilbur, vice president of Development and External Relations, said gifts have come in from anonymous donors, which she told the board this is “common.” By the July board meeting, she said she hopes to have additional “significant gifts” for the college.

“This is a very significant step for us to accomplish and for us to be able to announce,” Wilbur said.

She said she is pleased that one year into the campaign, they are “just shy” of 50 percent of the goal.

Dr. Ernest Yoder, the college’s dean, said more than $11 million in pledges has been raised.

“There are several more very close in the pipeline,” Yoder said.

Wilbur said the College of Medicine does not have any money dedicated from naming opportunities, such as the college name itself or any rooms inside its facility.

University President George Ross said the university would continue to campaign in the coming months.

“Fundraising is a process,” Ross said. “We have engaged with potential donors for months now, and we got it done. We are confident and we’re happy it’s coming together. It’s steady. In spite of noise, we stayed strategic.”

Trustee Chairwoman Sarah Opperman said she was thrilled with the announcement.

“It’s tremendous,” Opperman said. “This is a tremendous announcement. This is significant.”

Other business

Also at the meeting, Yoder said the college will submit its application packet to the Liaison Committee on Medical Education in August for accreditation of a CMU medical program.

LCME should review the packet by October and schedule a visit to campus in November, at which point, he said, if successful, the school would receive preliminary accreditation in early 2012.

Today’s announced donation, Yoder said, is a step toward LCME accreditation.

He said the college is “on track” for hiring faculty, and letters will be sent to five recruits by the end of the week.

Yoder said the replacement associate dean for Medical Education and Faculty Development, which Dr. Nehad El-Sawi vacated for personnel reasons earlier this semester, will be hired by the end of this month.