Western Michigan University receives record-breaking donation for medical school project
The largest cash gift ever given to a Michigan college or university was reportedly donated Tuesday to Western Michigan University’s School of Medicine.
The donation of $100 million was announced Tuesday by WMU President John M. Dunn and the private medical college’s partners, Borgess and Bronson hospitals' respective chief executive officers, Paul Spaude and Frank Sardone.
Central Michigan University President George Ross said the announcement was wonderful.
“Kudos to Western,” Ross said in an interview with CM Life. “I congratulate them, I think its great. I think it demonstrates support for what they’re trying to do — produce more physicians and more health care ... and what we’re trying to do.”
Ross said he was not able to announce any donations for CMU’s College of Medicine at the moment, but hopes to before the April board of trustees meeting.
“We’re in negotiations (for the donations), as I’m sure Western was,” Ross said. “Negotiations take a while, but we have significant gifts in the pipeline right now.”
Kathy Wilbur, CMU vice president of Development and External Relations, is involved with the College of Medicine fundraising initiative.
"There is a great deal of private donations that will come in," she said during an open forum on the university budget Tuesday.
WMU was excited building up to its announcement, said Cheryl Roland, WMU executive director of university relations.
“This grew out of a long relationship with the donors and had to do more with their vision and confidence of the university, and their conviction that what we’re doing here will be an amazing success,” Roland said.
WMU has fundraising goals of $175 million to $300 million for its School of Medicine.
Erin Smith, Bronson media spokesperson, said the hospital offers resources and staffing.
“There has been no financial commitment at this time,” Smith said.
Ross said CMU has a fundraising goal of $25 million at Tuesday’s Academic Senate meeting.
As previously reported, the College of Medicine raised $1,035,000 as of Feb. 14.
Trustee Sam Kottamasu and Chairwoman Sarah Opperman could not be reached for comment.
WMU is still in planning stages of its medical school, Roland said. Tuesday also was the first day for the school’s founding dean, Dr. Hal Jenson. Its project is a privately-funded one, in which public and university funds will not be used, whereas CMU's College of Medicine will be financed by private donations and also university funds.
“We have a number of committees on campus looking at the medical school, curriculum, communications and our brand new dean,” Roland said. “We have a lot of work going on, but at this point we’re not ready to put out any more definitive info about things like facilities.”
WMU's medical school plans to welcome its first class in fall 2013 or 2014. -University Editor Carisa Seltz and Senior Reporter Ariel Black contributed to this report.
