College of Medicine raises $11.5 million in gifts; staff hiring under way


University officials told the board of trustees Thursday that "significant progress" has been made with the College of Medicine — both financially and academically.

The college is close to 50 percent of its $25-million fundraising goal and Dr. Ernest Yoder, founding dean of the College of Medicine, said the entire four-year curriculum design for the program will be completed soon.

The college also is on track with staff hiring, Yoder said during Thursday’s board of trustees meeting.

“We’ve made a substantial four-year curriculum and right now are preparing it for review," he said. "This puts us on track.”

Kathy Wilbur, vice president of Development and External Relations, said the college received about $11.5 million in gifts after a $10-million push increased the total from $1,035,000.

University President George Ross said many of the people CMU is talking to don't have established relationships or ties to the university, but relationships are building. That's how fundraising is done, he said.

“At the last board meeting we expected some gift to come through (and) several have come through,” Ross said. “At that point, we were close on several, several gifts. Frankly we’re close on several gifts now but we can’t announce them until we get the actual written commitment.”

Despite a large funding goal and competition with the creation of other medical schools in Michigan, Wilbur said they are moving forward.

“This (funding) has taken us less than a year to accomplish,” Wilbur said. “We have achieved this milestone. It is one that was important to reach.”

Sarah Opperman, board chairwoman, said fundraising is an extensive process. She chairs the College of Medicine-fundraising committee in Midland. It takes a while, she said, to establish new prospects who are willing to invest in a new project.

“You got to start from scratch ... and then you have to identify the people who have an interest and have a passion in rural health care and primary care,” Opperman said.

According to a news release, a majority of the new pledges are from donors who want to remain anonymous. The press release also said pledges in support of the College of Medicine will be dedicated to student scholarships, start-up operations and facilities.

Other college business

Yoder said there is good progress with external hiring and they are processing the first five hires.

He said administrators are drafting the Liaison Committee on Medical Education report to submit in August. The LCME will review the document at its October meeting and schedule a campus site visit for mid-November.

LCME will vote during its late-January meeting whether or not to grant the College of Medicine a preliminary accreditation status. Yoder said they can begin to recruit once preliminary accreditation is granted and then the first class would begin in summer 2013.

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