This $115 million comprehensive campaign is the biggest fund-raising effort in Ithaca College history. “It may not seem like a lot of money in com­parison to, say, Cornell University,” says Shelley Semmler, vice president for institutional advance­ment and leader of the campaign effort, “but Ithaca College is a teaching institution where our students are engaged in serious, hands-on learning. Many of our alumni are teachers, health care professionals, artists, and people working for the com­mon good. We haven’t the history of philan­thropy or the sizable endowment that some of the larger institu­tions have. We will put these funds to use in terrific ways to help our students and keep Ithaca College highly competitive.”

Bob Iger ’73, who majored in television-radio at IC and now heads the Walt Disney Company, is honorary chair of the campaign. He believes so strongly in his alma mater that he came back to campus to help launch the campaign and speak with students. “I had a wonderful experience at Ithaca and want to do all I can to give back to the place that helped shape my career,” he says.

“We are making this effort,” says Ithaca College President Peggy R. Williams, “for a single reason: our students—today’s and tomorrow’s. They are talented and eager to make a world of difference—hence the campaign name. To give them the tools they need to become thought­ful, engaged, ethical citizens of the world, as a tuition-driven institution we need support from our friends, alumni, parents, neighbors, and employees. We believe they will rise to the occa­sion and support us wholeheartedly.”