      The UVM Move Mountains campaign was announced earlier this month as the largest fundraising campaign ever to leave the board room. UVM hopes to raise $500 million for the reshaping of our beautiful campus and programs. As of the second of October, the campaign is said to have raised $247,636,555, almost half of the total goal. On Homecoming and Family Weekend, it was announced that $20 million dollars was donated by the Grossman Family Foundation, resulting in the renaming of the business school to the Grossman School of Business.
The campaign’s final goal is to improve our strongest programs and place UVM on the short list of our nation’s greatest public universities. The programs that will reportedly gain the most from this are in human health, the environment, the humanities, and STEM, though others will also inherit benefits. The university as a whole will be elevated in stature and reputation in Vermont and across the nation as a direct result of the changes that this campaign will bring. The campaign will emphasize student scholarships, research, expanding programs, recruiting and retaining faculty, improving facilities and attracting top students. Facilities like science labs, art studios and classroom space will be expanded, granting new options for future students.
While we here now may not see the direct benefits of these changes, we can be content in knowing that future generations will have access to one of the best public institutions of higher education available. If one of the reasons you chose this institution above others was that you look forward to the opportunities that it will give you in the future, this campaign should fill you with excitement. The future belongs to those who work for what they wish to achieve, and the donations made to our university will allow future generations to have the greatest opportunities. As UVM President Tom Sullivan said, “The time has come for UVM to move forward, to pursue excellence…To move mountains is to change lives.” This is the purpose of Move Mountains: The Campaign for The University of Vermont.