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Kansas State University

Faculty of Distinction

Dr. John J. Professor
Chair in the
College of Veterinary Medicine

Faculty of Distinction

Executive Summary

Kansas State University, in cooperation with the state of Kansas, is positioning itself to be one of the top ten land grant universities. This is the focus of a strategic plan that will guide K-State in the 21st century. K-State is committed to:

  • Strengthen undergraduate teaching, programs and services;
  • Strengthen graduate, professional and research programs;
  • Strengthen outreach and extension efforts;
  • Sustain and enhance an intellectually stimulating environment;
  • Strengthen initiatives to stimulate economic development - particularly in Kansas.

To accomplish these goals, K-State must attract and retain the very best faculty. Kansas State has long been recognized as an outstanding learning institution. However, the battle to retain many top faculty continues due to the disparity in salaries and support as compared to peer institutions.

Kansas State University will address these disparities in part through the new Kansas Faculty of Distinction Program. This program seeks to improve the retention of outstanding current faculty members and attract outstanding new faculty members as well. A key component in this program is the partnership that exists between KSU alumni and friends, Kansas State University, and the state of Kansas.

Through these partnerships and the Faculty of Distinction Program, the university will be able to:

  • Recruit and retain top faculty;
  • Attract the very best undergraduate students;
  • Provide more opportunities to attract outstanding graduate students;
  • Offer unique educational opportunities for both undergraduate and graduate students;
  • Provide an environment that facilitates learning.

We ask that you give strong consideration to a commitment of $1,000,000 to support this partnership. In recognition of your support, Kansas State will name this position the Dr. John J. Professor Chair in the College of Veterinary Medicine.

Kansas State University

"K-State has become one of the nation's top research universities and an economic development powerhouse in the decade of the 1990s. In 1999-2000 for example, Kansas State generated $2.5 billion in various economic development activities for the state of Kansas. An endowed chair in the department of your choosing will help K-State keep itself as one of the cutting-edge research universities in America in the 21st century."
Jon Wefald, KSU President

Kansas State University is the nation's oldest and one of the most respected land grant institutions. Chartered by the Kansas General Assembly in 1858, KSU became the nation's first land-grant college when Kansas became the first state to accept the terms of the federal Morrill Act in 1863.

Today, KSU is a broad-based university of international stature, offering more than 125 majors and numerous pre-professional programs to over 21,000 students. The academic program, with an orientation toward agriculture, science, technology and strong programs in the humanities and the arts, offers students excellent opportunities for specialization within a broad educational framework in the liberal arts tradition.

The state of Kansas has a rich tradition of support for public education. Indicators of this support are evidenced in the quality of its public education system at all levels and in the quality of its students. Kansas' high school graduating classes regularly rank among the nation's finest.

In keeping with the Kansas tradition of educational excellence, K-State President Jon Wefald has designated endowed chairs as one of his highest priorities. Endowed chairs will greatly enhance the College of Veterinary Medicine's goal of closely integrating its educational, research and outreach programs. Expectation for these chairs is to have a dramatic impact on the way we educate students, on the growth and relevance of our research programs, and on effectiveness in technology transfer and continuing education.

Industry and peer institutions for outstanding education and research programs have long recognized Kansas State University. Its graduates and record of discovering new knowledge has contributed significantly to the success of many industries, public agencies and academic institutions. The belief is that KSU can build on this tradition to foster a new culture within education, discover solutions to urgent problems confronting society, and transfer new knowledge to people who need it.

Kansas Faculty of Distinction Program

"At the leading edge of the K-State of the future, a small number of high impact people will make a definitive difference. These are the people every university competes for the hardest. The more we have at K-State the better."
Jim Coffman, KSU Provost

The state of Kansas has endorsed and supported K-State's educational programs since the first classes in 1863. Action taken during the 1999 legislative session and signed into law by Governor Bill Graves on April 25, 2000, sets a new standard for state support. The new law creates the Kansas Partnership for the Faculty of Distinction Program.

Under this program, the state will contribute income earnings equivalent awards to supplement endowed distinguished professorships at Regents institutions. A qualifying gift will require at least $500,000 in cash or cash equivalent for Kansas State University.

Here is an example of how this will work: a friend of Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine can make a gift of $1,000,000 to endow a $1,000,000 professorship. The donor's gift will produce approximately $50,000/year in support of the professorship. The state would then match the $50,000 annually, doubling the impact of the gift.

K-State has a long tradition - 137 years - of generating new benefits to society. In recent years, the economic value added by K-State faculty has been enormous. A recently completed study noted an annual return to the state's economy of $17 for every $1 from the state. In 1998, K-State had an impact greater than $2.4 billion in Kansas with a state investment of $150 million.

This program creates meaningful opportunities for Kansas State to recruit and retain outstanding faculty. However, it can only be successful with the generous help of alumni and friends.

Dr. John J. Professor Chair
in the College of Veterinary Medicine

The chair's endowment is to supplement basic compensation from the university and is in no way to be used to offset or otherwise diminish the normal and usual compensation provided by the university to such a faculty position. Uses of the fund may include, but are not limited to: lectureship support, graduate fellowship support, faculty travel or research grants, hosting expenses, publication expenses, procurement and maintenance of equipment, professional society participation, and scholarship support.

The recipient of the Dr. John J. Professor Chair in the College of Veterinary Medicine may be expected to:

  • Demonstrate an understanding of and commitment to the concepts and practice of veterinary medicine.

  • Promote and provide leadership in educational and learning activities that foster student and faculty commitment to learning.

  • Include creative collaboration between disciplines and involvement of public interest, society, sustainable development, economic, management, and global concerns.

  • Lead in development and enhancement of the College of Veterinary Medicine Teaching Hospital, and other academic units within the university.

  • Participate in meetings, seminars and organizations that focus on training, guidance and promotion of lifelong learning skills.

  • Promote and maintain communication and interaction with practicing educational professionals and with others outside the academic community.

  • Maintain high standards of excellence needed to build a program that is rich in innovation, strong in educational effectiveness, and current in content.

Commemorative Gift Opportunity

A gift in the amount of $1,000,000 is proposed to establish the Dr. John J. Professor Chair in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Kansas State University.

Through your generosity, Kansas State University will continue to prosper with the recruitment and retention of the finest faculty throughout the state of Kansas and across the country.

With this opportunity, K-State will continue to produce the best and brightest graduate and undergraduate students who will make an impact on the future of our state and country.

"Recruiting and retaining excellent faculty are the cornerstones upon which all great universities are built. With the right faculty, everything else falls in place. Outstanding teaching, research, outreach and service are natural products of a qualified, caring faculty. The Faculty of Distinction program will allow us to recruit the best of the best to Kansas State University. They will provide much more than scholarship; the people filling these endowed chairs will serve as catalysts for everyone around them. They will be role models and mentors. We are indeed fortunate that the State of Kansas and the Board of Regents have provided this avenue of gifting for our donors. What a great opportunity to make a great university even better!"
Ralph C. Richardson, Dean of Veterinary Medicine

 

Kansas State University
Foundation

Chris Gruber
Director of Development
College of Veterinary Medicine
2323 Anderson Avenue
Manhattan, KS 66502-2911
1-800-432-1578
www.found.ksu.edu