Fall 2007 Vol. VI, No. 1

From the President

Dear Alumni and Friends,
When the Board of Trustees launched the Campaign for Excellence in October 2002, no other academic institution in the Arab Middle East had ever launched a fundraising campaign of this magnitude: $140 million in five years. Five years later, I am delighted, grateful, and proud to be able to confirm what I think most of us already knew—that our alumni and friends are not only loyal, they are generous as well. To thousands of you who have made gifts to support this campaign, thank you. To those of you who have not contributed—or who wish to make an additional gift—there is still time! The Campaign for Excellence will conclude on December 31, 2007.

The campaign has not only been unprecedented in the region, it has also been unprecedented in the history of AUB and has transformed the University. It has enabled us to construct new buildings such as the Hostler Student Center, the Olayan School of Business, and the CCC Scientific Research Building; we have also invested in classrooms and laboratories and renovated and upgraded existing facilities throughout campus and at AUBMC. It has supported the establishment of academic programs, centers, and endowed professorships in all areas. These investments in both infrastructure and academic programs have revolutionized the quality of education that we will be able to offer our students.

The campaign has also helped diversify our student body by increasing the funds available for financial aid. Over the years, I have been struck by how often alumni tell me how much they appreciated interacting with students from other backgrounds at AUB. In many ways, it defined their university experience. Financial aid has been the single largest component of this campaign. In 2006-07, 2,792 students received financial aid at AUB— 91 percent of those who applied. In 2001, only 1,581 received financial aid. We have raised more than $16 million in endowed financial aid during this campaign, which will enable us to support future generations of students as well.

Today, AUB is stronger financially as a result of this campaign, but it is also stronger because of the thousands of alumni and friends who have taken the opportunity to re-engage with the University despite—or perhaps because of—the challenges of recent years. While I cannot anticipate what lies ahead for AUB and know better than to even try, I am confident that with your active support and involvement, AUB will prevail as it has done so many times in the past and will continue “to provide excellence in education, to participate in the advancement of knowledge through research, and to serve the peoples of the Middle East and beyond.”

President John Waterbury