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Excellence
Fund to create
more student scholarships
When
the Missoula Business Drive for Excellence kicks off on
Sept. 22, the local business and professional community
will be asked to increase its 2000 gifts for academic programs
at UM and earmark the additional amount for student scholarships.
"Missoulians
have generously contributed when asked for an Excellence
Fund gift, but this year we're asking them to make a larger
gift so that we can increase the number of scholarships
provided by the Excellence Fund," said chair Carol
S. Williams, who works for Missoula's Worden, Thane &
Haines PC.
Last
year 15 scholarships were awarded, including seven designated
for graduates of each local high school. "Scholarships
are a wonderful recruiting tool that helps UM attract and
retain talented students," she said.
"Through
our efforts, we hope UM will be able to award more Excellence
Fund scholarships."
Williams heads a team of 100 volunteers who will contact
more than 1,000 colleagues during an eight-week period this
fall asking support for the University. The Business Drive,
started in 1978 to forge partnerships between "town
and gown" and provide funding for academic areas that
give UM its margin of excellence, raised $362,000 last year.
The
drive provides funding for UM's academic priorities. Although
these vary from year to year, UM President George Dennison
typically has designated priorities such as annually funded
scholarships, faculty and staff development, outreach efforts
and pre-professional activities for students. The Excellence
Fund does not pay salaries, buy office supplies or fund
building construction.
While
the main thrust of the Missoula Business Drive begins at
a tailgate party preceding the UM-Western Washington University
football game on Sept. 22, solicitation of Pacesetters,
those who contribute at least $1,500 before the drive's
official kickoff, has begun already.
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