Delaware First fundraising effort the right move at the right time

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The University of Delaware made the right move in formally launching the $750 million Delaware First fund-raising effort.

Much of the attention will be focused on the upgrade of athletic facilities that will include a long-overdue modernization project at Delaware Stadium.

UD clearly fell far behind its peers in the Colonial Athletic Conference while it wisely focused on the STAR Campus, the  Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Laboratory and other projects.
 
 The timing is now right to make the college sports investments and keep in mind that the athletic upgrades account for less than 10 percent of the total campaign, which has already raised more than half a billion dollars.
 
UD is in a race to attract top-quality students, while remaining a key driver in the Delaware economy of the future.
 
The university also has a large main campus with aging buildings that date back to past growth spurts. Meanwhile, the percentage of state funds in UD’s  total budget has steadily dropped as money is pumped into social services, prisons, and the public education system.

The diminished level of support has contributed to rising tuition rates that put college out of the reach of some. UD has responded by boosting financial aid, but the affordability challenge and the prospect of parents and students  facing ruinous debt burdens is an everpresent danger. 
 
Overall, UD is on the right path in pursuing a strategy that every public and private university is pursuing these days.  A  state undergoing a painful economic transformation can’t afford to see this effort fall short. 

As always, your thoughts and observations are welcome. If this newsletter was forwarded to you, click here to subscribe at no charge. –Doug Rainey, Publisher

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