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Case Statement For
The Fund for Science and Technology

In June 2007 we successfully completed the five-year fund raising campaign Changing Lives Since 1889, which raised over $12 million. This achievement paralleled the College’s impressive rise in a number of national rankings, including U.S. News & World Report’s America's Best Colleges 2008. We now have a unique opportunity to further enhance our academic reputation by recruiting an even stronger student body and faculty who are outstanding teachers and scholars. Toward this goal, the College will establish Visions«Solutions: The Fund for Science and Technology to enhance academic quality and scholarship in Biology, Chemistry & Biochemistry, Earth Sciences, Physics & Astronomy, and Mathematics, Computer Science & Statistics. Telescope

Knowledge of science and technology plays a vital role in our daily lives; however, many people are unprepared for full participation in this increasingly technological world. The Fund for Science and Technology will help address this issue. As reported by the National Research Council, “Institutions of higher education should provide diverse opportunities for all undergraduates to study science, mathematics, engineering, and technology as practiced by scientists and engineers, and as early in their academic careers as possible."

In addition to educating and training future scientists, technology specialists and science educators, the College’s science departments support the general education requirement that every student take at least two science classes in different subject areas (one with a laboratory component). Just as science students broaden their knowledge by studying humanities and the arts, so do humanities and arts students benefit from educational experiences in science. Teaching science in the liberal arts tradition is critical in today’s world, and The Fund for Science and Technology will further the College’s mission of providing every student a well-rounded liberal arts education that ensures science literacy.

A primary focus of The Fund for Science and Technology will be to raise scholarship funds for students in these disciplines. Currently, the College has 1,170 majors in science and technology programs, representing 20.9% of its undergraduate population. Yet, there are only 18 endowed scholarships for these majors, yielding 26 annual awards (totaling only $29,850). This level of support is woefully inadequate to meet student financial need and, importantly, to attract highly qualified students to these majors.

The Fund for Science and Technology will also support new technologies and instructional methods, student and faculty research, professional development opportunities for faculty and students, and other related academic enhancements. With the improvement of all our science facilities (classes will resume in the $15 million renovated Science Building I in Fall 2008; and the Biological Field Station and Physical Science Building are scheduled for upcoming major renovation) the time is also ripe to acquire additional state-of-the-art research and instructional instrumentation for our students and faculty.
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The College at Oneonta is poised to become a leader in science education among public liberal arts institutions. Our success will depend on the strong participation of alumni, faculty and staff, students, and friends of the College. Please support this fundraising effort to move the College at Oneonta to the forefront of colleges in preparing all students for success in our scientific and technologically-driven world.    

To learn more about the co-chairs for The Fund for Science and Technology, click here.
You can make a gift online to support The Fund for Science and Technology, or view a list of other ways to make a gift.