The University of North Carolina at Greensboro has passed the $100 million goal for its Students First Campaign -- a year before the campaign's end.

University and campaign officials announced the milestone today (July 29), and stated plans to continue the drive through June 30, 2009, to fulfill two of the campaign's key initiatives -- undergraduate and graduate scholarships and faculty development.

"Reaching our goal is an extraordinary achievement, and a tremendous testament to the generosity of our supporters and their belief in this university," said Chancellor Patricia A. Sullivan. "We have become a stronger university with every gift to the Students First Campaign.

"I have said that one of my goals before retiring was for the Students First Campaign to reach its goal, and now it has happened. Thousands of loyal supporters have brought us to this point, and our deepest gratitude goes out to them."

Dr. Patricia W. Stewart, UNCG's vice chancellor for university advancement, expressed gratitude for the campaign's leadership to Sullivan, who is retiring on July 31, and to the campaign steering committee, co-chaired by Linda Arnold Carlisle and Norman and Sylvia Samet, all of Greensboro.

"Chancellor Sullivan has been a dynamic leader for UNCG in every way, and she has been especially effective in her support and guidance of the Students First Campaign," Stewart said. "This $100 million figure represents gifts from alumni and friends of the university, and every gift has moved the university along the way toward reaching our goal.

"We have a great team leading the campaign, and reaching $100 million a year ahead of schedule speaks well of everyone's efforts to engage alumni, friends, corporations and foundations who have contributed the funds needed to secure UNCG's future. Still some of the campaign's major needs have not been met, and we will pursue them for the next 12 months."

Indeed, UNCG will not be taking a rest, said Linda Arnold Carlisle, a 1972 UNCG graduate who is serving as co-chair of the SFC steering committee. The campaign began with a five-year schedule and will continue seeking gifts for undergraduate and graduate scholarships and faculty development.

"We started The Students First Campaign because UNCG needs new endowments for undergraduate and graduate scholarships," said Carlisle, vice chair of the UNCG Board of Trustees and a past member of the State Lottery Commission.

"These endowments will keep us competitive in recruiting the best students and in assisting the neediest of North Carolina's students.

"While we have been very successful with the campaign so far, we have some unmet needs for undergraduate and graduate scholarships, and those are essential to our becoming a university of first choice among talented and deserving students. UNCG's alumni and friends have been very supportive and I have no doubt they will continue to help us meet this final year challenge. Keeping the campaign moving ahead for its final year is reflective of this wonderful support and acknowledges that as the university grows, its needs continue to grow."

The campaign has received gifts of $52 million toward a goal of $66.26 million for student support. The goal includes $61.31 million for undergraduate and graduate scholarships, $3.8 million for international education, and $1.15 million for the Communication Across the Curriculum program.

Other major areas in the campaign are:

n Attracting and retaining excellent faculty, with $11.3 million raised. The goal was $10.14 million. The target includes $4.6 million for Excellence Professorships, $2.84 million for faculty development and $1.7 million for Jackson Library, and $1 million for guest artists and lectures

n Building an exceptional learning environment, with $27.7 million raised;

n Research and service support, with $4.1 million raised toward a $7.5 million goal.

To date, the campaign has created 14 new professorships, 168 new undergraduate scholarships, 38 new graduate scholarships and 145 program endowments and student awards programs. Gifts have been made by 13,268 alumni, 7,431 friends, 903 corporations and foundations, 1,135 faculty and staff.

During the Students First Campaign, UNCG's endowment has grown 55 percent, from $122.8 million when the campaign was launched July 1, 2004, to $184 million with the latest audit of UNCG's investment funds. The campaign success has also been recognized with two prestigious WealthEngine Awards for Fundraising Excellence from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE).

The Students First Campaign began July 1, 2004. It was launched with a $78 million goal, a mark raised to $100 million in September 2006. Exceeding campaign goals is nothing new for UNCG. The Second Century Campaign for UNCG, completed in 1998, raised $55.4 million and surpassed its goal of $42.5 million; and the Prospectus III Campaign passed its $12 million goal to conclude with $13.5 million in 1984.