Arkansas State University issued the following announcement on Dec. 3.
The Arkansas State University System Board of Trustees today voted to accept a $25 million challenge gift from the Windgate Foundation – the largest donation to Arkansas State University in history – for a new facility that will be designated the Windgate Hall of Art and Innovation and the accompanying Art and Innovation District.
The naming resolution was approved during the board regular meeting Friday morning, and the historic gift was announced by Chancellor Kelly Damphousse on the A-State campus later in the day. The gift designates $20 million for construction and $5 million for a building maintenance endowment. With this recent gift to A-State, Windgate becomes the largest single benefactor in the 112-year history of the university with a total just under $40 million over the past several years. Additional information is available online.
“We are very grateful for the generosity and vision of the Windgate Foundation,” System President Chuck Welch said. “Windgate’s support has been transformative not only for A-State and Henderson State, but for all of higher education and the arts throughout Arkansas.
In his report to the board, Welch said ASU System institutions are collaborating to implement a growing number of shared services. The system’s Accelerate ASU efficiency study conducted by Huron Consulting Group in 2018 outlined multiple opportunities to increase revenues, cut costs and improve efficiencies.
“We immediately addressed areas such as institutional research for data-informed decisions and added system management for IT functions that resulted in substantial savings through shared software contracts, personnel and equipment,” Welch said. “Soon we will have all of our institutions on the same software platform for areas such as financial management, budgeting and enrollment services. Our next focus will be streamlining additional human resources and payroll functions.”
System chancellors have embraced the collaboration and benefits, Welch said, and will continue to identify additional areas. Campuses are also using data to review the viability, success rates and costs of academic programs as recommended in the Huron study.
Original source can be found here.
Source: Arkansas State University
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