The launch of the public phase of Brown's Campaign for Academic Enrichment - officially beginning Saturday with the announcement of a financial goal and timeframe - will take place amid a series of events intended to involve a broad spectrum of community members. The celebration is designed to highlight both the University's past successes and future direction, according to Neil Steinberg '75, vice president of development and the campaign's director.
The goal - expected to be "around" previous estimates of $1.3 billion - and a concluding date of December 2010 will be announced at the "primarily donor-oriented" campaign gala dinner and at the more student-oriented Live on Lincoln on Saturday night, Steinberg said.
The campaign's kickoff will include academic colloquia throughout the day on Saturday, followed by a University-wide convocation at 4 p.m. The convocation, marking the official start of the campaign, will feature "Stories of Brown," a film profiling students, faculty and staff who "celebrate and represent" the University's mission and values, Steinberg said.
Those profiled in the film will also receive Presidential Cer-tificates. These awards honor individuals "whose lives and accomplishments represent the goals set forth by the Plan for Academic Enrichment," according to an internal release.
After collecting nominations from the entire Brown community, a committee comprising "a broad, representative group" of students, staff, faculty and administrators narrowed the group down to eight. President Ruth Simmons had final approval of the list.
The convocation will also include appearances by Simmons, Chancellor Stephen Robert '62 and other prominent administrators.
Saturday's colloquia will offer panel discussions in various academic areas and are "open to everybody," Steinberg said. The broad scope of these discussions will allow many professors to speak on topics related to their respective areas of expertise. "It's nerve cells, it's Darwin, it's landing on Mars, it's politics - this is the length and breadth of Brown," he said. "They're designed to engage discussion and dialogue."
Steinberg continued: "If you go to these, you start to get a better feel for the Brown story we want to support."
Although the campaign gala dinner is aimed at donors, students and faculty members have also been invited, demonstrating what Steinberg called the "very inclusive" nature of the weekend's festivities.
Live on Lincoln is intended to get students enthusiastic about the campaign, Steinberg said.
"We wanted to have a student event as part of the campaign kickoff," Steinberg continued. Though campaign organizers are co-sponsoring the event, "we are not taking over," he added.
"We would like students to engage with us," Steinberg said. Students can contribute to the campaign by volunteering, thanking alums or incorporating the campaign's goals into the senior class gift, he added. Students will also be able to provide feedback on the campaign through a committee that has already been formed.
At the very least, Steinberg said, students should "come to the colloquia to honor students and faculty. ... Everybody on campus is being invited to this."
The campaign kickoff will "put forth the challenge of, here's what we've got to do for the next five years," he said. The events will also celebrate Brown's recent achievements, presenting reasons "why you want to support Brown," he said.
