“Endow a Chair (or maybe a table)” Campaign
Hi
guys! Remember me? It’s been a long time since I’ve seen or
spoken with most of you – but I hope you’re well.
I’ve begun to contact former students
in each class I’ve taught at WSU. I’m
hoping that at least some of you will be
willing and able to help with an issue I
think important. As you might guess, it
has to do with teaching and veterinary
students – the passions of my
professional life.
This past summer (2008), the WSU College of Veterinary
Medicine staved off a movement to close the Vet Med (Health
Sciences) library.
Several people worked hard to prevent this – because of the
detrimental effects it would have on our program and our
students. The branch closure movement reflects increasing
financial pressures on university libraries and the changing
role of libraries in general in an increasingly digital world.
It is not unique to WSU.
Our dean at the time, Warwick Bayly, stepped in and gained us
at least a three year reprieve. Dean (now Provost) Bayly and
Dean Bryan Slinker
believe, like me, that the college needs a viable library, that
our students and faculty need a professional librarian’s
support, and that our students need a clean, open, comfortable,
and modern place to study and interact.
As part of the deal to keep our library open, it will be
reduced in size. However, we have also begun to re-create it as
a more student-centered, study-friendly space. We are
selectively moving out many seldom used scientific journals and
old textbooks to create space for tables and chairs, comfortable
sofas, and modern workspaces. The heavily used reserve section
will be preserved, and we’ve set aside a student group study
room with whiteboard, DVD player and computer. The BCU media
collection that so many of you used has been converted to DVD
format and moved to the library where it will be accessible for
more hours.
Here’s where you come in.
Even as we’re creating space for our students, we don’t have
the furniture to fill it. The college has already invested
heavily to keep the library open, but can’t afford much more
(especially now that the financial crisis has hit the state and
university so hard.) You can see where I’m going …
So, for the first time in my career, I am reaching
out to a group of my former students and friends – people I
think I knew best or somehow connected with best – and asking
for some financial support.
With the college’s consent, I’ve started a program I’ve
called the “Endow a Chair (or maybe a table) Campaign.”.
Many of you are now in a position to make a significant
donation, and all are able to donate something. Likewise, your
practice may be able to donate or to match your personal
donation. The funds raised will be used exclusively to make our
library (recently renamed the “Animal
Health Library”) a better place for our DVM students, aka
your future colleagues. Your contributions will be used ONLY to
purchase chairs, tables, perhaps some comfy study seating or a
flat screen monitor, etc. for use by our student body.
For anyone who donates enough to purchase a significant piece
of furniture, we will affix a small plaque that reads, “Donated
by Dr. __________, Class of ____.” Likewise we will start a
wall plaque entitled “Friends of the Animal Health Library” and
add an engraved nameplate honoring anyone who donates $250 or
more. We’re hoping that as our new student-centered library
space takes shape, you will want to stop by and see it – and
maybe see your name or your clinic’s name on what you provided.
We also invite contributions from classes or groups of
friends within a class. We could have some fun with plaques and
nameplates on those! How about “Donated by the Back Row, Class
of 1996”?!!
Please think about this. Regardless of whether you’re able
to donate or not, please think also about
contacting me via email or phone. I’d like to hear from each
of you and to know “How it all turned out”. Also feel free to
spread the word to friends, classmates and other alumni.
If you are using the WSU CVM web site to view this message,
you can click on the “Giving Opportunities” link to see how to
make a donation. Please designate any contributions to my
small account “The
Creativity in Teaching Fund – Library fund”.
Please rest assured that I will make sure every gift goes to
THIS designated cause – to help our students. You have my word.
With affection and respect – your old Sys Path professor,
Stephen ("Steve") A. Hines, DVM, PhD
Berger Keatts Distinguished (can you believe it?) Professor -
for excellence in teaching
Phone: 509-335-6069
Originally written: November, 2008
Updated: February, 2009
