The Eller College of Management recently received three sizable donations that will allow it to build a new facility and fund faculty.The donations came from the college’s namesake, the Eller family, the Diamond family and the McClelland family.
Vicki Fleischer, senior director of development for Eller College, said the donors had specific intentions for their gifts. Fleischer said the McClellands’ gift will be used to create an endowment for faculty support. Fleischer added that 4 percent of the endowment annually will be allotted for Eller College to recruit and retain faculty. The endowment will also fund research grants and faculty fellowships.
The McClelland family donated $3.5 million, through the Shamrock Foods company, of which Norman McClelland is chairman. McClelland is also an alumnus of Eller College.
Karl and Stevie Eller have committed a gift with a more specific goal in mind.
“Karl and Stevie Eller have committed $1.5 million toward our campaign priorities for the current year, which is our Eller College Professional Development Center,” Fleischer said. “It will be a facility that will be a building out McClelland Hall on the south side. There is an empty spot, and we are hoping to capture about 9,000 square feet. And it will house our professional development team, which has grown to about a dozen people who support our students here and their career management search and in their professional development training.”
Fleischer described how the Professional Development Center will assist Eller College’s students. According to Fleischer, recruiters who come to campus will do interviews and presentations for Eller College students at the center.
Fleischer also said McClelland Hall doesn’t currently have enough space for student collaboration, but that the new center will create more space for those activities.
“We are hoping to capture a good part of this professional development center to be flexible space,” Fleischer said, “so that when it is not being used for recruiter presentation, it is being used for student team collaboration, which would have both open space and team rooms.”
The Diamond family is still deciding on how it wishes to disperse its gift of $1 million, but have requested that it be recognized as going toward the overall campaign priorities for Eller College this year.
Eller College has a ticker on its website allowing people to see how close it is to funding these overall campaign priorities. As of Monday, the total was listed at $45 million of its desired $65 million.
According to the University of Arizona Foundation’s Annual and Endowment report for 2013, donations for endowments totaled over $17 million. The report also stated that with larger endowments, the UA can rise in academic rankings, retain more faculty, grow programs and offer more opportunities, such as fellowships.
According to a UA News press release, James H. Moore Jr., president and CEO of the UA Foundation, emphasized the history these families have with the UA at an event celebrating the Arizona NOW campaign. Moore said in the press release that the donations from the families will continue to benefit the UA business students.
“These come from families that have a tremendous history with the UA and the Eller College,” Fleischer said, “and we are honored that all of them stepped up early in the campaign to show their support.”
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