Haslam College of Business - Haslam Presses Towards Top 25 with Fundraising Campaign

As part of its “Investing in the Journey to the Top 25” campaign, the Haslam College of Business has raised $153 million since 2012 toward a fundraising goal of $175 million.

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, is pursuing recognition as a Top 25 university over the course of several years, and Haslam also is seeking to achieve that rank among public business schools.

“Haslam is currently ranked at No. 30 or higher by several publications, so we are on the cusp,” said Chip Bryant, UT interim vice chancellor for alumni affairs and development. “Continued success in fundraising is key to continued progress toward our goal. We will be using this money to pursue strategic priorities on our way to the Top 25.”

Funding priorities for Haslam include $50 million for faculty support, $25 million for need-based scholarships, $15 million for merit-based scholarships and $10 million for graduate fellowships.

One area of fundraising that has been met with particular success, Bryant said, are strategic unit priorities, for which $101 million have been raised. That exceeds the college’s goal of $75 million.

“Support from private sources has already played a significant role in a number of initiatives,” Bryant said. “The money is being invested in the future of the college and its students and faculty.” Those investments come in the form of endowments and cash gifts.

According to Stephen L. Mangum, dean and Stokely Foundation Leadership Chair, attracting and retaining high-quality faculty and students from across the nation and world is central to achieving the college’s Top 25 goal.

“We must bring this talent together in world-class learning environments to unleash and enlarge their creativity and innovation,” Mangum said. “The result is path-breaking research, new courses of study and innovative programs linking Haslam to the rest of the university and the greater business community through collaboration.”

Examples of recent opportunities made possible through endowment and cash gifts include: The Anderson Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation establishing the Graves Undergraduate Business Plan Competition and the UT Accelerator program; The Boyd Center for Business & Economic Research endowment providing continued support to this nationally-recognized tax and education policy center; and the Integrated Business & Engineering Program endowment creating a collaborative cohort program for students from Haslam and the Tickle College of Engineering.

Additionally, a minor in entrepreneurship has been launched, while the Haslam Summer Scholars Research Awards program, aimed at encouraging faculty with promising research, has entered its third year.

The total raised includes cash gifts, matching pledges, estate gifts and other forms of philanthropy.