Faculty and Staff Asked to Give a Minute’ for VSU

VALDOSTA--Valdosta State University kicked off the 2013 Faculty and Staff Campaign today. This year’s theme is “Giving a Minute” and emphasizes the important role faculty and staff members play in helping the university maintain academic excellence.

According to Karen Johnson, director of annual giving, it costs approximately $360 per minute to operate the university.

“This year we are asking faculty and staff to considering giving ‘a minute’ to make a difference in the success of our students,” Johnson said. “Every year, VSU faculty and staff give to programs and departments throughout the university, these financial gifts help support athletics, the arts, scholarships, and many important areas.”

All of VSU fulltime employees will receive a packet of information that outlines how they can direct their financial gift to the college, department or program of their choice through a variety of payment options, including payroll deduction. Employees may also visit the campaign’s website at http://www.valdosta.edu/fscampaign/ .

“We want faculty and staff to know that their gift, no matter the size, will make a difference,” Johnson said. “Many of our employees give consistently over the years, and those contributions add up.”

Johnson said that current faculty and staff, as well as retirees, who reach a cumulative lifetime giving total of $10,000, are eligible for membership in the Gertrude Odum Society, which is named in honor of Gertrude Odum, a former professor of English at Valdosta State for many years, who bequeathed $1 million to the institution in her will.

For more information on VSU’s Faculty and Staff Campaign, contact Karen Johnson at 229-333-5419 or email kjohnson@valdosta.edu.