Oglethorpe’s
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NOW IN GROWTH MODE, THE UNIVERSITY MAKES A COMPELLING CASE FOR BROADER, DEEPER ALUMNI SUPPORT Ronald Reagan is sworn in as president; Mikhail Gorbachev is named the new Soviet premier. “We Are the World” debuts with fanfare, but it’s Madonna who dominates the pop charts. This is what life looked like in 1985, the last time Oglethorpe University embarked on a major fundraising campaign. Now fast-forward more than a quarter century, to another moment in time: fall 2013. First-year enrollment at Oglethorpe is more robust than ever, a clear sign that more young people are hearing about this liberal arts and sciences jewel in an international city. A glorious new campus center is open and bustling. The number of students living on campus is at record levels. A new paradigm for experiential learning, the A_LAB, is launched to enrich the Oglethorpe education. Something else is happening at this moment. A sense that Oglethorpe has turned the proverbial corner pervades. Plans to guide the university to the year 2020 render a picture that is equally expansive and sharp. “Oglethorpe’s direction is clear,” says President Lawrence Schall. “Our work is now centered on growing, rather than sustaining. Simply put, this is our time.” It’s in this context that Oglethorpe announces a comprehensive effort to build broader, deeper support for its future—a fundraising campaign themed “Our Time.”
FALL 2013 | CARILLON 5