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emerging as one of the most reputable Liberal Arts colleges in the nation,
Christendom College has found the need to venture into unknown waters
by setting sail on its first-ever Capital Campaign, with American war-hero
and former Alabama senator, Admiral Jeremiah A. Denton, at the helm as
Honorary Chair of The Campaign for Christendom.
With a destination of $12 million mapped out, Christendom College recently
received an anonymous gift of $5 million to put some wind in its sails
and help begin this exciting journey. Members of the faculty, staff, student
body, and Board of Directors joined Admiral Denton and Christendom supporters
at the Union League Club in New York earlier this year to rally support
for this new initiative. The Union League Club dinner was one of many
such gatherings planned throughout the country in an effort to raise awareness
for The Campaign for Christendom. Mrs. Mary Ellen Bork, wife of Judge
Robert P. Bork, hosted a reception and dinner for Christendom College
at her residence in McLean, Virginia. Other receptions were scheduled
at the residences of former U.S. General and Ambassador, Vernon A. Walters,
and former baseball commissioner, Bowie Kuhn, with even more planned for
the future.
According to Christendom College President, Dr. Timothy T. O'Donnell,
"We are extremely delighted at the benevolence of this anonymous donor.
Apparently, this individual found out about Christendom College by watching
the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN) and viewing a series of programs
in which I had participated. In the business of private higher education,
one can never be certain about when donations will arrive, but I am truly
happy that this $5 million donor came forward at this time to get our
Capital Campaign off on the right foot."
From its founding in 1977 with twenty-six students, five faculty members,
borrowed facilities, and a mere $50,000 in the bank, Christendom College
has grown rapidly and is now a permanent, solid college with undergraduate
and graduate programs enrolling 450 students who come from 43 states and
4 foreign countries. It maintains two campuses, manages a modest endowment
of nearly $5 million, and enjoys an admirable reputation for academic
excellence and fiscal management. In fact, Christendom's assets total
$16.5 million, with only a $1.1 million debt. According to the College's
auditors, Christendom applies 89% of available funds to College programs,
2% to administration, and 9% to fundraising. In this regard, Christendom
is superior to all other Virginia colleges, both public and private. Such
progress is even more notable in light of Christendom's historic decision
to neither seek, nor accept, Federal financial subsidies.
Due to the rapid growth rate, the College's administration has found it
necessary to find new ways of generating needed funds. The Campaign for
Christendom – Advancing Catholic Higher Education is the plan. The
funds generated by this campaign will be used to construct a much needed
library, increase residential capacity, add classroom space to the existing
academic center, help provide for a new graduate school campus, and grow
the endowment fund.
Vice President of Development, Planning, and College Relations, John Ciskanik
says, "The whole Christendom College community is excited about this new
venture. After years of study and preparation, we now believe that the
only way to continue moving in the right direction is to launch this Capital
Campaign. A comprehensive feasibility study, conducted last spring, determined
that we have sufficient support among our friends and benefactors in order
to launch a plan to meet the demands of eight years of rapid growth at
Christendom. With the arrival of this $5 million gift, I now know that
our determinations were correct!"
This rapid growth can be attributed to the growing reputation of the College
throughout the nation. In fact, Christendom's achievements were recently
noted in U.S. News & World Report by being ranked as first among all
national Liberal Arts colleges in America in the category of "least debt
incurred by its graduates." In addition, Christendom was acknowledged
by The Princeton Review in the 2001 edition of Time magazine's "The Best
College For You" issue. Christendom has been the topic of many news stories
and magazine articles in recent months, thus again, demonstrating that
the College is gaining the academic recognition it rightly deserves.
Located on over 100 acres on the outskirts of the historic town of Front
Royal, Christendom College offers a unique educational opportunity. "At
a time when much of university education over-emphasizes job training
and classes are frequently taught in large auditoriums, Christendom College
provides its students with a well-rounded education in a personal environment.
Students are immersed in a carefully structured curriculum of liberal
arts disciplines. Our graduates are able to read critically, to think
logically, and to express themselves clearly – skills necessary for
any profession," says Paul Heisler, Director of Admissions.
Contained in The Campaign for Christendom plan is the goal of finding
a more suitable campus for the Alexandria, Virginia based Notre Dame Graduate
School of Christendom College. Christendom's graduate school (NDGS), under
the supervision and direction of Graduate School Dean, Reverend William
Saunders, has also been growing steadily over the past five years. "The
demands and quality of our program are well recognized throughout the
country, as evidenced by the ever growing demand for our graduates in
the field of Religious Education," says Saunders. "We provide a much needed
program of Catholic graduate education in this area. We have recently
been attracting many graduates of other Catholic colleges and universities
who wish to further their education. According to many of these students,
the NDGS program is one that offers truly Catholic theological study,
in a competitive and challenging environment."
Since receiving the anonymous $5 million gift in January, the College
has received a number of other gifts totaling $3.5 million, making $8.5
million raised to date. Now, with an $8.5 million head start, Christendom
College has an excellent chance of reaching the $12 million mark, enabling
it to continue offering the highest quality Liberal Arts education to
an ever increasing number of college-bound men and women.
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