Mackenzee Simms / Contributing Writer
As the days get cooler, more and more Samford students can be found stretching blankets out on the plush green grass of the Quad, taking advantage of the mild temperature to get some fresh air and to enjoy the campus scenery.
Whether you’re looking for a serene spot to study, or a scenic place to spend time between classes, Samford’s gorgeous campus has something to offer everyone. Unfortunately, maintaining a school like Samford isn’t cheap.
Featuring more than 60 buildings on a campus spanning over 247 acres, Samford University runs an operation cost of more than $165 million per year, and only 70% of that amount is covered by student tuition and fees.
Samford relies on donations to close the remaining $49.5 million gap. One of the primary funds that supports the maintenance of Samford’s campus by offsetting operating costs is A Solid Foundation. A Solid Foundation is a subsection of the larger donation initiative For-
ever Samford.
Announced on Nov. 11, 2016, “Forever Samford” is the most ambitious fundraising campaign in Samford’s history with a goal of $300 million.
With 13,000 donors, Forever Samford exceeded the halfway point of its goal in 2018.
According to the most recent report, A Solid Foundation received the second largest amount of total donations with a total of $28.2 million with the largest amount of $93.6 million going to scholarships.
Ranking just beneath A Solid Foundation, Academic Programs raised $24.1 million. Places and Spaces, a fund focusing on building renovations, received the smallest number of total donations at $7 million.
In the Forever Samford Campaign Report, Samford University President Andrew Westmoreland aims to focus on planting trees throughout campus to replace ones that have recently been cut down.
“I often say that we sit in the shade of trees we did not plant. As we move forward to meet and exceed our $300 million goal, we are reminded that Forever Samford is our opportunity to provide shade for current and future generations of students, alumni and employees, and for the local and global communities we serve,” Westmoreland wrote.
