Nearly 200 members of Pratt’s faculty and staff participated in the Institute’s first Faculty/ Staff Fundraising Campaign, which kicked off in January. Donors to the campaign were invited to direct their gifts to the fund of their choice. Co-chaired by Anita Cooney, chair of the Interior Design Department; Chris Shrum, assistant professor of Arts and Cultural Management; and Bill Swan, director of undergraduate admissions, the Faculty/Staff Campaign committee included volunteers representing academic and administrative units throughout the Pratt community including each of the four schools as well as Student Activities, Finance and Administration, the Center for Career & Professional Development, and the Registrar’s Office.
While faculty and staff have supported the Institute in previous years, the newly implemented volunteer effort was instrumental in increasing participation over fiscal year 2011-2012 when 103 faculty and staff members contributed a total of $72,439. As committee member Vinette Thomas, assistant to the dean of the School of Information and Library Science, says, “Everyone giving demonstrates to others that we believe in the future of the Institute. I have been at Pratt a long time. It was time to help.”