Davies' family donates $120 Gs to EOU Foundation
President Davies: "I want the students to know I have skin in the game."
Lesa Jones
Voice Staff Writer
Posted 10/15/2009
Leading by example is more than just a cliche to Eastern Oregon University President Bob Davies and his family. After being in La Grande for less than three months, President Davies, his wife Cindy and their 8-year-old daughter Katie decided to donate $120,000 to the EOU Foundation. "We discussed it before we moved here," Cindy Davies said. "Students are our priority and we have always donated to higher education because we believe it is so important."
To the students of Eastern, President Davies hopes that his family's gift will convey the message that he and his family are personally committed to EOU's long-term success.
"I want the students to know that I have skin in the game. My wife and I are personally invested in your success. We hope that you will all go out and make us proud. We believe in this institution and its students," Davies said. 'As a university, we are funded by the state, by tuition and by donor gifts. It's the donor gifts that allow higher education to work."
Their gift is being designated to be used in four specific areas. The first designation is for scholarships for students who exhibit strong character in the classroom and in the community.
President Davies said that the retention of students is crucial to the success of the university and its students. He said there are generally more scholarships available for freshmen than for sophomores, juniors and seniors. Through this gift, additional monies will be available to keep good students at Eastern.
Further, Davies believe that to have good students, a university needs to have a great faculty. "A great university is made up of great students, a great faculty, alumni and staff. Their contributions are something we need to support," he said.
That is why they are designating a portion of their donation to go to a faculty enhancement fund. This fund will assist the instructors in getting the additional tools they need to be successful in the classroom. It will provide assistance to help the faculty further themselves professionally by attending conferences in their areas of expertise and much more.
They have also allotted funds for a student affairs/club success fund. These funds will be set aside for athletic scholarships and clubs who succeed to be able to advance to their competitions.
The fourth designation is for the EOU Alumni Association. Through the Alumni Association, President Davies says they hope to aggressively campaign to reach the alumni. "I want the alumni to know that we are here for the long term. Our commitment here goes way beyond signing the contract. EOU is on the move and we're excited about it," Davies said.
To the people of Union County, President Davies says he's not afraid to get into the trenches and see this university become an even greater success by setting a standard of excellence. "You can lead by asking others to get involved and you can lead by doing. I lead by doing. And like I said, I've got skin in the game."
