THE MICHIGAN DAILY
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12.1961
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INFORMATION, LECTURES:
Office Coordinates
Religious Affairs
Development Council Raises
Funds for 'U' Activities
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By RUTH EVENHUIS
The Office of Religious Affairs
coordinates the activities of 25
religious faiths and denominations
on campus.
Both Eastern and Western faiths
have religious facilities at the
University. In addition to the bet-
ter-known Protestant denomina-
tions, the Catholic Church and
the Judaic organizations, Baha'i,
Islam, Mennonite and Friends re-
ligious organizations are repre-
sented.
The office services to students
include information about reli-
gious groups and activities and
assistance in finding church affilia-
tion, lecture and seminars, week-
end conferences and workshops,
program ideas, personnel counsel-
ing, a library and meditation
room.
Lecture Series.
Its program of the office includes
a lecture series which last year
brought such speakers as theolo-
gian Paul Tillich to campus. This
year's series has not yet been
planned.
The office also sponsors an orien-
tation program for freshmen
called "Freshman Rendezvous."
This program reaches about 15 per
cent of the incoming freshman
class. It is divided into four sec-
tions meeting at two different
dates. The program is designed to
give students an opportunity to
meet upperclassmen, administra-
tors, deans and faculty members
in informal discussion.
A version of "Freshman Ren-
dezvous" has been on campus since
1925. Originally under the aus-
pices of the YMCA, it has been
conducted more recently by the
Office of Religious Affairs which
has undertaken a great deal of the
work originally done by the YMCA.
Historical Foundations
Assistant coordinator of the of-
fice, C. Grey Austin, commented
favorably on the religious facilities
on the University campus. He said
that some of the student founda-
tions here were among the first
established by their respective
churches.
He noted that most of the stu-
dent religious organizations here
are supported almost entirely by.
their denominations. Many of
these churches, he said, "send
their most capable people" and
have "elaborate setups."
Austin also said that the Uni-
versity is something of a pioneer
in inter-faith cooperation. Various
groups work together through the
office. The religious counselors of
the various organizations meet
regularly as does the Council of
Student Religious Organizations.
The office's purposes are: "1) to
provide opportunities for growth
and understanding within one's
own faith, in order that one may
apply his intellectual and techni-
cal skills with mature and respon-
sible judgment, and 2) to provide
opportunities for understanding
the faiths of others and for work-
ing with those of other faiths in
order that one may be prepared
to live effectively in a multi-faith
world."
By RALPH KAPLAN
The Development Council, the
University's official fund - raising
agency, began in 1953 as an out-
growth of the 1948-52 Phoenix
Project drive.
The success of this drive, which
raised enough funds to enable the
Phoenix Project to begin its
atoms - for - peace research pro-
gram, convinced the' University
that a continuous fund-raising ac-
tivity was desirable. "It became
apparent to the administration
that there was a need for a per-
manent organization which would
direct appeals to private philan-
thropic sources, Richard B. Ken-
nedy, council field representative,
said.
Increasing Success
Since 1953, when the council
raised $106,000 from alumni con-
tributions, its success has in-
creased considerably. The most re-
cent fiscal report available shows
gift income of $1.5 million-a
combination of funds from alumni,
corporations, foundations, special
grants and bequests.
Since 1953, the council has been
involved in raising money for such
projects as the Phoenix Memorial
continuation drive, the projected
Institute for Social Research Bldg.
and the Pharmacy Research Bldg.
The 1953 funds all came from
alumni, who still constitute the
major source of contributions. The
Alumni Fund is a separate division
of the council and is concerned
entirely with alumni contributions,
which last year totaled approxi-
mately $400,000.
Public Relations
Related to alumni gifts are the
council's efforts to convince stu-
dents of the value of the council's
activities. "The best possible op-
portunity for communicating the
importance of alumni responsibil-
ity is when the students are on
campus," Kennedy explained.
For this reason, a student rela-
tions committee was formed as a
council division. This committee
planned a concert by singer Ray
Charles to raise money for scholar-
ships, but the performer did not.
appear due to scheduling mixups.
"The concert's failure to show
a profit was no fault of the coun-
cil," Kennedy commented. "The
activity was approved by the coun-
cil's board of directors and similar
activities will be instituted in the
next few years." He mentioned a
special "alumni day" as a possi-
bility.
Corporate Support
In addition to its Alumni Fund
activities, the council seeks 'sup-
port from foundations and cor-
porations. "Coordination of Uni-
versity fund-raising activities as
a valuable council service in this
area," Kennedy said. He explained
that when foundations, for in-
stance, receive several uncoordi-
nated requests for support, the
University may be denied all re-
quests.
"This function of coordinating
fund-raising appeals is becoming
increasingly apparent to Univer-
sity departments, since many de-
partments want the council to
assume responsibility for fund-
raising, leaving the department
free to perforra its functions of
education and research."
No Annual Goals
The council, with the exception
of its Alumni Fund, sets no annual
goals in its fund-raising activities.
"Therefore out fund - raising is
based on assessment of specific
University needs, rather than on
a specific sum," Kennedy said.
Funds raised by the council
supported the recent Phoenix Pro-
ject continuation drive which will
enable' the project to continue its
important research in the nuclear
energy field." The council also
raised part of the money for the
recent Pharmacy Research Bldg.
and a human genetics research
project.
Support for a new building to
house the Institute of Social Re-
search and a visiting professorship
program are some of the more re-
cent council projects. The visiting
professorship program will begin
this fall with Sir Charles P. Snow,
British physicist and novelist, on
campus.
Faculty Award
,A faculty awards program and a
President's Fund are also council
projects. The faculty awards-10
annually - are for distinguished
teaching and research, totaling
$1,000 each for professors and
$500 each for junior faculty.
The President's Fund, at the
personal disposal of 'University
President Harlan Hatcher, is de-
signed for special occasions when
immediate funds are needed. The
fund has been used to purchase
the Stelfelt Collection of Musicol-
ogy and supplemented construc-
tion funds for the University Press
Building.
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