More Than Just Money
Committed partners can be worth their weight in gold when an institution is trying to improve. Just ask Hampton University.
By Cheryl D. Fields
HAMPTON, Va.
Money is often viewed as the biggest obstacle to upgrading an institution’s campus and/or academic programs. In tight economic times, institutions often end up postponing, scaling back or even scuttling plans for growth. But, as at least one historically Black college can attest, sometimes the greatest asset an institution can have is an outside partner who is as committed to a project as campus leaders.
Hampton University’s experience in developing its new Scripps Howard School of Journalism and Communications is one such example. The $10 million facility and enhanced academic program are products of a unique partnership between the university and the Scripps Howard Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Cincinnati-based media company E.W. Scripps Co. The new school was born out of two visions that providentially converged at the right time.
