Buoyed by the largest single gift in its history, donors to the Rogers State University Foundation provided a record $5,584,090 in gifts in fiscal year 2024, according to preliminary figures. Final audited totals will be approved by the Foundation’s Board of Directors in September.
“It was an amazing year for the Foundation, which translates into more private support for RSU and its students,” said Nick Harris, board chair. “The strong belief of our donors, coupled with the work of our development and alumni staffs, has provided the Foundation with the flexibility to provide a wider scope of support for scholarships, program support and capital projects.
“I am privileged to be a part of a talented and dedicated group of individuals who serve on the Board of Directors and provide the leadership necessary to help RSU be the best it can be,” added Harris.
The Foundation received 1,605 contributions from 548 individual donors, including 259 first-time donors, and provided more than $1.9 million in scholarship and program support to RSU students, faculty and programs.
In May, the Cherokee Nation contributed $4 million to support the construction of the Center for Science and Technology. The gift was the largest in Foundation history.
“Our alumni and friends believe in the mission of Rogers State, and we are grateful for that support,” said Dr. Mark Rasor, interim president of RSU. “Each year RSU confers degrees on approximately 700 students, and almost all of them were impacted by gifts given to the Foundation.
“Most of those graduates stay close to home to work and live,” said Rasor. “When you invest in RSU, you invest in the future of our communities.”
Going forward, the Foundation will play a key role in securing final funding for the Center for Science and Technology (CST), a new $30 million facility that will become the home of many RSU programs in science, technology, and engineering.
“The CST is a game-changer for RSU and the economy of this region as it will allow us to recruit, retain and graduate more students to work in many of Oklahoma’s most critical occupations,” said Steve Valencia, vice president for development. “We want students to be able to study close to home and eventually work in the jobs of today and tomorrow. Construction of the CST will allow us to offer these academic programs and make RSU a first-choice university for higher education.
“We are about 90 percent to the finish line in funding for the CST, but we will need help from our alumni and friends to get there.”
For more information on giving to the RSU Foundation, contact Valencia at (918) 343-7780 or at [email protected].