For the past 50 years, the RSU Foundation has served as the fundraising branch of Rogers State University, facilitating connections between students and philanthropic-minded donors, impacting generations through their contributions to scholarships and university programs.
This summer, the Foundation’s five decades of difference-making will be commemorated at an anniversary dinner to celebrate “50 Years of Changing Lives.” The event will take place the evening of Saturday, Aug. 19, in the Dr. Carolyn Taylor Center on the RSU Claremore campus. Ticket information and sponsorship opportunities will be announced soon.
“The Foundation was established in 1973 under (then-university president) Dr. Richard Mosier as part of the Claremore Junior College Foundation,” said Steve Valencia, vice president for development. “From the beginning to the present, the Foundation’s members have been steadfast in their mission to positively impact the lives of RSU students, to create educational opportunities for them through scholarships and other programs designed to advance the pursuit of knowledge.”
Although the Foundation’s scope has broadened since its inception, its primary focus remains helping university students achieve their dreams of earning an education.
“The Foundation has been responsible for various aspects of the university’s facilities,” Valencia said. “We had private support in the building of Chapman Dining Hall. There was private support in construction of the Dr. Carolyn Taylor Center, and there have been various renovations, like the Podpechan Family Auditorium, among others, so the Foundation has played a lot of different roles over the years, but always for the benefit of the students and their education.”
The decades-long partnership between the university and the Foundation, and their mutual goal of impacting future generations of young people through education will be recognized at the upcoming dinner.
“We’ll be inviting all our former and present board members, along with many of our donors to a dinner to celebrate the Foundation’s success,” he said. “This will be an opportunity for everyone who has had a role in the Foundation to reconnect, and we’ll be honoring some of the groups of individuals who have played a key role in the Foundation and its success.
“When I say the ‘Foundation’, I’m talking about the people who support us – our donors – they are the Foundation, and without them, we wouldn’t be able to do the work we do,” he said. “Our donors have been tremendously generous to this institution and to our students.”
The month following the dinner, the Foundation will host an enhanced “Giving Week” in September, with expanded opportunities for alumni and supporters to contribute to a wide range of projects and initiatives on campus as part of the Foundation’s 50th anniversary celebration.
“We’ll be working with the academic departments to address some critical needs which we’ll try to fund during Giving Week,” he said. “Our goal is to have a record-setting week, and we’re hopeful that, by having a wide range of giving opportunities, we’ll attract a large number of donors.”
As to the future of the Foundation, Valencia said he’s confident it will continue to do the work for which it’s known: supporting higher education through creating educational opportunities for students.
“There are a lot of great things happening at RSU and we’re doing a better job of sharing our story,” he said. “Our engagement of alumni has improved and the RSU brand is growing in Tulsa and the suburbs. As we continue to tell the story, more individuals, companies, and Foundations will have a compelling reason to support the mission of RSU and the Foundation. The impact of our graduates upon Green Country and Oklahoma is going to grow exponentially.”
The “50 Years of Changing Lives” Foundation dinner will be held the evening of Saturday, Aug. 19, in the Dr. Carolyn Taylor Center on the RSU Claremore campus.
To make a tax-deductible donation to the RSU Foundation or for more information, call 918-343-8357 or visit www.rsu.edu/foundation.