The Rocket

Issue date: 9/14/07 Section: News

Media Credit: Steve Reed Vice President for University Advancement Barbara Ender merged the offices of University Advancement and the Alumni Assocation to bring more focus to the common goal of increasing alumni involvement in new SRU activities. [Click to enlarge]

There have been many new faces that have taken over the campus in the past weeks.

One of them belongs to new Vice President for University Advancement Barbara Ender.

She recently started her new position at SRU in the beginning of July, coming directly from Morehead State University in Kentucky to help raise private donations for the university and raise the amount of participating alumni.

Even in Ender's short time at SRU, she has already made a big difference in her field of university advancement.

She has merged the office of University Advancement with the Alumni Association, which had previously been affiliated with Academic Affairs.

"The merger is a natural blending of two groups working towards a common goal," she said.

Along with this merger, she said she can accomplish a great deal with the SRU alumni by raising awareness of the importance of donations to the university.

SRU gives approximately $1.7 million back to the students in scholarships.

"I am trying to change the culture of giving back to the university, by raising the amount of donations," Ender said.

"Many students are first-generation students and should be educated on the benefits of private donations."

In charge of hiring Ender was SRU President Robert Smith, who, along with a search committee, chose Ender because of her extensive work at previous universities, including Morehead State and Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

"I have studied at many different schools, including West Virginia University, the University of Akron, Georgia State University, and have even attended educational programs at Harvard," Ender said.

Ender spent 12 years working in the field first at Indiana University of Pennsylvania as the executive director of the Foundations for the University.

After Ender was done at IUP, she moved to Morehead, where she was the CEO of the Morehead University Foundation.

During Ender's seven-year term at Morehead, the foundations assets went from $15 million to $30 million.

"I do a lot of gathering information and data," she said.

"I also spend many hours meeting with other university officials and alumni, collecting information on fundraisers and donation ideas."

Ender feels that the university will further itself by conducting more plans and meetings regarding alumni and donations.

"I hardly have time to relax," she said. "I really do also hope to get out of the office more."

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