Dear College of Fine Arts Faculty and Staff,

Last week, the university officially launched the public phase of a comprehensive fundraising initiative, the “What Starts Here” capital campaign. This campaign will run through Aug. 31, 2026 with a goal of raising $6 billion for the university.

The College of Fine Arts is working to raise $150 million during the campaign, and to date, we’ve already realized more than $113 million in new gifts since the “silent phase” of this campaign launched in 2016. These donations from alumni, friends, faculty and staff, along with funding from foundations and corporations, will help our college build resources to further our academic mission and increase our endowments. As part of our college’s overall fundraising goal, we have a student support goal of $50 million, and we have already raised more than $41 million toward that goal.

We’ve worked closely with your leadership to identify our areas of highest need, and the college’s fundraising priorities for the campaign include:

Our college’s initiatives align with the UT-wide campaign priorities as articulated by UT President Jay Hartzell that include: unlocking student potential, recruiting and retaining world-class faculty, transforming health and care and creating a vibrant future for Texas and beyond.

The college’s Development Office, headed by Executive Director and Assistant Dean of Development Sondra Lomax, is leading the college’s campaign efforts and working closely with me, college and department leadership and the college’s team of development professionals. As in past UT capital campaigns, all colleges work in tandem with the University Development Office, which offers additional resources such as front-line fundraisers, research assistance and marketing materials.

What does the campaign mean for the College of Fine Arts? Any highly publicized fundraising campaign offers a boost in much needed support for our students, faculty, programs and facilities. Our college has a strong record of success in recent capital campaigns. In the 1998–2004 “We’re Texas” campaign our college raised $104 million (began with a $80 million goal) and in the 2008–2014 “Campaign for Texas,” we surpassed our $100 million goal and raised $118 million. We are confident that our college will be equally successful in the current “What Starts Here” campaign.

What starts here in the College of Fine Arts does indeed change the world, and I am gratified to be part of this community and to have an up-close look of the incredible impact of the work of our faculty, students and staff.

Sincerely,