CHP looks beyond bricks, mortar buildingby Dick PetersonPublic Relations The College of Health Professions took the first step of a five-year journey to build “More than a building ... Building our College” on June 8. CHP Dean Danielle Ripich, Ph.D., announced the theme at the Tuesday kickoff to an internal capital campaign to raise $500,000 over the next five years. The internal campaign, with a goal to achieve 100 percent participation from the college’s faculty and employees, is preliminary to a $5 million, five-year campaign to solicit support from friends of the college in the community. “It’s important that we in the college demonstrate our solid support,” said internal campaign chair and CHP associate professor Elizabeth Ricciardone. “We want the community to realize that the faculty and employees of the college dedicated themselves to create program enhancements and a state-of-the-art facility that goes beyond the bricks and mortar of the CHP complex under construction on Rutledge Avenue.” That demonstration is vital to reaching the full $5 million over the next five years, Ricciardone said. Boosted by the pledge of an initial $50,000 gift from Dean Ripich, the college already has totaled $110,000 in pledges and gifts. Building on the construction under way at the site of the old High School of Charleston, the college would use the funds raised to include a greater College of Health Professions complex from both public and private sources. Plans for the college include renovation of the former High School of Charleston (now under way), construction of a new 40,000-square-foot adjacent building, the upgrade of the current building for use as research labs and wet space, strengthening of the college’s endowment, building scholarship funds, and creation of a world-class learning environment. Ricciardone touted the college’s “markers of excellence,” examples of exceptional progress made despite the physically disjointed condition of the school. “Our students had a 100 percent pass rate in five of our programs and received numerous awards and scholarships,” she said. “Our faculty received national recognition, and we’ve boosted the intellectual capital of the college by recruiting seven faculty with doctoral degrees and seven existing faculty are enrolled in doctoral level programs. “In research, we’re ranked 16th by NIH in funding among allied health schools and hope to be in the top 10 in the next rankings. Our research funding level has increased 20 percent from the previous year, bringing us to a total of $5.2 million. The American Society of Cytopathology named our Cytopathology Center for Quality Improvement one of four centers of excellence in the U.S. Our Doctor of Health Administration program ranks 9th by Modern Physician, and Master in Health Administration is Modern Healthcare’s 2003-2004 largest master’s program for health care administrators.” In addition, occupational therapy at the College of Health Professions
ranks 20th, physical therapy is in the nation’s top 20th percentile, and
physician assistant ranks in the top third, as does anesthesia for nurses.
After 22 years with the college, Ricciardone sees the capital campaign—CHP’s first— as an opportunity for people who really care about the college and future generations of health professionals. “Their gifts will have a profound impact on health care status in South Carolina and beyond,” she said. “There are relatively painless ways to give to the college,” Ricciardone said. “We have a 3 percent cost of living raise coming up. Why not designate 1 percent to the college over the next five years through the Yearly Employee Support (YES) campaign?” She cited, by example, senior faculty member K. Jackson Thomas, Ed.D., who used a $1,000 cash award he received to give back tenfold to his students in the form of a scholarship in honor of his parents. “I love teaching, and I know how difficult it is for students to afford the costs of school,” Thomas said. “The gratitude from students who have received the scholarship makes me feel like I’ve done something really important. I hope my gift will inspire others.” “Our staff decided to create and sell a cookbook featuring recipes from the CHP family and friends as an innovative way to benefit the school,” Ricciardone said. She expects to see recipes from some well-known people around MUSC and the Lowcountry community, and the cookbooks will arrive just in time for the holidays. Ricciardone urged faculty and employees at the College of Health Professions
to reflect on what the college has given them and what it may give them
in the future. “Reflect on what you may feel compelled to give back in
return – to your students, to your colleagues, and to those who will benefit
from your life’s work.”
Friday, June 18, 2004
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