| Since becoming president of Southern Methodist University in 1995, R. Gerald Turner has developed a long-term strategic plan, campus master plan, and the largest major gifts campaign in the history of SMU and for any institution in North Texas. Entering its third year in April 2000, The Campaign for SMU: A Time to Lead has generated more than $385 million in gifts and pledges toward its $400 million goal. The five-year campaign has raised funds for 51 new endowments for academic purposes, 92 scholarships, 10 new endowed faculty chairs or professorships, 16 new student life initiatives, and full or partial funding for 12 new or renovated buildings.
In addition, as part of President Turner's emphasis on community partnerships and outreach, SMU has opened off-campus centers in Richardson, San Antonio, Houston, and at SMU-in-Legacy in Plano, Texas, as well as in Oklahoma.
- Crisis: Inadequate supply of IT workers
- Source of problem
- SMU's partnership with Metroplex
- Expansion of engineering services at SMU
Beyond the campus, Gerald Turner serves on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, and on the boards of the United Way of Dallas, the Methodist Hospital Foundation, the Salvation Army of Dallas, and three publicly traded companies. A native of Texas, Gerald Turner earned a B.S. degree in psychology from Abilene Christian University and M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in psychology from the University of Texas at Austin. He and his wife, Gail, a native of Graham, Texas, have two daughters. Angela is a professional opera singer; Jessica earned a bachelor's degree in theatre arts in 1999 from SMU's Meadows School of the Arts and is now a graduate student at the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco.
Southern Methodist University is a private, comprehensive university of 10,000 students enrolled in six degree-granting schools. SMU offers undergraduate and graduate programs in the arts and sciences, business, engineering, and the performing, visual, and communication arts, as well as professional degree programs in law and theology. Founded in 1911 by what is now the United Methodist Church, SMU is nonsectarian in its teaching and committed to the values of academic freedom and open inquiry.
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