Suffolk has unquestionably come into its own. Yet we are also confronting significant challenges. Unlike many of our peers, for instance, Suffolk remains painfully dependent on tuition and sharply underendowed, putting us uncomfortably at the mercy of demographic trends and limiting our ability to invest decisively in new needs and opportunities:

The Campaign for Suffolk will begin to build for Suffolk the kind of endowment a university of our size and ambition truly requires—and one in keeping with our national reputation. For academic quality, Suffolk ranks among the best American universities. Yet in terms of endowment, of the nation’s top 500 schools we stand in the bottom quartile.

Why is endowment so important? Because as a permanent source of investment income, a more substantial endowment would give us the financial power and foundation to meet new strategic needs, invest in new research and ideas, and offer more assistance to young people. It would give us the power to be a truly modern university—without imposing the financial burden on our students.