York College of Pennsylvania Celebrates Early Success of Evolve and Increases Campaign Goal

 Evolve: The Campaign for York College

York College of Pennsylvania celebrated the early success of the EVOLVE campaign, the College’s first comprehensive campaign in its over 200-year history, at an event in October, but as Campaign Co-Chair Tony Campisi ’76 explained, there is still more work to be done to support Spartan students. 

“One year ago, during a worldwide pandemic, York College launched the EVOLVE campaign to transform the YCP experience with a $55 million goal,” Campisi said.  “As of this past October, the EVOLVE campaign has raised over $65 million toward that goal. This is tremendous and a testament to the trust our donors and our community have in York College of Pennsylvania.  

“Yes, we have already had a tremendous effect on our York College. Yes, tonight we celebrate. Yes, there is still need, and for this reason, we are announcing a new goal of $70 million in support of York College.” 

Pledges and gifts made through the EVOLVE campaign support the College in many ways, but all contribute to meeting the goals of the current strategic plan.  College President Pamela Gunter-Smith shared the effect the campaign is having on the campus and how the campaign will continue to make York College distinctive in the future. “We appreciate the support of our alumni and our friends,” she said. “They see the mission and vision of the College, and they want to support our students and our faculty. Their investment makes us better; a better institute of higher learning for our students, and a better partner with our community. It is my sincere privilege to thank every donor who invested in EVOLVE: The Campaign for York College.”

Sophie Barnes, Student Senate president and a senior Literary and Textual Studies major, has seen the direct effect of the campaign on the College, on its students, and on her studies. “With the support of donors, including many of my fellow students, we have had a positive effect on the College and my future alma mater. The lessons of the pandemic taught me that it takes a community working together to get through tough times. And, while the effects of the EVOLVE campaign will last much longer than my time on campus, I will continue to be a proud alumna and ask that my fellow students give back to a place that gave us so much.” 

The success of the EVOLVE campaign has been incredible and is a testament to the confidence the community has in York College of Pennsylvania, according to Vice President of Development Troy Miller. “And while the $65 million raised is more than double the amount ever raised for a York College campaign, the important outcome is not how much has been raised but rather how the campaign has and will continue to transform the College.”

Still, not every priority has been funded, according to Miller.

Spartan Commons, the new gateway to learning and a centrally located institutional destination for student-centered engagement, is not yet fully funded. 

The Knowledge Park, the new experiential learning laboratory where YCP students can connect with local industry, is not yet fully funded. 

And, while over $17 million has already been raised for student scholarships, the gap between what a student can afford and what financial aid can provide is not yet fully funded. 

This is the reason for the increased EVOLVE campaign goal, which will encourage alumni and friends of the College to join those who have made gifts to reach this new level of support. 

Campaign Co-chair Bill Shipley and his family support EVOLVE: The Campaign for York College in honor of his late father. “My father was, among many other wonderful things, an accomplished Dixieland jazz drummer,” he said. “Music was a source of joy for him. He passed after 15 years of progressive dementia. During that time he gradually declined and at the end, lost the ability to speak or move – except when he heard music. He would tap his foot and smile. Music always had the ability to reach him. That was the inspiration for our family and his friends to create the William Stewart Shipley II Fund for Music at York College of Pennsylvania in his memory.”