Southeastern NEWS
                    Southeastern Louisiana University
                    Public Information Office
                    SLU 10880, Hammond, LA 70402
                    504-549-2341/fax 504-549-2061
                    
   Date:  3/1/02
      Contact:      Rene Abadie     (1)

SOUTHEASTERN UPDATES BOARD ON ATHLETIC FUND RAISING CAMPAIGN,
OTHER PROJECTS

     BATON ROUGE - Southeastern Louisiana University's athletic fund raising campaign is
nearing its $5 million goal and the university should meet or exceed that level, Southeastern
officials told the University of Louisiana System Board of Supervisors Friday (March 1).
     In an update report requested by the board, Southeastern President Randy Moffett said
$4,715,000 has been raised in the campaign, which was launched last year with the intent of
improving athletic facilities, addressing gender equity issues, and re-instating the football
program that had been discontinued in 1985.
     The report followed a series of meetings held in late February with the Southeastern
Football Players Association, the university's Faculty Senate Executive Committee, the Athletic
Council and area high school coaches.
     "We believe we will be successful in reaching or exceeding the $5 million goal in the
very near future," Moffett said. "This will allow us to move forward with our plans to launch a
new football program in the 2003 season without the use of any state funds."
     He added that the Athletic Department has started building a preliminary schedule of
opponents, that a season ticket campaign will soon be announced, and that preliminary efforts
have been initiated to profile the kind of coach the university would seek.
     "Most of the money raised in this campaign has come from new donors. These are
individuals who would not otherwise have contributed to the university," Moffett said. "This was
part of our pledge that we would not dilute our efforts to raise funds for academic and cultural
purposes."
     He informed the board that the university's recent general fund raising efforts have also
been successful, resulting in more than $600,000 in contributions for the newly-opened
Columbia Theatre for the Performing Arts in downtown Hammond, and approximately $500,000
in new money for academic scholarships. 
     At the meeting, the board approved the university's request to establish four new
endowed professorships and a request to name the new student activity center the "Claude B.
Pennington, Jr. Student Activity Center" in honor of contributions made to the university by the
Irene W. and C.B. Pennington Foundation. The new facility will be dedicated this Wednesday
(March 6) at 2 p.m. 
-SLU-