Second Century Campaign Funding Priorities

The history of collegiate journalism education began with Joseph Pulitzer’s visionary gift to Columbia in 1903, which led to the opening of Columbia’s Journalism School in 1912. Since then, many American universities have opened similar schools, but Columbia remains the school best known all over the world. Our charge: to lead the field of journalism education, help the profession meet its potential and maintain its standards as fully as possible.

The Journalism School has launched the most ambitious fundraising campaign in its history. Our goal is to raise $100 million for the purposes outlined below.

This is an extraordinary moment for the school, not just because of what we are doing internally, but because the profession that looks to us for leadership is facing so many challenges right now. Journalism is undergoing rapid, and often wrenching, changes in its economic model and in the technology for delivering news to readers and viewers. Journalism is proliferating all over the world, while the authority of each news organization is being aggressively challenged—often for good reason.

Our school is an international standard-setter. We remain committed to Joseph Pulitzer’s vision of producing educated, truthful, ethical journalists who are fearless and intellectually honest, and who bring to the public reporting, not propaganda. Journalism today needs the strongest possible protector of these principles, and we are grateful for our role in defending them.

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Financial Aid
$40,000,000 (endowment)

The cost for one year at the school has topped $60,000 (including living expenses in New York). Starting salaries are low (average $30,000) and recent alumni surveys show that many graduates leave the school with tremendous debt that affects their career decisions. In addition, many top applicants choose to attend other institutions or forgo graduate education altogether when faced with the financial hardships associated with attending Columbia — a decision that we feel will harm the profession in the long run.

Faculty
$20,000,000 (endowment)

Historically, schools of journalism tend to attract faculty members who are nearing retirement and who see teaching as the final step in their careers. It is our priority to shift this model by attracting new faculty members who are current leaders of the profession. Given the importance placed on recruiting such faculty, salaries are at a premium, and thus require increasing the number of endowed professorships. Priority subject areas for endowed faculty positions include arts and culture, broadcast, science and health journalism, and new media.

Professional Programs
$20,000,000 (current use)

The school is well known for its programs and awards that bridge the students and the industry. The Second Century Campaign will secure resources to continue these programs, as well as develop new ones aimed at meeting the challenges facing journalism today. Priority areas for funding include a new Center on Journalism, Race and Ethnicity; Columbia Journalism Review; Columbia Publishing Course; and the school's continuing education department.

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