Prospective Students
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CAMPAIGN REACHES GOAL, EXTENDED THROUGH 2008GIVE TO THE CENTENNIAL CAMPAIGN FOR GGU |
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| THE FIRST CENTURY
From its Gold Rush roots, Golden Gate University was established in 1901 as a private, not-for-profit institution — a place where working adults could acquire and improve skills to advance their careers. Growing out of the night school of the San Francisco YMCA, GGU was, for much of the 20th century, the only choice in San Francisco for working men and women to prepare for and advance in their careers while shouldering work and family responsibilities.Many GGU students — people who might otherwise not have been able to obtain a higher education due to age, circumstances, or work or family commitments — became the first college graduates in their families. GGU has always offered its students the opportunity to transform themselves.Edward S. Ageno (BCS 38), for whom GGU's School of Business is named, was the son of poor Italian immigrants and launched an extraordinary entrepreneurial career out of the Great Depression; Rick Belluzzo (BS 75) rose from the fruit fields of Santa Rosa, Calif., to run some of the most impressive technology companies in the world, including Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft Corp. and Quantum Corp. GGU graduates parlay their strong work ethics into inspirational success stories — with the help of Golden Gate University.
THE FABRIC OF THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY
As they were a century ago, classes at Golden Gate are still taught largely by practicing professionals who are working experts in the fields and professions for which students prepare. Members of the local business and financial community have provided GGU with a continuous stream of teachers since our inception, giving a Golden Gate education its characteristically practical orientation and graduates a reputation for their ability to "hit the ground running."Throughout the years, many companies — including Bechtel, Chevron, Pacific Gas and Electric Co., Pacific Bell and Cisco Systems — have sent their employees to GGU to be trained and educated. GGU graduates have held leadership positions in companies such as Gap Inc., ChevronTexaco Corp., Macromedia, PricewaterhouseCoopers, the San Francisco 49ers, Franklin Templeton Investments, Microsoft Corp., Bank of America and CB Richard Ellis.Our trustees, the stewards of our public trust, include distinguished leaders from the business, legal and professional communities. Many of them are GGU alumni. As teachers and students, experts and advisers, the best and the brightest of the Bay Area business community take part in the Golden Gate experience.
GGU IN A CHANGING WORLD
Known for its particular brand of professional-practice adult higher education, Golden Gate first gained renown for quality programs in accounting, transportation, law, insurance and business management. GGU's courses of study have always been designed to meet the needs of adult students and, throughout the years, GGU has responded to the changing nature of the economy by putting forth up-to-date programs of study — from transportation in the 1950s to international business in the 1980s to our latest degree programs focused on the Internet economy.During its 106-year history, GGU has continually adapted to meet the changing needs of adult working students and the marketplace by offering timely programs of study in flexible formats and schedules. Things at GGU are still changing: In today's technology-rich environment, GGU offers entire degree programs online, and many courses are available in mixed-mode formats. Classes are available at sites throughout Northern California, after work, on weekends and in expedited timetables.What has not and will not change is our focus: We are a private, nonprofit, no-nonsense institution for working adults, delivering professional-practice expertise in business, law, tax and technology. We help students build successful careers and successful lives.
IMPROVING THE PRESENT, PLANNING THE FUTURE
Our commitment to professional-practice education in response to marketplace needs positions the university well in its second century. In order to keep pace with the dynamic needs of adult working students in the ever-changing 21st-century marketplace — and to realize its potential as the preferred provider of
professional-practice higher education in Northern California — Golden Gate must significantly increase its capacity in five areas: 1. Upgrade its learning environment by renovating classrooms and lecture halls. 2. Stay ahead of the technology curve, ensuring GGU is at the forefront of universities nationwide. 3. Increase scholarship assistance to support students. 4. Provide teaching-and-learning resources to deliver the highest possible level of professional-practice education, as required by the business community. 5. Grow the university endowment to secure GGU's future.To meet these critical objectives, the university is turning to alumni, friends, parents, and private foundations and corporations for support. The goal of our comprehensive, university-wide campaign is to raise $35 million in private philanthropic support. A VISION FOR THE NEXT CENTURY For more than a century, Golden Gate University has provided a quality professional-practice adult-learning experience in Northern California. A cornerstone of the San Francisco business community since its birth out of the YMCA in the 19th century, GGU takes its unique role in the fabric of the city very seriously. For many, GGU was the place that changed their lives and allowed them to pursue rewarding and successful careers.Our commitment to providing exceptional, accessible education for adults — regardless of their social, economic or ethnic backgrounds — makes us distinctive from the many for-profit continuing-education programs that have come into existence during the past decade. GGU is a private, nonprofit institution entirely dependent on its own resources. We still proudly offer our unique mix of professional-practice expertise delivered primarily by practicing professionals to adult learners.To continue to deliver on our heritage and our promise, we must invest in our future. We were pioneers in educating working adults for professions in business, law, tax and technology; with the help of alumni and friends, we will continue to be leaders throughout the 21st century. GIVE TO THE CENTENNIAL CAMPAIGN FOR GGU |
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