Sanchez Offers University Challenge Grant to Double Gifts

Thanks to the vision of A.R. “Tony” and María J. Sánchez, Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) has been named the recipient of a new challenge grant targeting the College of Business Administration’s programs and faculty development.

The second $10 million dollar grant by Mr. and Mrs. A. R. “Tony” Sánchez Jr., this challenge grant makes possible an innovative opportunity that can “double” donations made to the University over $25,000.  For example, a $500,000 gift would become $1 million, a $1 million gift $2 million, etc.

This $10 million dollar grant is separate from The Sánchez Family Foundation’s recent announcement of a $10 million gift to the University’s College of Business Administration for its support, programming, activities and improvements.

TAMIU president Dr. Ray Keck said the challenge grant could be a catalyst for the University’s future advancement.

“The impact of this visionary challenge that The Sánchez Family Foundation’s makes possible is the acceleration of the University’s growth and its move to its next level of excellence. With like-minded partners powering this investment, the University’s greatness will be shared for generations to come,” Dr. Keck explained.

He said an investment in TAMIU is an investment in a brighter future for Laredo.

“This University is lighting the way to our community’s economic, intellectual and physical growth, and we’re poised to continue to illuminate a prosperous future and quality of life for South Texas through strategic program delivery, research and outreach.

“Enrollment at the University has grown 39% in the past five years. Degree growth has kept pace and the University is now home to 78 undergraduate, graduate or doctoral degrees, a 53% increase since 1999. Clearly, as the University grows, so does the community it proudly serves. As TAMIU moves forward to its next stage of quality development, it propels its hometown ahead to shared greatness,” he explained.

Keck said that while the University is aggressively assisted by the State of Texas and graciously supported by many private philanthropists, like The Sánchez FamilyFoundation, its growth underscores unfunded needs.

“Of an average $6,600 cost per student for a 15-hour load, some $3,900 is actually still subsidized by the State, a scenario that is unlikely to continue. To date, some $22.7 million in endowments at the University are dedicated to scholarships and 80 percent of students qualify for financial assistance.

Keck noted that the University’s impact is far-reaching.

“As Mr. Sánchez has noted, universities are proven catalysts for economic impact. TAMIU is no exception. We provide annual direct and indirect economic impacts in excess of $173 million. Our Laredo operations support more than 1000 full-time jobs distributed throughout Laredo. And, of course, for each 1000 students who graduate annually, some $36.3 million in new income is generated here. This December, 550 new graduates began to return their good fortune to this and other communities,” he said.

The Sánchez Family has played a pivotal role in the University’s development and underwritten a number of initiatives that have greatly improved the quality of life for numerous South Texas residents.

True to their commitment to investing in the future of Texas and effecting social change, the Sánchez Family has awarded 86 full-time students, many of them first-generation college attendees, with scholarship gifts providing books, fees, and tuition for TAMIU undergraduate program completion.  Known as the Sánchez Scholars, this select group is made up of four cohorts.

In addition, the Sánchez Family’s funding of TAMIU’s College of Business Administration’s Business Technology Center and Trade Room has enabled students’ access to the world of financial information in milliseconds, bringing business education to a new level at the University.  

This September the Sánchez Family Foundation dedicated the Value-Investing Trading Room and Technology Center in the Western Hemispheric Trade Center. It offers University students one of the best equity trade centers in the nation, featuring both Bloomberg and Reuters news feeds, and gives TAMIU students a robust ability to analyze public and private equity and debt for companies from issuers around the world.

The Foundation also supports the popular A. R. Sánchez Sr. Distinguished Lecture Series.  A tribute to the late A.R. Sánchez, who envisioned the Series providing local students with an opportunity to hear from the world’s best scholars on a variety of world issues, ranging from politics, world peace, and higher education, to homeland security, the Latino vote, women’s rights, space exploration, and free speech in time of war, the Series is now celebrating its 10th anniversary.

For additional information on the University’s challenge matching grant, contact the University’s Office for Institutional Advancement at 956.326.2175, visit offices in the Sue and Radcliffe Killam Library, room 261, click on tamiu.edu/adminis/vpia/aboutannualgiving or e-mail chein@tamiu.edu

Registration for Spring Semester 2008 is underway 24/7 at UOnline at schedule.tamiu.edu

Spring 2008 classes begin Monday, Jan. 14.

Journalists who need additional information or help with media requests and interviews should contact the Office of Public Relations, Marketing and Information Services at prmis@tamiu.edu