The Advancement Office seeks to forward the mission, vision,
goals and objectives of Central Ohio Technical College.
We coordinate, manage and implement fundraising efforts from
public and private sources to make scholarships available and
advance key programmatic initiatives; work with the campus
community to determine institutional fundraising goals; and
develop partnerships with community stakeholders to implement
state-of-the-art programming that will meet the workforce needs
of central Ohio.
Our donors have a tremendous impact on the quality of our
programs, teaching and facilities. The campus has a history of
community and alumni support, which has been a great factor in
its growth and development.
Our students are our greatest asset, and your gifts enable the
campus to improve the quality of our student’s
experience, enriching their lives through education. Thank
you for your present and/or future support.
A History of Giving
- In 1966, the Newark community embarked on a fundraising
campaign to establish a permanent state-owned building for The
Ohio State University’s Newark branch that would make available
both day and evening classes for local students. More than 7,000
Licking County contributors pledged funds in excess of $1
million, far exceeding the local campaign goal of $625,000.
Founders Hall was constructed as the first building on the Newark
campus, and Central Ohio Technical College joined the campus as a
co-located partner in 1971.
- In the early 1980s, several Newark community members
spearheaded a $2.5 million fundraising drive and founded the
Newark Campus Development Fund (NCDF), a permanent,
locally-controlled endowment to support COTC and Ohio State
Newark. Because of extraordinarily generous donors, NCDF has
been able to award millions of dollars in scholarships, grants,
technology upgrades, and capital improvements to both COTC and
Ohio State Newark.
- In the late 1990s, more than $10 million was raised as part
of the “Our Campus for Tomorrow Campaign” to fund a new
technology center on the Newark campus. The John Gilbert
Reese Center opened in 2003 and today stands as one of the most
technologically advanced teaching and learning facilities in the
region.
- In 2010, J. Gilbert and Louella H. Reese established the
first international cultural exchange program for COTC, giving
students the opportunity to directly experience Italian life,
language, and culture during a biannual trip to Reggello,
Italy. Through the Reese’s generosity, the Italian Immersion
Program allows for alternating exchanges of COTC students
traveling to Italy and Italian students traveling to Licking
County.
- Also in 2010, Mr. and Mrs. Reese called the Newark and
surrounding communities to action with a $10 million “Next
Generation Challenge” to support the growth of endowed
scholarships for students attending COTC and Ohio State Newark.
The campaign achieved profound success through a tremendous
outpouring of community generosity, surpassing the $20 million
goal by nearly $1 million and making it the most successful
fundraising effort in the history of the Newark campus.
- In 2018, COTC created The 1971 Legacy Society to recognize
alumni, faculty, staff, retirees and other friends who have named
the college as the beneficiary of a planned gift. Through
charitable bequests, retirement plan assets, and life insurance
policies, planned giving donors have the opportunity to impact
the colleges for generations to come and establish a legacy that
will last an eternity.
- The John and Mary Alford Center for Science and Technology,
completed in 2021, occupies the southwest region of the campus’s
academic core. The three-story, 60,000-square-foot building
houses classrooms, science labs, research labs, student study
areas, conference rooms and faculty offices to address both
institutions’ growing need for additional laboratory, research,
technology and student-centered space. Although COTC and Ohio
State Newark will share all general classrooms, smart labs and
common areas, each institution has its own dedicated space within
the building. The Alford Center is a long-term investment in our
region’s economy and will strengthen campus connections and
collaborations with local business and industry to meet growing
workforce needs. Construction of the Alford Center cost
approximately $32 million. COTC and Ohio State Newark invested a
combined $18 million, and 281 unique donors pledged nearly $14
million to support the construction of the building. Ohio State
Newark and COTC recognize many business and community supporters,
including Ariel Corporation, the Gilbert Reese Family Foundation,
the LeFevre Foundation, the Newark Campus Development Fund, Park
National Bank and its associates, and Licking Memorial Health
Systems, among others for their support. The name of this
state-of-the-art facility pays tribute to John and Mary Alford,
who were unwavering supporters of COTC and Ohio State Newark for
several decades. In recognition of their parents’ tremendous
support of the local community and specifically the Newark
campus, Ronald Alford and Barbara and Michael Cantlin pledged a
generous lead gift of $2.5 million.
