Gifts to the Department of Religious Studies at
California State University, Chico

The Department of Religious Studies continues to expand its faculty; to improve its course offerings; and to draw intelligent, interesting, motivated, and imaginative students into its program. Unfortunately, continuing budget challenges in California and in the CSU system mean that we find it increasingly difficult to provide our students with the education they need. Your tax deductible contribution to the Department will allow us to further our major goals this year: 1) increased support for student scholarships, in particular the newly established Religious Studies Scholarship, supported exclusively by alumni and department faculty; 2) more visible and substantial support for classroom instruction in the form of upgrades in technology, audio-visual resources, and library materials, and field experiences; 3) continuing education of high school students that introduce the benefits of and opportunities in religious studies at CSU, Chico; 4) support for the hiring of new faculty. This year, the Department added a new tenure-track position in Islam to its ranks. In the next two years, we hope to hire additional faculty: in East Asian religions, and Religion, Nature, and Culture. But the cost of travel to conferences for interviews; on-campus interviews by candidates; and moving expenses are often not covered with state support. 5) faculty support for research and travel. Our present faculty have eight books in process (in addition to volumes recently published). Researching and writing these books takes time and financial resources (especially for extended fieldwork). Your support allows for the timely completion of projects that might die if left unfunded; 6) support for distinguished visiting lectureships. Over the past several years, the Department, often in conjunction with other departments and programs on campus, has been able to bring important scholars and teachers in the field to campus. Individuals such as Joanne Macy, Huston Smith, Rosemary Ruether, Robert Michaelson, Bron Taylor, Walter Capps, Cornel West, and Kazuaki Tanahashi have provided unparalleled learning opportunities for our students. In the coming years we hope to bring to campus biblical scholars and specialists in Islam, Tibetan Buddhism, traditional Chinese religions, and American Evangelicalism. Unfortunately, state support of such opportunities is severely limited.

Though the Department was part of this year's campus-wide Alumni fundraising initiative, fundraising progress was disappointing. Recent annual fund income has not kept pace with our needs. Nonetheless, We are grateful for the generosity of our alumni and friends, in particular John Bash, and Wayne and Marilyn Stai for their support of our most active and successful scholarships.

For more information on giving opportunities to the Department of Religious Studies, contact Dr. Jed Wyrick, Chair, Department of Religious Studies (ph 530.898.4741 or jwyrick@csuchico.edu) or Dr. Joel Zimbelman, Interim Dean, College of Humanities and Fine Arts at CSU, Chico (ph. 530.898.5351 or jzimbleman@csuchico.edu)

Another Way to Support the Department of Religious Studies

A planned gift represents another way to support the excellent scholarship and teaching that defines the Department. In addition to helping to ensure the long-term financial well-being of the Department of Religious Studies, a planned gift can provide substantial tax advantages for the donor.

Vehicles for planned charitable gifts include: bequests through a will or living trust; charitable gift annuities, which allow the University to pay the donor (and a second beneficiary, if desired) income for life; charitable remainder trusts that support the donor until the trust terminates, at which time the remainder is transferred to the Department; and retirement plans that name the Department as the primary beneficiary of a 401(k), pension, or other retirement plan, while leaving other assets to the donor's family. Individuals who make life-income gifts or include the Department of Religious Studies in their estate plans become members of the Department's Shasta Society, which provides special recognition to its members and hosts special events.