<p>The UVa Dean of Arts and Sciences is finishing her term in office and sent out an email to list recent accomplishments of the College:</p>
<p>"We also created one of the finest fundraising operations on Grounds. Annual philanthropic commitments have grown from $24.5 million in 2009-2010 to $62 million to the College of Arts and Sciences in 2012-13. </p>
<p>With these challenges met, the College is now able to hire dozens of new faculty over 50 new faculty in this academic year alone. At the same time we have directed significant new funding to improve faculty compensation.</p>
<p>We have also restructured the graduate programs, significantly improving fellowship offerings and guaranteeing five years of financial support for all doctoral students. </p>
<p>We have successfully retained our top faculty who received offers from peer institutionsUCLA, Texas, Michigan, Oxford, Cambridge, Duke, and otherswith a stellar retention rate of approximately 75% since 2009-2010; last year it was over 80%. </p>
<p>The College established the Institute of the Humanities and Global Cultures, with support of the Mellon Foundation; the Asia Institute, which won a Title VI grant in 2010 to designate the Institute as a National Resource Center in East Asian Studies; and we launched the Quantitative Collaborative to encourage innovative methods to deal with complex social problems. Other initiatives, such as the World Language Institute are also underway. </p>
<p>In the sciences, we have made a focused investment in selected areas identified by the chairs of science departments and distinguished scientists in the College, investing approximately $4.5 million annually in research support. Notable accomplishments include the creation of the Center for Chemistry of the Universe; the Center for Catalytic Hydrocarbon Functionalization with support from the Department of Energy; and the continued success of the Virginia Coast Reserve Long-Term Ecological Research.</p>
<p>We have also benefitted from the addition of new facilities, including the New South Lawn and New Cabell Hall renovations, the Physical and Life Sciences Building, Ruffin Hall, Hunter Smith Band Building, as well as the Ruth Caplin Theatre."</p>