Faculty and staff at the University of California, Davis, responded generously to a $100,000 challenge from students by contributing more than $140,000 to date to the Students First fund-raising campaign. In October, student government representatives of the Associated Students of UC Davis announced they would match one to one all gifts from faculty and staff to Students First during the months of November and December up to $100,000. Believed to be the largest contribution from students to any campus in the 127-year history of the University of California, the ASUCD matching gift will be used to endow the ASUCD Scholarship Fund. The fund will support undergraduate scholarships based on merit, financial need and community service. "We knew the faculty and staff wouldn't let us down. We were just waiting to see how far over the goal they would go," said ASUCD President Peter Nguyen. "The students are proud to contribute to a campus where they've spent some of the best years of their lives." According to Chancellor Larry Vanderhoef, "To me it is yet another indicator that first and foremost the UC Davis faculty and staff care deeply about our students." Since the campuswide campaign was launched in October of 1993, more than $15 million of the $15,350,000 goal has been raised for student support, including scholarships, fellowships, grants, research assistantships, low-interest loans and student enrichment programs. Vanderhoef and his wife, Rosalie, made the lead gift to the ASUCD challenge campaign with a $5,000 contribution to the Students First Scholarship Fund, followed shortly thereafter by a $25,000 contribution from Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Carol Wall. The campaign went over the $100,000 goal with a $25,000 gift from former chancellor Ted Hullar, who conceived of the idea for the Students First campaign in 1992. Other major gifts ($25,000+) from faculty and staff to the campaign since it was launched came from Robert Dorn, clinical professor in the psychiatry department, and his wife, Natalie; Robert Franks, associate vice chancellor for student affairs, and his wife, Kay; recently deceased Paul Goodman, professor emeritus; James Meyer, chancellor emeritus; and Clement Pelissier, retired animal science professor. To date, more than 130 faculty and staff have contributed toward the ASUCD challenge. Forty-eight of those gifts were for $1,000 or more. Donors of $1,000 or more will have their names permanently placed on a donor recognition fountain near the Memorial Union. "The staff of UC Davis are proud to have participated in such a worthwhile endeavor," said Staff Assembly chair Phil Knox. "Students have always been a major part of the staff's commitment to the campus." Gifts collected by unit over the past two years: College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences -- $3,136,377 Medical Sciences -- $3,005,818 School of Veterinary Medicine -- $1,737,891 College of Engineering -- $1,662,188 Student Affairs -- $1,465,021 College of Letters and Science -- $989,268 Division of Biological Sciences -- $715,389 School of Law -- $500,326 Division of Graduate Studies -- $466,734 Cal Aggie Alumni Association -- $414,029 Department of Animal Science -- $412,264 UC Davis Foundation -- $360,000 Graduate School of Management -- $97,897 Other -- $30,850 Institute of Governmental Affairs -- $15,000 Faculty and staff who make a gift to the Students First campaign will be invited to a special victory celebration hosted by the chancellor on Feb. 1 from 4:30 to 6 p.m. in the AGR Hall at the Buehler Alumni and Visitors Center.