A recent $3.6-million anonymous corporate gift is the latest in a string of events strengthening the University's financial outlook.

Under the terms of the gift, announced at the Board of Regents meeting in November, $2.5 million will be used for enhancement of existing facilities or for new construction. The remaining $1.1 million is designated for annual unrestricted and restricted support.

"We are extremely grateful for this very generous gift," said President Walter Harrison. "The timing is perfect. We've just completed the development of a Campus Master Plan to guide improvements to our existing buildings and outline our future building needs," he said, "and this commitment will help us begin implementation of some of its near-term objectives."

The plan also calls for the University to focus on deferred maintenance on campus and on the refurbishing of existing buildings.

The plan, which was developed with the help of a grant from the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving and with wide input from the University community, represents the first comprehensive facilities plan for the institution since the building of the Bloomfield Avenue campus began four decades ago. The goal of the Master Plan is to give the University a guideline for providing the latest in technological and educational advances to its students.

The $3.6-million gift comes during the third year of the University's 10-year, $150-million Campaign of Commitment. To date, the University has received contributions of more than $45 million toward the Campaign's goal.

"These early and encouraging commitments, including this most recent gift, help ensure that we at the University of Hartford will have the resources to fulfill our mission of preparing students intellectually, socially, and culturally for the challenges of the future and to serve the greater Hartford community with opportunities for educational and cultural growth," said Arnold C. Greenberg, chairman of the University's Board of Regents.

The success of the Campaign of Commitment is one of the factors that led Moody's Investors Service to revise its outlook on the University of Hartford's "Ba1" bond rating to "positive" from "stable."

This improvement in the University's financial outlook follows an upgrade in the University's bond rating from Ba2 to Ba1 by Moody's last year.

Beverly Maksin, vice president for finance and administration, said this action by Moody's "represents a strong vote of confidence in the continued strengthening of the University's financial situation." The report from Moody's is a recognition of the efforts of University employees to control expenses while still maintaining a high level of quality service to students, she said.

According to Moody's, "the positive outlook is based on continuing evidence of stability in both enrollment and financial operations." Moody's noted that during the past two years the University has achieved a balanced budget, established a contingency fund, and significantly increased its endowment. In addition, net tuition per student has increased for the second year in a row after several years of stagnation.