For their part, the deans of the schools have noticed the President's emphasis.
"To [the administration's] credit I think they've put the schools first," says Jerome T. Murphy, dean of the Graduate School of Education (GSE).
The GSE has traditionally had difficulty raising funds. It stands at 72 percent of its goal-far behind the professional schools, which benefit from wealthier alums.
Right now, finding donors to endow chairs is a major challenge. An ever-present reminder of the goal-and its accompanying obstacles-Murphy keeps a miniature wooden chair on the coffee table in his office.
And so, as Murphy looks for benefactors, he says he is grateful for the President's priorities.
"What they did choose to do helped the school," he says.
As for Rudenstine, he remains optimistically content with the progress of his fund, willing to wait until the schools are closer to meeting their goals before running a full court press for the central administration.
"I think we have a good chance of achieving [the goal], and if we don't, we'll come very close," he says.