For the last five years, Harvard University been on a mission to raise an unprecedented $2.1 billion from its alumni and friends. Now, months ahead of schedule, the University looks poised to declare the campaign's lofty goal met.

Eight of Harvard's nine schools--excepting only the Faculty of Arts and Sciences--have met or exceeded their fundraising goals, according to University Development Office (UDO) Spokesperson Andrew K. Tiedemann.

These schools' success puts Harvard months ahead of the schedule projected at the beginning of the campaign in 1994, Tiedemann said.

"It's been going really well," Tiedemann said. "We couldn't have anticipated having eight out of the nine schools having met their goal by September of 1999."

The UDO has not released up-to-date figures, but if the surplus from other schools were to make up for FAS' shortfall and put the total amount raised over $2.1 billion, Harvard would consider the campaign goal met, said University Provost Harvey V. Fineberg '67.

The campaign had taken in $2.01 billion as of Commencement exercises in June, leaving Harvard only $90 million short of its goal. Earlier in the campaign, President Neil L. Rudenstine put the campaign's fundraising pace at $1 million per day.

"We had a very strong finish last year," Rudenstine said. "I feel remarkably fortunate that there is this much support."

The University is expected to announce its progress at a meeting of the executive committee of the campaign, to be held at the Harvard Club of New York October 6. Rudenstine said the event will include a formal campaign update.

While they meet several times every year, this meeting will be different from the rest, according to Fineberg.