This has been an extraordinary year in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The inspiring generosity of our alumni and friends contributed to many of our accomplishments, and it is having an immediate and profound impact.
The College had its most successful fundraising year ever, with gifts and commitments in fiscal year 2016 (July 1, 2015 – June 30, 2016) of $68,502,572, a record. This includes nearly $1.4 million in annual fund gifts to the College, another record.
Because of our generous donors, we can give our students more of the crucial, real-world experience they need and employers seek through internship programs like the new Karen M. Gil Internship Program in Psychology.
New endowed professorships and expanded graduate student funding made possible by generous private gifts will help us bring the brightest and most innovative thinkers to the College.
Private support will also enable us to promote innovation in and out of the classroom. We are pioneers in developing teaching methods that reimagine the classroom experience, such as high-structure active learning. This approach uses techniques that keep students engaged, reinforce their knowledge, help them apply new concepts and work with peers to solve problems and test hypotheses. These techniques have been shown to close or reduce achievement gaps between first-generation and African-American students and their classmates.
Our new Be a Maker (BeAM) spaces give students the environment, tools and support they need to bring their ideas to life and make a difference in the world.
Great things are happening here, and 2017 promises to be even better. We will continue to be strategic, bold and student-focused.
We couldn’t do it without our donors. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Kevin M. Guskiewicz
Dean, College of Arts and Sciences
