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College of Liberal Arts

Unrestricted gifts to the College of Liberal Arts supported 1,949 undergraduates in the College of Liberal Arts and the celebrated faculty who both challenged and inspired these students. Gifts to CLA are critical to meeting the increasing need for scholarship support, providing for the enrichment and research of our faculty, and enhancing the cutting-edge academic and co-curricular programs for which Willamette is known.

Unrestricted support for the College of Liberal Arts

Percentage by gift designations:

Senior Fund Drive/Alumni Board Challenge

The Willamette University Alumni Association (WUAA) board of directors provided an incentive this year for Senior Fund Drive contributions (each year the senior class raises money to benefit younger Willamette students), and the 2012 grads utilized it to surpass all previous class giving records.

The board offered the senior class a $4,375 matching gift if 40 percent of the graduating class donated to their alma mater prior to their Commencement. Any donation amount counted. The Class of 2012 reached 45 percent participation, raising a total of $2,496.17 in the name of the class (average donation: $13.72). The previous record, set by the Class of 2011, was 35 percent.

“Beating 40 percent participation of our class is an exciting surprise,” says Carli Smith ’12, who has helped with outreach. “It shows how aware our classmates are of the impact that a cohesive effort like this has on everyone at Willamette.” The Class of 2013 is already developing its efforts.

GOLD & Bearcat Alumni Challenges

A generous alumna from the Class of 1966 provided her fellow alumni with two challenges this year. One was provided to graduates of the last decade (GOLD), matching donations to the College of Liberal Arts dollar-for-dollar until an additional $10,000 was raised. The second challenge was for all other CLA alumni, matching every donation to the College of Liberal Arts dollar-for-dollar until an additional $15,000 was raised.

• GOLD Alumni Challenge Results: $9,000 (90%)
• Bearcat Alumni Challenge Results: $34,900 (233%)

Thank you to all alumni of the College of Liberal Arts who took advantage of this exceptional challenge, securing additional support for Willamette students and faculty.

Highlights

Below are highlights and statistics from the 2011-2012 academic year that demonstrate the impact of your investment in the students and faculty of the College of Liberal Arts:

• During the 2011-2012 academic year, 1864 College of Liberal Arts students were the recipients of Willamette-funded scholarship support. The average need-based financial aid package for CLA students was $31,350.
• 30% of our undergraduate students worked with our faculty in student-faculty collaborative research programs or projects, such as the Science Collaborative Research Program for natural sciences, the iHuman Science Student-Faculty Collaborative Research Program supporting Exercise Science and Psychology, and the Liberal Arts Research Collaborative.
• 456 students participated in Willamette University’s undergraduate Student Scholarship Recognition Day.
• A total of 16 faculty members from the College of Liberal Arts were awarded nationally competitive grants and awards to further research, scholarship and University programs during the 2011-2012 academic year.
• Ten undergraduate students earned prestigious national fellowships for their academic, leadership and service accomplishments, providing them with opportunities for research, graduate school and international study. Among the awards were two Fulbright Grants, a James S. Kemper Scholarship, and two Morris K. Udall Scholarships.
• Over 500 students participated in the University’s 20 NCAA Division III varsity programs this academic year, many of them earning national recognition for both their talents and scholarship.

“I knew when I fell in love with WU that it wasn’t financially feasible, but when I got my financial aid info, it was one of the best moments of my life. You helped give me my dream school. I can’t ever thank you enough!”

– Anna ’15