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Chico State

University Foundation Board Aids Campus with Special Endowment Awards

The sun filters through the trees over Kendall Hall.

More than $115,000 has been awarded to 12 programs and projects across Chico State to enhance research and mentorship, increase hands-on learning opportunities, and support student success through the 2018–19 Governors Awards.

The University Foundation Board of Governors selected winning proposals from recommendations made by campus leadership, including the provost, college deans, and the vice president for Student Affairs. The top proposals, which will receive a combined $115,658 in funding, stood out among many worthy applications as exemplifying the University’s mission and reputation for student success, student-centered teaching, and experiential learning.

“I’m delighted to celebrate these awards, which support the mission of our University and are a powerful endorsement to the quality work of our faculty, staff, and students,” said Ahmad Boura, vice president for University Advancement. “We’re so grateful to the Board of Governors for establishing such awards that continue to make an impact not only on the Chico State community, but well beyond its borders through each of these innovative programs.”

The Governors Awards range from $2,000 to $15,000, as they support projects ranging from research and equipment to tutoring and support staff. Successful applicants were notified earlier this month. They include:

  • Undergraduate research opportunities, mentorship, and research travel for College of Agriculture students
  • Graduate students and equipment for an archeological curation facility to preserve collections for faculty and student research
  • Student support within the College of Business Student Success Center tutoring program
  • Equipment and support for faculty and student research on the effects of mechanical vibration on wild rice in close collaboration with industry partners
  • Student support staff for the Makerspace in Meriam Library
  • Software to connect Chico State students with county library electronic resources
  • A student summer research institute within the College of Natural Sciences
  • Drop-in tutoring through the Math Learning Laboratory in partnership with the Department of Mathematics and Statistics and Meriam Library
  • Leveraging students, staff, and faculty in reciprocal and interdisciplinary partnerships in rural communities across the North State
  • Updating the campus map in a mobile optimized environment
  • Establishing a hands-on science cart for Gateway Science Museum outreach on campus
  • Support for This Way to Sustainability Conference XIII

Eight endowment funds valued at approximately $3 million are the source of the endowment awards. The donors of these gifts to the University have granted the University Foundation board the authority and discretion to make annual distributions from these funds to benefit campus programs.

“Our board members’ dedication to supporting Chico State’s strategic priorities and student success remains steadfast,” said Stuart Casillas, chair of the University Foundation Board of Governors. “It’s incredibly rewarding to see how these endowment funds continue a tradition of excellence for an institution that means so much to us all.”

The guidelines of the awards specify that 70 percent of the awarded funds will support academic programs, 20 percent will build reserve funds for future endowments or board priorities, and 10 percent will support student life programs.

The University Foundation is the steward of gifts and endowments for campus. The foundation was organized and incorporated as nonprofit California corporation in 1940, with a mission to support and enhance campus projects and programs. In 1997, its function became solely philanthropic.

The call for proposals for 2019–20 is underway. If you have questions about the proposal submission process, please contact your respective deans or vice president.