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Events | FeaturedApril 11, 2022

ºÚË¿ÄÚÉäÊÓƵ Day of Giving Announces 24-Hour Goal of $55,000

Written By: Rachel Rodemann Putman

The University of ºÚË¿ÄÚÉäÊÓƵ – Fort Smith will launch its annual Thursday, April 28, 2022, with fifteen campus initiatives working toward a combined goal of more than $55,000.

The annual one-day crowdfunding campaign is an all-out, all hands-on deck, fundraising blitz aimed at supporting scholarships, student experiences, and academic endeavors that make the ºÚË¿ÄÚÉäÊÓƵ campus vibrant and unique.  that happen at ºÚË¿ÄÚÉäÊÓƵ.

The grassroots fundraising campaign will feature more than 200 fundraising ambassadors who will activate and engage their communities to help each initiative reach its goal.

On campus, a birthday party for Numa Lion will give students a chance to celebrate their favorite feline, the culmination of the spring semester, and the incredible Day of Giving initiatives, all of which will be represented in person and online throughout the day. The party will be held on the campus green form 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The 2022 Day of Giving initiatives and their respective goals are:

Jumpstart Scholarships | $5,500

The Jumpstart team aims to provide matching scholarships to ºÚË¿ÄÚÉäÊÓƵ students engaged in the Jumpstart ºÚË¿ÄÚÉäÊÓƵ service program. Jumpstart is a national early education organization whose members support the initiative to ensure every child in America enters kindergarten prepared to succeed. Jumpstart members provide language, literacy, and social-emotional programming for preschool children from under-resourced communities and promote quality early learning for all children. ºÚË¿ÄÚÉäÊÓƵ is the only higher education institution in ºÚË¿ÄÚÉäÊÓƵ with a Jumpstart program.

MAPS Conference Scholarships | $5,000

Medical School placement is incredibly competitive, but ºÚË¿ÄÚÉäÊÓƵ students are well prepared thanks to dedicated professors, exceptional ºÚË¿ÄÚÉäÊÓƵ opportunities, and campus advocacy. The MAPS (Minority Association of Pre-Medical Students)  team is raising funds to send pre-medical students to the Student National Medical Association Conferences, enabling these driven and intelligent students the opportunity to learn from leaders in medicine.

Cub Camp Scholarships | $5,000

Cub Camp, the immersive first-year student experience program is funding its first need-based scholarship program to help first-year students cover the cost of Cub Camp. Data shows that students who attend Cub Camp are retained at a higher rate and have higher GPAs throughout their college experience, but the cost can be a barrier to entry. This team hopes to enable every student to have the opportunity to participate in Cub Camp. 

Adult Degree Completion Program Scholarships | $5,000

Nontraditional students have nontraditional costs. The ADCP team is raising $5,000 to help adult students cover the cost of assessing prior learning portfolio credits and CLEP exams, as well as tuition and fees.

College of Business & Industry Scholarships | $5,000

The College of Business and Industry scholarship targets high-performing students (3.8 to 4.0 GPA) that may yet need tuition assistance. These funds will be used to assist qualifying students based on performance and tuition needs.

Digital Lions eSports Program | $5,000

The ºÚË¿ÄÚÉäÊÓƵ Digital Lions eSports Program is a budding initiative in student retention, built around the promising development of esports teams across colleges and universities. Funding this project not only aids student retention and recruitment, but it helps to support a program that benefits students involved in a multitude of ways: fostering teamwork, building interpersonal and group communication, time management, organization, and problem-solving skills, as well as physical and mental benefits such as enhancing hand-eye coordination, attention spans, and visual processing.

Read This Program Funding | $5,000

Read This is a community-wide literacy program that aims to select thoughtful books and provide programming about diverse communities around us and bring to light important social issues that foster discussion and mutual understanding.

Study Abroad Scholarships | $5,000

Studying abroad is a life-changing experience for our students, personally and academically. This team is raising funds to provide merit-based scholarships for students who face financial barriers to studying abroad.

Volleyball Tournament Alaska Experience | $5,000

ºÚË¿ÄÚÉäÊÓƵ Volleyball has the opportunity to play in a preseason tournament in Alaska next September, earning pre-season accolades and experiencing team bonding to create team cohesion.

Textbook Share Program | $3,000

The Textbook Share Program is a Student Government Initiative that ensures the ºÚË¿ÄÚÉäÊÓƵ library has copies of commonly-used textbooks so students can access required texts without the cost. Over the past fiscal year, the total circulation of our reserve items, including textbooks, has collectively saved ºÚË¿ÄÚÉäÊÓƵ students over $5,000. This team is raising funds to the Textbook Share Program beyond general education courses.

The Career Clothing Closet | $2,500

ºÚË¿ÄÚÉäÊÓƵ Career Services houses a Professional Clothing Closet to ensure students have access to professional wardrobes for interviews and initial job placement at no cost. The program has served students for many years.

Cross Country | $2,000

The ºÚË¿ÄÚÉäÊÓƵ Men’s and Women’s cross country teams are seeking funds to purchase new uniforms for their growing roster. Their $2,000 goal will fund updated uniforms for a total of 28 athletes. 

Student Emergency Assistance Fund | $1,000

The Student Emergency Assistance Program provides direct financial assistance to students facing emergencies. This program covers everything from car repairs and housing damage to essential utilities and medical care—financial burdens that have the potential to delay or derail students' progress towards a degree.

General Scholarship Fund | $500

The General Scholarship Fund provides broad-based support to University of ºÚË¿ÄÚÉäÊÓƵ - Fort Smith students from all backgrounds. It can be used to support need or merit, any major or GPA, and traditional or non-traditional students.

Area of Greatest Need Fund | $500

Gifts to Areas of Greatest Need empower ºÚË¿ÄÚÉäÊÓƵ to address its most critical priorities – providing university leadership with resources to face unprecedented circumstances. These vital funds offer the university the flexibility to prioritize our students' needs, take advantage of rising opportunities across campus, and react quickly to unanticipated challenges.

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• Day of Giving
• Annual Giving
• Alumni