Graduate School case statement

GRADUATE SCHOOL

B

ecause This is Auburn is a $1 billion campaign to propel our university forward through a renewed commitment to our students, a continued promise to our state, and a shared responsibility to the world.

As part of the overall campaign, the Graduate School has set a goal of $500,000 to benefit students and programs. The Graduate School is the champion for graduate education across the entire Auburn University campus and has been preparing graduate students to emerge as leaders and innovators in academia, industry, and the government since it began in 1872. Working alongside world-class faculty members, Auburn graduate students in every academic discipline are addressing real-world problems while honing their critical thinking and research skills.

TOTAL GOAL FOR THE GRADUATE SCHOOL:

$500,000

“To remain competitive with other universities, we need funding to create prestigious fellowships and to underwrite the research endeavors of our graduate students. With the support of the Auburn Family, we can achieve — and even eclipse — our goals.”

— George Flowers

Dean, Graduate School

PRIORITIES

for the Graduate School

As part of Auburn University’s strategic plan, the Graduate School is committed to increasing the graduate student population by recruiting high-achieving undergraduate students from Alabama and throughout the nation and world.

Additionally, we aim to recruit graduate students from underrepresented groups and develop and support creative programs that achieve this objective. To attain this goal, it is imperative we secure additional private funding to increase the number of prestigious graduate fellowships available to our students. The Graduate School will continue to collaborate with Auburn’s other colleges and schools to develop new graduate programs — including online programs, graduate certificates, and accelerated bachelor’s/master’s programs — to further efforts to attract new graduate students. Finally, we are committed to supporting students’ research and professional development endeavors. Philanthropic support is vital to making these new programs possible.

10

NEW GRADUATE FELLOWSHIPS

to attract the best students

50%

MORE TRAVEL FUNDS

to support professional development

40%

MORE RESEARCH FUNDS

to support thesis/dissertation completion

Students $400,000

Programs $100,000

$100 THOUSAND

for a Fund for Excellence

Students Private support is crucial to our ability to serve our outstanding graduate students. One way to attract highly qualified graduate students is to establish prestigious fellowships. Our goal through this campaign is to partner with donors to create at least 10 new graduate fellowships to reward deserving graduate students. A two-year commitment of $10,000 per year provides a monthly stipend to one master’s or doctoral student. Auburn is committed to the success of these students, and with a donor’s contribution, we can ease the financial burden of tuition. For a student receiving a fellowship, $20,000 of donor support can leverage nearly $50,000 of financial aid.

Additionally, we aim to increase the funding available for thesis and dissertation research and help defray travel costs for graduate students presenting their research and creative scholarship at academic conferences. This support will allow graduate students to perform their work and to have a fulfilling graduate school experience at Auburn.

$400,000

Programs One of our strategic initiatives is to enroll more graduate students from underrepresented groups and to provide them with the support needed to thrive at Auburn University.

The Graduate School will continue to partner with the university’s other colleges, schools, and the Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs to support these initiatives. One such initiative, the Future Scholars Summer Research Bridge Program in the College of Education’s School of Kinesiology, has achieved remarkable results in diversifying the graduate student body.

The Graduate School seeks expanded funding to support these successful programs and to help create new ones that achieve this goal.

$100,000

Your gift to Auburn has

REAL IMPACT

“Thanks to the Spearman Graduate Fellowship, I can immerse myself in this groundbreaking research without having to worry about how I’m going to pay for my academic expenses.”

— Bridget Peters

Doctoral student, School of Kinesiology

The ability to offer dynamic programs and provide financial assistance enables the Graduate School to attract stellar students doing meaningful work: students like Bridget Peters. Peters is a doctoral candidate in the School of Kinesiology researching why just a few days of aerobic exercise per week decreases heart-attack damage. With almost one million heart attacks suffered in the United States each year, Peters’ research has enormous implications for such a widespread public health issue.

“Throughout my graduate studies at Auburn, I have been blessed with the generous support of donors like Mr. Jim Spearman. Thanks to the Spearman Graduate Fellowship, I can immerse myself in this groundbreaking research without having to worry about how I’m going to pay for my academic expenses. Having met with Mr. Spearman many times, I know he genuinely cares about me and my graduate studies, and that means the world to me,” Peters said.

Because of Mr. Spearman’s gift, Peters has been able to focus solely on her doctoral studies and her work in Auburn’s Cardioprotection Laboratory. “The financial contributions from Mr. Spearman and other donors are invaluable to graduate students like me. Thank you for all that you do for graduate students at Auburn University.”

Jim Spearman knows firsthand that investing in the Graduate School at Auburn pays immeasurable dividends. Spearman, a 1983 Auburn graduate, funds an annual fellowship to benefit graduate students in the School of Kinesiology. “The work of the Graduate School has a positive impact not just on Alabama, but on our nation. I am proud to be a donor knowing this fact and seeing how lives are affected by these types of fellowships,” he said.

“I continually see the impact graduate students are making in all areas of our lives, across many disciplines, and throughout each of the colleges,” he said.

Spearman’s fellowship supports students like Bridget Peters. Peters said she keeps him updated on her research and work in Auburn’s Cardioprotection Laboratory. “It is fulfilling to know that my donations are helping someone like Bridget gain an Auburn education that could help open the doors to change the world,” Spearman said. “Fellowship dollars do make a difference, and they are truly an investment in our future.”

“The work of the Graduate School has a positive impact not just on Alabama but on our nation. I am proud to be a donor knowing this fact and seeing how lives are affected by these types of fellowships.”

— Jim Spearman ′83 Political Science and Healthcare Administration

Graduate School 202C Hargis Hall, Auburn, Alabama 36849 (334) 844-4700 | gradadm@auburn.edu grad.auburn.edu B E C AU S E@AU B U R N . E D U | B E C AU S E . AU B U R N . E D U Auburn University is an equal opportunity educational institution/employer.