Division of student affairs
Each year, Dance Marathon brings together hundreds of students to dance and raise funds for MUSC Children’s Hospital.
Boundless is the promise of our students, the dedication of our staff and the enduring spirit of our supporters, friends and alumni. Boundless represents the next era of the Division of Student Affairs at the College of Charleston. The Division of Student Affairs impacts the life of every College of Charleston student – particularly during the 150-plus hours a week students spend outside the classroom. A robust Student Affairs division is important because we know that students who are engaged and involved on campus are much more likely to succeed in college and graduate. Thus, we are dedicated to the cultural, social, emotional, physical, ethical and intellectual development of all students so that they may become responsible and effective individuals. Through active learning environments, quality services and diverse experiences, the division works to ensure that in addition to being a scholar, each graduate is also a confident leader and active citizen. While we serve a common purpose as partners in the learning process of our students, Student Affairs offers each student a variety of ways to grow as a person, achieve success and take responsibility for his or her decisions and actions. Given this momentum, now is our time to push beyond conventional pathways to knowledge, beyond our campus footprint and beyond our very own expectations. Now is our time to be a bolder, ever-stronger College of Charleston.
Boundless: The Campaign for the College of Charleston Boundless is a $125 million comprehensive fundraising initiative and your opportunity to shape the overall development of exceptional students. The magnitude of our goal reflects the breadth of our aspiration: to create an expanded network of programs and services that meet our students’ out-of-classroom needs while complementing their academic goals. Boundless is the vehicle to achieve this vision. We are asking you to consider an investment in one or more of the campaign’s five strategic priorities:
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Diversity support services that ensure all students succeed and are a part of an inclusive campus community;
Career Development programs for students to enhance their classroom experience with relevant real-world work experience;
Civic-minded Leadership programs that combine leadership skills and civic engagement;
Student Life and Recreation expansion of facilities and staff to support the 200-plus student groups on campus; and
Student Affairs Excellence Fund, which has an immediate impact on the student life experience.
The Power of Partnership Moving boldly forward while preserving our distinctive identity will require dedication and partnership. As federal and state support for higher education declines, a bold move forward requires philanthropy. The purpose of a liberal arts and sciences education is best met when both the student affairs curriculum and academic curriculum are strong. With your generosity, the College can seize a unique opportunity and provide experiences that allow our students to spend their time outside the classroom developing the knowledge, skills and networks needed to excel in a global economy. As an investor in this campaign, you will shape the next era of programming and services that will change the lives of our students.
“My education at CofC would not have been complete without the opportunities that the Higdon Student Leadership Center provided me. The experiences shaped me into the well-rounded person I am today and provided me with life-long friendships.” – Zachary Aaron ‘13, arts management
“The Higdon Student Leadership Center allows students the opportunity to discover and learn their potential through involvement in leadership development activities and exposure to multiple leadership styles.� -Michael Duncan, director of Higdon Student Leadership Center (seated)
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D I VERSITY SUPPORT SERVI C E S At the College of Charleston, diversity is not treated as a peripheral, but as one of the essential tools for achieving inclusive institutional excellence. Boundless will strengthen critical support services that address our underrepresented students’ needs so they can achieve academic success. Every semester, the Center for Disability Services (CDS) serves approximately 900 students with disabilities, nearly 8.5 percent of our overall student population. Boundless will support an alternative testing site, assistive technology and alternative format textbooks.
preparation, SNAP language classes for students who struggle with language acquisition, and the Office of Multicultural Students Programs and Services as part of our commitment to embracing diversity, understanding differences and respecting change.
“Students are encouraged to push through boundaries and achieve their personal goals.” – Meagan Orton ’12, B.S. in psychology
Boundless will also support student-focused diversity programs that assist in graduate school
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C AR E ER DEVEL OP MENT PRO G RA M S The Career Center is a vital resource for students from their first day on campus until long after graduation. The staff helps students plan for the future, choose a major and develop the tools and experiences they will need to market themselves, to prospective employers or graduate/professional schools. When you make a gift to the Career Center, you are helping students find out about internships, experiential learning opportunities, community service and volunteering programs that lead to a well-rounded college experience and job readiness.
Boundless will increase the number of internship scholarships that help students participate in unpaid internships that provide valuable work experience, particularly at the early stage of exploring potential career fields. Boundless also seeks to enhance resources for students, alumni and employers, such as workshops and seminars focusing on resumes, internships, choosing a major and information about graduate and professional schools, domestic and abroad.
“Dyslexia isn’t a disability, it’s just a different learning style. The College’s SNAP services and staff helped me access the resources I need to learn and to succeed in the classroom.” – Cassandra Caswell ‘14, theatre major
The Center for Civic Engagement
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at the College of Charleston has one of only 140 Break Away
C I VI C- M INDED L E ADERSH IP PRO G RA M S The College has received national attention for its commitment to leadership programs and community-based service learning. Boundless will expand programs that weave together leadership education and community stewardship into the campus culture. Opportunities to support our civic-minded leadership programs include the following: :: Higdon Student Leadership Center provides opportunities designed to empower responsible student leadership in order to enrich the community while promoting positive citizenship. Student scholarships, professional development opportunities, staff support and an assistant director position focused on leadership are needed to support the Center. :: The Center for Civic Engagement and the thousands of students who venture into the Charleston community, other cities and other countries volunteer thousands of hours each year, including through our alternative spring break program. General scholarships, travel stipends and summer stipends are needed so more students can participate in these life-changing opportunities. :: Bonner Leadership Program is a nationally recognized service-based outreach and leadership program. Scholarships are critical so our students can focus on their academic and service experiences and develop holistically as leaders. Whether you support scholarships, technology, travel stipends or professional development opportunities, your gift directly supports our students and enhances the student experience right now.
affiliate Alternative Break Programs and is one of just 80 schools in the prestigious Bonner Leader Program Network (pictured here) making the opportunities for our students boundless.
Suzi McCall ’79, an English major,Student is a missionary Life hosts and more director than of the LAMBS Institute in Tegucigalpa, 3,800 Honduras. events every For more year. than 20 years, LAMBS has impacted the lives of thousands of youths and families in the neighborhood of Flora Del Campo.
“My scholarship gave me the freedom to pursue public health and pre-med while also interning my senior year with the Boeing Farm-to-School program.” – Jeremy Olsen ’13
Last year, 23 sports club teams – from rugby to ice hockey – made 89 trips around the country and logged a total of 131,000 miles. Club sports build community and family for our students.
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ST U DENT LIF E AND R E C REATIO N FACILITIES Student Life includes more than 225 clubs and organizations that represent a variety of interests – and interest in them is growing every year. Boundless will support a state-of-the art student center that will provide 150,000–200,000 square feet of meeting rooms, numerous lounges and gathering spaces for students. The center will benefit the entire College community and quickly become the “heart” of student activity on campus as well as the home of the Division of Student Affairs.
As a growing number of students participate in intramural team sports and sports clubs, additional recreational space and facilities are in constant demand and often a determining factor in whether a student enrolls at the College. Gifts will support a new outdoor recreation field complex, gymnasium and boathouse. Boundless will also support a Distinguished Speaker Series, technology for student groups and the annual Student Organizations Summit.
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ST U DENT A F FAIR S EXC E LLENC E F UND Through annual giving, everyone can be a philanthropist to the College of Charleston year after year. Gifts to the Excellence Fund are a vital source of institutional momentum because they provide funding for a range of student scholarships, support resources for students and student groups, and staff development. Your support can give a vital start to students who learn leadership skills, gain work and community service experience, hone life-long friendships and develop a diverse range of talents in Charleston and then go on to successful careers. Excellence Funds go to work immediately to meet the most critical needs and priorities of our students. These gifts also provide flexibility to seize opportunities as they emerge. For alumni, parents and friends, gifts to this fund are the ultimate vote of confidence in everything student affairs stands for and everything it will become.
JOIN US. As the College conducts this historic comprehensive campaign, it is only fitting that the Division of Student Affairs leads the charge. What we do touches the lives of every student and creates a campus that is a true living and learning laboratory. Each gift will be carefully distributed. Your vision and trust, combined with our enthusiasm and expertise, will make a significant difference in the quality of services our students receive. Help us help a student achieve a dream. Your thoughtfulness will be remembered for a lifetime.
With boundless enthusiasm,
Jeri Cabot, Interim Vic e President FOR Student Affairs
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