The Power of Unrestricted Support

January 30, 2023

(From left to right) Rita Hanes ’89, Jim Tanner ’90 and Pam Parker ’90, all members of Arts and Sciences Foundation Board of Directors and Arts and Sciences Fund donors, celebrate the College’s success in the Campaign for Carolina.

The Arts and Sciences Fund helps shape the experience of nearly every student in the College and allows the dean to meet unexpected needs and support new initiatives as they arise. Pam Parker ’90, a member of the Arts and Sciences Foundation Board of Directors, appreciates the value of unrestricted giving and especially its role in flexibly meeting the needs of talented students and acclaimed faculty.

Gifts totaling nearly $19.7 million from 12,244 donors during the Campaign for Carolina continue to play a crucial role in funding the College’s highest priorities, including diversity, equity and inclusion efforts; study abroad; research opportunities; faculty recruitment and retention; and course development. As an example, the Arts and Sciences Fund is supporting the Triple-I (Ideas, Information and Inquiry) course “Pandemics: Ethics, Literatures and Cultures,” which is part of the IDEAs in Action curriculum, in spring 2023.

Parker shared, “I give to the Arts and Sciences Fund as a way to help the College realize its fullest potential and empower generations of students and faculty.” Currently a senior vice president at Merrill, Parker recognizes the impact that a well-rounded liberal arts education can have on students’ lives. “Now more than ever, Arts and Sciences funding is critical to the College being in a place to quickly address current priorities as well as take advantage of opportunities in the ever-changing environment of higher education.”

The dean relies on the generous alumni and friends who collectively provide the crucial resources our students and faculty need annually to pursue their passions, make discoveries and achieve global impact.