In light of a series of budget cuts, the Rodman Scholars Program plans to start an endowment to secure its own financial independence.
The honors program for the Engineering School has an annual budget of about $30,000, said Engineering Prof. Dana Elzey, who also directs the program. But the program's budget has been cut by about 12 percent since 2007, said Engineering School Dean James Aylor, who attributed the reduction to a decrease in state funding and the recent economic slump.
The program hopes to raise $1 million with this endowment to gain self-sustaining financial stability and independence, which Manya Garg, co-president of the Rodman Scholars Student Council, said would be funded by grants and by donations from supporters of the program and the Engineering School.
Rodman Scholars, who are comprised of the top 5-6 percent of each Engineering class, are given benefits such as priority registration, specialized curricula and access to Rodman Seminars, all of which depend on the program's budget. The program also pays professors to teach classes exclusive to Rodman Scholars, so the endowment would allow them to keep professors and acquire additional ones.
"We want to make sure that funding is independent from anything happening in the economy right now," said Daniel Amante, social and community service chair of the Rodman Student Council. "We want to make sure that future Rodmans can have the same opportunities."
In addition to maintaining the program's current initiatives, leaders of the program also hope to use the endowment to expand and create new initiatives.
"[The endowment] will allow us to offer unique opportunities to Rodmans and to distinguish ourselves," Elzey said.
The Rodman Scholars Program hopes to increase corporate outreach, continue participation in study abroad opportunities, gain research grants, attract potential Rodman Scholars to the University and alumni networking.
"[The endowment] will help the program, for the first time in 30 years, in an assertive effort to reconnect with past alumni," Elzey said.
Read More
Honor Committee, Class Councils offer resources for students during exam season
By Lidia Zur Muhlen and Brandon Kile | 13 hours agoEvery semester, the Honor Committee utilizes a portion of its roughly $5 million endowment to fund its finals season initiatives.
University sees increase in fraudulent emails and phishing attempts
By Bertie Azqueta | 2 days agoSome of these phishing attempts come from @virginia.edu email addresses, making it more challenging for University Outlook users to differentiate fraudulent emails.
Faculty Senate discusses proposal to separate faculty position renewal from promotion
By Lexie Stadler | 3 days agoAGF are non-tenure-track professors who hold roles primarily focused on teaching, research, academic librarianship and clinical service.
