Chancellor Designates Funds to Match Staff Senate Scholarship Endowment

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – When members and supporters of the University of Arkansas Staff Senate gathered to celebrate the Staff Senate Scholarship Fund reaching the endowed level of $25,000 earlier this year, the tone of the reception quickly turned from good to great. Chancellor G. David Gearhart surprised everyone in attendance with the announcement that the endowed total would be matched over the next three years with private gift dollars from the Chancellor’s Society Fund. Only the gifts designated specifically to this fund will be used to build on the achievement of the Staff Senate.

“As the chancellor was talking, he even asked me if this would be OK with me,” said Angela Black, Staff Senate chair. “I was speechless, and several people in the room were shouting at me to say ‘Yes!’ because I didn’t respond immediately. The crowd was overcome with emotion. I saw tears in people’s eyes, and there were hugs all around.”

The University of Arkansas Staff Senate Scholarship Fund began 10 years ago. The scholarship, originally created to offer one staff scholarship per year, has assisted 44 student staff members with support totaling more than $15,000.

“The Staff Senate has worked tirelessly to raise funds for a scholarship at the university, and many, many members of our dedicated staff have contributed generously to making it happen,” said Gearhart. “It seems only appropriate that we use unrestricted gift support to provide matching funds that will, in effect, double the size of the scholarship. We are deeply grateful to the Staff Senate for their leadership in establishing this important endowment.”

The first part of the match has been added to the endowment, which has already yielded enough to fund an extra full scholarship for a staff member.

“We just couldn’t be happier,” said Black. “Lives are being changed, and seeing such a commitment from the university’s highest levels of leadership encourages us to continue raising money to open new doors for deserving staff.”

Staff members taking classes next year who want to take advantage of these scholarship opportunities can apply now. Applicants must be 100 percent appointed, full-time University of Arkansas staff employees on the Fayetteville campus for at least one year prior to the scholarship deadline of June 3, 2011. 

More information, including an online application, can be found on the Staff Senate Scholarship website. Interested employees may also contact Michele Payne, scholarship committee chair, at 479-575-4436.