Endowments
Endowed Scholarships
Why are scholarships so important for students at Southeastern?
Scholarships enable Southeastern to attract and retain students of high academic skills and personal merit. Because of scholarships established by alumni and friends of the University, many very good students are now able to attend college and graduate with undergraduate and graduate degrees.
Donors can establish a named endowed scholarship at one of four levels:
· Dean’s Level (minimum contribution of $10,000)
· Provost Level (minimum contribution of $25,000)
· President’s Level (minimum contribution of $50,000)
· Founders’ Level (minimum contribution of $100,000)
Contributions to establish an endowed scholarship may be spread over a period of three to four years. Once the minimum endowment is established, only the earnings from the endowment will be used to fund the scholarship. Because the principal of the endowment will never be touched, the scholarship will exist in perpetuity.
Scholarships are administered by the Southeastern Development Foundation. It is the goal of the Foundation to award 4.5% of the income earned from the endowment annually to the recipient of an endowed scholarship.
At the present time Southeastern has almost 250 endowed scholarship that are awarded annually to our students. One of the primary fundraising goals of the University is to establish more endowed scholarships.
Endowed Professorships
Why is it important for Southeastern to have donors establish endowed professorships?
Students today demand and expect the best teachers in their classrooms and laboratories. The establishment of endowed professorships is essential to Southeastern if the University is to attract and retain the highest quality instructors.
In order for Louisiana universities to attract outstanding faculty and keep them in Louisiana, the state has implemented the Endowed Professorships for Eminent Scholars program with proceeds from the Louisiana Education Quality Support Fund (popularly known as the 8g fund). The fund is supported by a permanent trust approved by voters in a 1986 constitutional amendment. The original $540 million payment was part of a settlement between the state and federal government over off-shore oil and gas money. By 2000, the trust fund had risen to approximately $896 million.
The Endowed Professorships for Eminent Scholars program allows the state to match every $60,000 in private or corporate donations raised by Southeastern with $40,000 from the support fund. Once Professorships are endowed, the earnings from the endowment are used for salary supplements, research support, and program development activities.
At the present time Southeastern has almost 30 endowed professorships that are awarded annually to faculty members. One of the primary fundraising goals of the University is to establish more endowed professorships.
Endowed Chairs
Southeastern has a one time opportunity for a donor to establish a $1 millon Endowed Chair with a gift of only $400,000!
The Endowed Chairs for Eminent Scholars program allows the state of Louisiana ot match every $600,000 in private or corporate donations raised by Southeastern with $400,000. once Chairs are endowed, the earnings from the endowment are used for salary supplements, research support, and program development activites.
On January 25, 2001, the Board of Regents announced a change in its Endowed Chairs for Eminent Scholars program in an effort to help universities with less than three Endowed Chairs.
As a result, Southeastern Louisiana University has an opportunity to add one additional Endowed Chair with a private or corporate gift of $400,000 with the state providing a match of $600,000!
At the present time Southeastern has two endowed chairs:
The Edward G. Schlieder Endowed Chair in Environmental Studies was established with a gift from the Edward G. Schlieder Educational Foundation located in New Orleans. The establishment of this endowed chair has allowed Southeastern to bring a distinguished scholar with a national reputation to our campus to head out program in Environmental Studies.
The Ford Family Endowed Chair in Regional Studies has been established with a donation from Judge Leon Ford III, Leon Ford IV, and Helen Ford Dufreche. The holder of the Ford Chair is Dr. Samuel Hyde. Dr. Hyde is a noted authority on the history of southeast Louisiana.