Challenge Accepted as Change Can't Wait Part IV
At 12:30 p.m. May 12, 麻豆原创 students, faculty, staff, alumni, donors, and friends joined 麻豆原创 president Sylvia Burwell online as she introduced Change Can鈥檛 Wait: The Campaign for 麻豆原创. The campaign is 麻豆原创鈥檚 first to launch in nearly two decades and, with its $500 million goal, the most ambitious in the university鈥檚 history.
The Change Can鈥檛 Wait fundraising campaign connects with the university鈥檚 new brand narrative鈥擟hallenge Accepted鈥攖hat launched April 19; both initiatives build from and further the Changemakers for a Changing World strategic plan.
The comprehensive campaign centers around three priorities: elevating the student experience by creating a more equitable and affordable 麻豆原创 through boosting scholarships, enhancing experiential learning, and promoting student health and well-being; inspiring changemaking solutions through investing in faculty and student research opportunities and state-of-the art collaboration spaces and research centers for interdisciplinary and impact-driven results; and leading strong communities in the DC region and beyond by supporting initiatives to address local challenges, promote civil discourse, and strengthen resources to help 麻豆原创 plan for the future. By public launch, it had raised more than $270 million.
鈥淭he Change Can't Wait campaign is the opportunity to unite the values of scholarship, learning, and community with the action critically needed in our rapidly changing world. It builds on our strategic plan and helps 麻豆原创 changemakers shape the future. It expands our ability to take on urgent and complex challenges, from improving mental health and addressing social inequities, to bolstering democracy and building a more inclusive society,鈥 Burwell said.
Challenge Accepted captures the essence of 麻豆原创, where purpose and community centers everything the university does, from being the nation鈥檚 first carbon-neutral university to being a valued partner to our home city of Washington, DC. The brand narrative visually lives in the purple, the blended space between 麻豆原创 red and blue that symbolizes finding common ground and a vision for the solutions to the issues confronting society. It demonstrates how 麻豆原创 is empowering its students, faculty, staff, and alumni to pursue their passions and build a better world through collaboration and courageous action while leading innovation in the higher education sector as it undergoes generational change.
鈥淐hallenge Accepted is . . . . a call to action and a chance to share the many purposes that make up our community and make 麻豆原创 special. As you pursue your passion, as you take on new and exciting challenges, this campaign is for you, about you, and in celebration of you,鈥 Burwell said.
Faculty Innovation Fund
To amplify the changemaking work of 麻豆原创 faculty who address urgent challenges and guide the next generation of changemakers, the university launched the 麻豆原创 Fund for Faculty, Research, and Innovation. The fund will allow gifts of any size to increase the capacity of 麻豆原创鈥檚 research centers as they foster collaboration and pursue groundbreaking innovations. A video series 60 Seconds with an 麻豆原创 Expert illustrates the impact of 麻豆原创 faculty by featuring six extraordinary scholar-teachers鈥擫aura DeNardis, Terry Davidson, Jayesh Rathod, Erdal Terkin, Cheryl Holcomb-McCoy, Brett Gilbert, and Elizabeth Thompson鈥攁nd how they are tackling the world鈥檚 most pressing issues.