Dear Price Community,
I am pleased to announce that the Price School has received a generous gift of $1 million to support our Diversity Initiative. One half of the gift will be used towards an endowment to support the diversity fund for scholarships to underrepresented students and the second half of the gift will be used to support diversity programming throughout the School.
While the donors wish to remain anonymous, I can share they are successful entrepreneurs and the proud parents of a Price student. The experience of their student convinced them of the Price School’s commitment to our mission to improve the quality of life for people and communities here and abroad – and of the academic excellence of our programs.
On behalf of the Price School, I am thankful to this family for their commitment to expanding opportunity for underrepresented students and to diversity in higher education. This gift will help support our efforts to recruit and support underrepresented students and to offer meaningful programs that reflect our deep commitment to social justice.
This gift comes at a particularly opportune moment. The Price School has a long commitment to diversity and inclusion, and was one of only two schools nationwide selected to receive the 2016 Diversity Award from NASPAA, the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration – the accreditor of master’s programs in public and nonprofit administration, public policy, and public affairs. Yet even as we won this award, we knew there was much more we could do.
For the past two years, a task force composed of faculty, staff and students have worked diligently to prepare a five-year diversity plan, “Inclusive Excellence,” that was just submitted to the Provost for review and approval. The primary goals outlined in the plan include efforts to increase the diversity of our students and faculty and to attract and support students from diverse backgrounds.
This gift provides necessary resources toward achieving these goals, and we are deeply appreciative of the donors’ investment in our School and its work. Please join me in celebrating this new investment in our efforts!
Best regards,
Sincerely,
Jack H. Knott
Dean, Sol Price School of Public Policy