A mystery donor gave UNC Asheville $1.5 million from a growing pool of donations now totaling $60 million given to universities around the country since March, according to the university.
"The gift is among the largest ever made to UNCA," said Merianne Epstein, director of news information.
Scholarships made possible by the donation will be available next semester, according to Epstein.
"I read in the Citizen-Times that there were more than a dozen donations, and they all went to colleges led by women," said freshman biology major Violet Silwedel. "I think it's great (female chancellors and university administrators) are getting help running colleges because I can imagine it is hard to get that sort of a position as a woman."
Upon finding out about the donation on March 20, UNCA's chancellor made a statement. By that time, nine donations totaling $45 million were already distributed, with more to come.
"This is a wonderful gift to our university, to our students and to the public that we serve," said Chancellor Anne Ponder. "It's as if this donor read our strategic plan and priorities and knew how important it is for us to invest in scholarships, in faculty expertise and in equipment to ensure that we continue to provide outstanding academic quality."
In the current economic climate, when investments in our academic programs are being deferred or eliminated, the donation matches our needs perfectly and is incredibly timely and valuable, according to Ponder.
"The donor might be anonymous, but their intention, to help out universities during this recession, was clear," said junior Josh Robinson.
The UNC system had its budget cut by 7 percent this semester, according to Robinson.
"I heard some of the schools were asked to sign contracts saying they wouldn't try to learn the identity of the donor," Robinson said. "It's somebody or a group that just doesn't want any recognition for their actions. I don't see how it could be anything bad."
The school contacted the IRS and Department of Homeland Security to make sure the donation was legal, according to William Massey, vice chancellor for alumni and development.
"It is odd that the donations are only going to schools with female leadership, but I suppose it's alright, as long as they don't try to dictate where the money goes," Robinson said.
Robinson hopes there are no stipulations on how the money is spent, especially not on who the scholarships go to because he wants the scholarships to be accessible to everybody, including men.
"At the anonymous donor's request, $1 million will go toward scholarships and $500,000 toward operating support," Epstein said.
UNCA will use $250,000 to purchase equipment needed for the new Zeis Science & Multimedia Building that will be dedicated this fall.
The remaining $250,000 will be set aside to help create a new endowed faculty chair. Private funds and the state's Distinguished Professors Endowment Trust Fund will match those funds in the future.
A portion of the financial aid dollars will be available to qualifying students beginning in fall 2009, and the remainder will be invested in scholarship endowments to provide continuing financial aid to undergraduate students in the future, according to Epstein.
"I could do with some financial help," said junior Delaney Brown. "I work at a gas station, pay most of my expenses and go to school. With the state of the economy, a lot of students, including myself, will need the money soon."
Thirteen universities received money from the mysterious donor since March.
"At a time when a college education has never been more important and economic challenges face us at every turn, this kind of gift is transformational for our university and for the students who will attend UNCA next year and in the years to come," said UNCA Board of Trustees Chair Al Whitesides.
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