A strong endowment allows Bridgewater College to fund initiatives that will have a lasting impact on students’ educations and the quality of the Bridgewater Experience. Endowed funds grow over time to create perpetual funding for student scholarships, faculty research, departmental support, special programs, facilities and more. Donors have the option of giving to an existing endowed fund or creating their own. When you create an endowed fund, you invest in the College’s future.
Academic Schools – $4,000,000
Schools are structured to allow students to make the most of their Bridgewater College experience—delving deeply into their program of study while also benefiting from a connection to other departments. Schools combine various classes and resources to ensure that students’ educational goals are met. Endowed funds to support each school will be used to support academic program development, interdisciplinary initiatives and the most pressing needs of the school to ensure its success in perpetuity. Bridgewater College’s Schools are:
Rhodes School of Arts and Humanities:
The Departments of Art, Communication Studies and Theatre, English, History and Political Science, Music, Philosophy and Religion, Sociology and Criminology, and World Languages and Cultures
Coffman School of Natural Sciences:
The Departments of Biology and Environmental Science, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Engineering and Physics, Mathematics and Computer Science, and Psychology
Nolen School of Business and Professional Studies:
The Departments of Economics and Business Administration, Health and Human Sciences and the Teacher Education Program
Centers – $2,000,000
Centers serve as a structural entity for institutes or programs with a similar focus or commitment. These commitments can be functionally connected, such as a career center, or philosophically connected, such as the existing Center for Engaged Learning (CEL):
Center for Engaged Learning combines academics with extracurricular programming to enhance the college experience and help students become responsible to and active in communities, ranging from the local to the global. It’s the center of gravity that holds together everything students will do at BC—in the classroom and beyond. The CEL is also a collective of three institutes: Kline-Bowman Institute for Creative Peacebuilding, Zane D. Showker Institute for Responsible Leadership, and the Wade Institute for Teaching & Learning (see Institutes).
Center for Career Development provides students with a comprehensive array of resources to assist them in exploring career opportunities, exposes them to internships and other real-world experiences, and prepares them for successful entry into meaningful employment and/or graduate school programs.
Institutes – $1,000,000
Institutes provide opportunities for students to enrich their knowledge and skills in prescribed disciplines or in pedagogical practice. Opportunities may include course offerings, presentations by and interactions with experts in the field, experiential learning, and involvement in activities on and off campus.
Faculty Support Funds
Chairs – $1,000,000
Professorships – $500,000
Faculty Awards – $25,000
Endowed funds focused on faculty development allow Bridgewater to attract and retain top teacher/scholars by providing them with opportunities to be recognized as the best in their discipline while remaining focused on their students’ success. Funds provide support for faculty research, continuing education, and presentations at conferences and other professional endeavors.
Program Funds – $1,000,000
A program endowed fund enables specified areas of the College to offer benefits above and beyond the items included in the normal operating budget. These funds enhance a variety of programs, allowing them to offer the finest liberal arts education possible. Two initiatives that are a priority today include:
The Research Experience @ Bridgewater (TRE@B) Program coordinates summer research initiatives through a coordinated application process that helps to ensure productive research opportunities for students. The primary focus is on student-faculty partnerships that engage students in relevant topics and further faculty members’ scholarship.
The Globalization Program provides study abroad opportunities for students, including coordinating existing partnerships, establishing new opportunities, and supporting students who cannot presently afford national or international experiences.
Scholarships and Student Awards – $25,000
Endowed scholarships and awards do more than attract the best and the brightest to Bridgewater. They help to enrich student experiences throughout their four years on campus. Endowed scholarships offer merit or need-based financial aid to BC’s talented students. Endowed student awards provide resources for specific experiences, such as The Research Experience @ Bridgewater and the Globalization Program, or are used to recognize outstanding student performance.
