Endowed professorships have been reshaping programs at South Dakota State University since 1988, and recently, those numbers have been on the rise.
An endowment represents one of the highest achievements a faculty member can be bestowed upon, according to Provost Dennis Hedge. It is an example of vision and credibility that gives awarded faculty greater opportunities to enhance their students’ learning and research.
### What is an Endowment?
For a professor to be endowed, a large sum of money must be gifted to the university as an investment in the specific program or research area under which the professor falls. Much of the fundraising that contributed to the surge in endowed titles was originally gathered through the “Bold & Blue” campaign, led by the SDSU Foundation (now SDSU Alumni & Foundation).
“When we launched the Bold & Blue campaign in 2017, we had 13 endowed positions,” Hedge said. “Our goal was 50, and today we have 64 commitments, with 45 fully funded.”
According to the Alumni & Foundation website, “Endowments accounted for 54% of funding raised during Bold & Blue.” Over $604 million was raised during the seven-year campaign.
Even after the completion of the Bold & Blue campaign, the number of endowed positions has been steadily increasing and are considered prestigious, Hedge added.
### The Impact of Endowments
“In addition to the honor of having an endowed position that typically bears someone’s name, the positions also have resources or dollars attached for faculty to utilize,” Hedge explained. “These resources advance the academic work and scholarly research that a faculty member contributes to their students and professional careers.”
“Endowed funds can pay for undergraduate and graduate research assistants, student travel, or classroom innovations,” Hedge said. The flexibility in using these funds has allowed faculty to bring new experiences to students while also diving deeper into their research focuses.
### Spotlight on Erica Summerfield
Erica Summerfield, an agriculture communications professor in the School of Communication and Journalism (COJO), is one of SDSU’s most recent endowed professors. Summerfield said her endowment came very unexpectedly but has elevated her level of research and teaching in a short amount of time.
“The endowment that I have was specifically given for a faculty member in ag communications,” Summerfield said. “I’m the only faculty member in ag communications, but we have a growing program with many students now. The university and, obviously, the endowment alumni are starting to recognize how big the program is, its impact, and that we need more people and funds to help it operate.”
Since being endowed, Summerfield’s title has changed to: Erica Summerfield, Karen D. Stuck Assistant Professor of Agricultural Communications. Unlike many other endowments, Summerfield has been able to maintain close contact with her donor, Karen Stuck.
Stuck, a home economics and journalism major, graduated from SDSU in 1966. She has been very involved with COJO over the years and recently funded Summerfield’s endowment to give back to the program. Summerfield enjoys updating Stuck on the positive impact her donation has made.
Summerfield has already used some of the funds to send students to conferences, bring in guest speakers, and fund research to improve her teaching. “I’m doing a research project right now with a few universities across the country looking at career readiness needs for ag communications students. We are assessing what industry professionals think our students should know before graduating to be competitive for jobs,” she said.
This research helps educators stay connected to the industry and has the potential to influence classes and curriculum to better prepare students. Summerfield’s collaborators include colleagues at Auburn, Iowa State, and Tennessee State, and the project has already made an impact in SDSU classrooms.
### The Cost and Sustainability of Endowments
With new innovations comes a cost — and it’s not small. The one-time million-dollar donation lasts in the program for decades.
“A donor invests money, usually around a million dollars, and those funds are set aside to generate interest year after year,” Hedge said. “That million dollars stays in the Foundation and yields about 4%, roughly $40,000 annually, which can be reinvested into classrooms, research, or student opportunities.”
Donors often come to the university with the intent to support a specific department, many of which have a personal connection to the areas they fund.
### The Role of SDSU Alumni & Foundation
The SDSU Alumni and Foundation plays a crucial role in fundraising and building commitments with donors. Carolyn Poss, associate vice president for Philanthropic Fulfillment at SDSU Alumni and Foundation, emphasized the importance of relationship-building.
“Developing relationships ensures that not only does the university get the funding it needs, but donor intentions are met and carried out as well,” Poss said.
It is these relationships between current and potential donors that have made it possible to increase the number of endowed professorships at SDSU, helping to advance education and research at the university.
https://sdsucollegian.com/32510/uncategorized/endowed-professorships-on-the-rise/
