The Division of Student Affairs fosters holistic development, meaningful connections, and community engagement to advance high-impact practices for experiential learning, self-exploration, leadership, and service in the world. To do this, we provide opportunities that prioritize well-being and safety, equity and inclusion, integrative learning experiences, collaborative partnerships, and a sense of belonging. Choose Student Affairs when you make your gift or choose to support a specific program by typing the program name in the "Select a Designation" box.
International Student Programs: International Student Programs (ISP) serves the educational, regulatory, and personal development needs of Macalester’s international students through helping them integrate, participate, and apply their learning to their own lives and cultural contexts. Programs include a pre-orientation, a peer mentorship program, host family connections, weekly talk and tea events, tax preparation help, and graduation celebration, among others.
Student Leadership and Engagement: The Center for Student Leadership and Engagement creates intentional learning opportunities for students to engage in campus life, develop leadership skills, and build inclusive communities throughout their Macalester experience. CSLE supports the Macalester College Student Government and all student organizations, as well as programs like New Student Orientation and Leadership Macalester.
Disability Resources: The Center for Disability Resources strives to create a welcoming environment where students have equal access to academic and co-curricular activities and programming. In addition to supporting students with disabilities. we work collaboratively across campus to foster a culture of inclusion and universal design through educational programming, advocacy and awareness building serving as resource for the entire Macalester Community.
Student Support and Crisis Intervention: Student Support and Crisis intervention comes in a wide variety of formats. Whether it is students in need of support or resources related to mental health, medical situations, family life, food insecurity, or academics and finances, the Dean of Students Office is the central connecting point to for these resources to help the student succeed.
Health and Wellness: The Hamre Center for Health & Wellness is dedicated to supporting, educating, and empowering our diverse student body in developmentally-appropriate and culturally-responsive ways in all aspects of their health and well-being. We approach our spectrum of promotion, prevention, direct services, and advocacy work through a public health lens, prioritizing social justice, health equity, and transparency.
Residential Life: Residential Life at Macalester College utilizes a student-focused, learning-centered approach to foster resident development, authentic relationships, and inclusive living-communities. We do this through our implementation of LIFE@MAC, community standards, and housing services.
Open Pantry: The Macalester Open Pantry exists to ensure all students have access to healthy food in a timely manner. We believe in the following principles that help center our work in supporting students: Food is a basic right for all individuals. Everyone deserves access to healthy food, where they live, that they can get to. Everyone deserves access to foods that are familiar to them and fit their cultural preferences, abilities, and dietary needs. Working collaboratively with other campuses, community organizations, and across our campus drives our mutual success. Operating in a way that supports equity, sustainability, and fairness to all builds a stronger campus community.
Forensics: Macalester’s forensics program provides a wide variety of opportunities for students to improve their skills in the core liberal arts disciplines of rhetoric, logic, and argumentation. In 2024, Macalester students are competing in five different forensics team events: mock trial, ethics bowl, policy debate, moot court and ModelUN. Funds provide regional and national travel competition opportunities for 80+ students in the program.
Olin-Rice Summer Summer Research: The Olin-Rice Hub supports summer research opportunities through collection and promotion, helping students prepare to apply for research positions, managing the application and selection process, supporting students during their summer experiences, and creating opportunities to share their research outcomes with campus and beyond. The Hub is a meaningful collaboration with faculty, who mentor students as they develop their research skills and agendas.
Career Exploration and Internships: Career Exploration empowers and guides students and alumni by providing comprehensive career advising and opportunities to connect within and beyond the Macalester community. Our impactful programs include stipends through the Macalester Summer Internship Grant Program (MSIG), MacExplore trips in the Twin Cities and the United States, employer events, and individual career advising.
Entrepreneurship and Innovation: Hope Into Action - Here we create the change we want to see in the world. Entrepreneurship & Innovation and Idea Lab inspire students to put their ideas into action. It gives students the courage to create opportunities, the creativity to solve problems, and the resilience, grit, and hope necessary for lasting change.
Varsity Athletics and Club Sports: Your gift helps Macalester Club and Varsity Sports continue to provide our scholar-athletes a holistic collegiate experience combining competitive athletic endeavor along with personal development, community building action, and academic distinction.
Donation Challenge
$100,000 if 2,000 donors give in the next 7 months
Challenge Complete!
Offered by Board of Trustees Challenge Fund
Donation Challenge
$1,000 if 10 donors give in the next 7 months
Challenge Complete!
For Class of 2006
Offered by Chelsey D Smith
Donation Match
$100 per donor for gifts of $5 or higher, up to $50,000
Match Complete!
For Classes between 2015 & 2023
Offered by Board of Trustees Challenge Fund
Donation Match
$100 per donor for gifts of $5 or higher, up to $30,000
Match Complete!
For Students
Offered by Board of Trustees Challenge Fund
Donation Match
$100 per donor for gifts of $5 or higher, up to $25,000
Match Complete!
For Faculty/Staff
Offered by Board of Trustees Challenge Fund
Donation Match
$100 per donor up to $1,000
Match Complete!
For Class of 2010
Offered by Joshua Paulson
Donation Challenge
$100 if 20 donors give in the next 7 months
Challenge Complete!
For Alumni
Offered by Madeline Buckley
Donation Challenge
$100 if 10 donors give in the next 7 months
Challenge Complete!
For Class of 2012
Offered by Anonymous
Donation Challenge
$50 if 10 donors give in the next 7 months
Challenge Complete!
Offered by Ellie Virgin '09
Donation Match
$25 per donor up to $500
Match Complete!
For Class of 2004
Offered by Dan Ettinger
Donation Match
$10 per donor up to $200
Match Complete!
For Class of 2013
Offered by Zhenmei Zhang
Donation Match
$5 per donor up to $300
Match Complete!
Offered by Ethan Deutsch
Donation Match
$5 per donor up to $100
Match Complete!
For Class of 2020
Offered by Jason Kohn
Donation Match
$5 per donor up to $50
Match Complete!
For Class of 2013
Offered by Elena Tonc
Donation Match
$1 per $1 donated up to $75,000
Match Complete!
For Parents
Offered by A group of parent leadership donors
Donation Match
$1 per $1 donated up to $26,746
Match Complete!
For Alumni
Offered by Alumni Board
Donation Match
$1 per $1 donated up to $25,000
Match Complete!
For Class of 1994
Offered by A group of leadership donors
Donation Match
$1 per $1 donated up to $13,000
Match Complete!
For Class of 1974
Offered by Sue Gerk Talley '74 and Douglas Perkins '73
Donation Match
$1 per $1 donated up to $10,000
Match Complete!
For Class of 2004
Offered by A group of leadership donors
Donation Match
$1 per $1 donated up to $5,000
Match Complete!
For Class of 2014
Offered by A group of leadership donors
Donation Match
$1 per $1 donated up to $1,600
Match Complete!
For Class of 1979
Offered by A group of leadership donors
Donation Match
$10 per donor up to $400
Match Complete!
For Alumni (2019)
Offered by Andy Han