College of Humanities

The College of Humanities is fundraising for the Student Emergency Funds, John R. Park Debate Society, and Departments and Centers across the College. Your donations will directly support students, provide immediate emergent aid, fund Debate scholarships and day-to-day functions, and support students throughout the Humanities disciplines.

Humanities Student Emergency Funds

Emergencies can happen to anyone, at any time, and for students, it can mean the difference between continuing their education and dropping out. Students are struggling to balance rising inflation and increasing housing costs with the cost of tuition. Loss of income and unexpected expenses - such as medical emergencies, broken eyeglasses, books, or housing - often force students to decide between their education and basic needs. The Student Emergency Fund works to prevent this by providing critical, immediate assistance to help students stay on track towards their academic and professional goals.

Gifts of any size make a difference by supporting unexpected costs like medical-related expenses, tuition assistance, and basic needs such as hygiene and groceries. Your gift can be the turning point for a student and make a lasting impact on their trajectory. We know that unexpected financial burden is the number one reason students from low-income backgrounds drop out, many disrupting coursework due to unplanned expenses as low as $500.

Thank you for helping us mitigate this barrier by providing emergency relief to students. Your donations directly impact individual student lives and help reduce the perpetual financial strain many of our students face.

John R. Park Debate Society

As one of the only 4-year programs where students compete in both debate and individual events, the John R. Park Debate Society takes students to regional, national, and international tournaments to apply their knowledge through debate, interpretation, platform, and limited preparation events. Students gain skills in public speaking, argumentation, and humanistic inquiry that can create a strong foundation for success across many disciplines. This dedication to academics also results in competitive success for the team.

Each year, students compete to qualify their events for the National Forensics Association’s National Championship. Historically, the Debate Society qualified numerous events for nationals, and this year is no different, as 32 out of 35 of current students' events are already qualified!

Your contributions to the John R. Park Debate Society help fund these efforts and support student scholarships, outreach programs, and the day-to-day functioning of the team. Gifts of any size will increase the possibilities for students at all levels! Thanks to your generous support, undergraduate students have the opportunity to practice their skills in a learning laboratory that only tournaments can provide, and graduate students can benefit by practicing their pedagogical skill building, teaching, networking, and increasing their opportunities post-graduation.

Match and Challenge Gifts

Carl and Vanessa Laurella Family Match - For every dollar donated to the College of Humanities, the Carl and Vanessa Laurella family will match dollar for dollar (up to $5,000) to support Humanities students facing unplanned emergent expenses.

David Wells Bennett Scholarship Match - For every dollar donated to the College of Humanities, Amy Bennett Johnson will match dollar for dollar (up to $1,000) to the David Wells Bennett Endowed Scholarship, supporting Humanities students interested in pursuing a degree in Philosophy.

Vincent Cheng English Prize Match - For every dollar donated to the College of Humanities, Vincent Cheng will match dollar for dollar (up to $500) to the Vincent Cheng Prizes in English, supporting English students with a prize for the best literary or critical papers.

Edward Rivas Scholarship Match - For every dollar donated to the College of Humanities, Mercedes Grimes will match dollar for dollar (up to $1,000) to the Edward Rivas Endowed Scholarship, supporting Humanities students interested in pursuing a degree in Spanish.

Tom Barberi Voice of Reason Scholarship Match - For every dollar donated to the College of Humanities, Mikelle Barberi-Weil and Gina Barberi will match dollar for dollar (up to $1,000) to the Tom Barberi Voice of Reason Scholarship, supporting Humanities students interested in pursuing a degree in Communication.

In Memory of Betty McNamara 200 Donor Challenge - If we reach 200 individual donors, $5,000 will be matched in memory of alumna Betty McNamara, BS History '48; MA History '49, to the College of Humanities Emergency Scholarships Fund.

Hugh the Manatee Stickers

Donate $5 or more this Giving Day and receive the exclusive University Founder Hugh sticker. With gifts of $175 or more, you will receive the full Hugh Through the Decades sticker collection and a Block U set.