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Appalachian State University Foundation Inc

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Created in 1970, the Appalachian State University Foundation is a support organization of the university that receives and invests private funds to help further the institution's academic mission. The foundation provided more than $10.28 million in support of university activities in 2008-09.

Contributions to the Appalachian State University Foundation support...

International Education A group of Appalachian students value their travel and study abroad experiences so much they want to ensure their peers have the same opportunity, regardless of family income. That’s why they’ve created the Go Abroad: International Appalachian Scholarship, Appalachian’s first travel abroad scholarship. The scholarship will be awarded each year to four students beginning in 2010. It will be open to all majors for study in the country of their choice. International education has been a major emphasis at Appalachian for many years. It more fully prepares young people for successful lives and careers, especially as the global community has become more interconnected. The university has 41 institutional partnerships in more than 17 countries.

ACCESS Scholarships The Appalachian Commitment to a College Education for Student Success (ACCESS) scholarship program, now in its third year, offers low-income students from North Carolina a university education debt free. It supplements a student’s federal financial aid grant, state financial aid grant, scholarships, and other forms of financial assistance with sufficient funds to cover the entire cost of attending Appalachian – an estimated $9,900 a year for tuition, fees, room and board. Each student also receives an on-campus job for up to four years to help pay their personal expenses. The Appalachian ACCESS scholarship program currently has 163 scholars from across the state.

Martha Guy Summer Institute More than $400,000 was contributed in 2008-09 to support the Martha Guy Summer Institute in the Walker College of Business. The institute helps high school juniors develop a better understanding of business principles and opportunities. Approximately 25 students from across the state are selected each year to participate in the institute. They attend classes and seminars on campus and meet various business leaders. Students also travel to New York City and Washington, D.C.

Distinguished Professorships Private donations coupled with matching state funds have established a total of 14 distinguished professorships at the university.  The most recently established is the John M. Blackburn Distinguished Professorship in Theatre in the College of Fine and Applied Arts. Other professorships exist in the Walker College of Business, College of Arts and Sciences, and Belk Library and Information Commons. Distinguished professorships such as these enable the university to recruit nationally and internationally known scholars to campus, and support presentations by visiting scholars, lectures, research and community outreach activities.

Future Teachers A major gift from an anonymous donor established the Alexander Scholars Program, while a gift of $160,000 was made to support the Reich College of Education's ACCESS for Teachers scholarship fund. Gifts such as these help deserving students who have a passion for teaching pursue their dreams of becoming a public school teacher in North Carolina.

Visiting Writers Series Greg Mortenson, Jeannette Walls, Paula Meehan and Lee Smith are among the noted writers who have participated in the Hughlene Bostian Frank Visiting Writers Series. Established in 1989, the series brings authors of poetry, fiction and drama to the Appalachian campus each year to present public readings.

Cultural and Performing Arts The cultural and performing arts thrive at Appalachian thanks to contributions to the Appalachian State University Foundation. Private donors and corporations ensure that the university community’s and the region’s citizens have access to drama, dance and musical performances offered through An Appalachian Summer Festival, and to the visual arts through exhibits presented by the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts.

Student-athletes Student-athletes participating in the 20 varsity sports played at Appalachian receive scholarship support thanks to $2,326,793 in contributions to the Yosef Club through the Appalachian State University Foundation. In addition, The Campaign for Athletic Facilities receipted more than $1.4 million in 2008-09, bringing their total campaign to nearly $12 million towards a $14 million goal.

Young Musicians Appalachian Partners In Education (AppalPIE) Scholarships are awarded to entering freshman music majors. The awards are for $2,500 per year, renewable up to four years. These scholarships are supported by contributing friends of the Hayes School of Music who “adopt” a music student during their undergraduate experience. Currently, 25 students are AppalPie scholars in the music school.