Davidson College receives $12 million in faculty support from Duke Endowment

The Charlotte-based Duke Endowment has committed $12 million over four years to support faculty at Davidson College, the endowment and college announced Thursday night.

The gift, focused on building a faculty for the future, will support Davidson’s commitment to inclusivity, allow for recruiting and hiring of pre-tenure faculty and provide all faculty with flexible professional development, research and curricular innovation.

A matching gift component for donors interested in creating endowed professorships at Davidson is included as part of the endowment’s gift.

“We must continue to build a faculty that is creative, collaborative and representative of our multifaceted student body and nation,” said Wendy Raymond, vice president for academic affairs and dean of faculty.

“Our graduates are entering a rapidly changing world, and faculty members seek to evolve as teacher-scholars and teacher-artists to best prepare Davidson students for lives of leadership and service,” Raymond said. “This tremendous gift from The Duke Endowment ensures that the Davidson faculty will remain leaders in the constantly changing landscape of higher education.”

In 2012, The Duke Endowment awarded $45 million to Davidson, the largest single grant ever given to the college, to support the college’s 10-year plan to build, expand or renovate six buildings to create an “academic neighborhood” with flexible spaces and common areas.

In the following two years, The Duke Endowment approved a $3.4 million grant to help Davidson, Duke University, Johnson C. Smith University and Furman University collaborate on increasing student “resilience,” meaning their ability to thrive despite difficult circumstances.

The endowment also gave $6 million to Davidson College in 2014 to support scholarships for talented students from across the country, regardless of their financial background.

This story was originally published October 6, 2016 at 8:00 PM with the headline "Davidson College receives $12 million in faculty support from Duke Endowment."