$2M Gift Supercharges Student Success
Westmont has received $2 million toward a Center for Student Success from an anonymous donor with close ties to the college. A presidential initiative establishes the new center, which will coordinate all facets of the college experience to supercharge student success on campus and after graduation.
“We’re excited about this great development in the life of the college, which enables us to provide our students with the latest and best resources for succeeding not only in the classroom but as they launch for life,” says President Gayle D. Beebe.
“We seek to give every student the support they need to succeed from their first semester to their last — and to flourish well beyond Westmont,” says Edee Schulze, vice president for student life. “Achieving this goal takes collaboration between Student Life and professors, something Westmont does well. We now have the opportunity to focus that collaborative spirit around this particular endeavor.”
The gift, made this calendar year, reflects great momentum at the college. Known for attracting and graduating high-achieving students, Westmont already provides structured guidance when they enroll and when they leave. The new center will help bolster this support where it’s needed most to prepare students for success during and after college.
“This generous gift brings much-needed resources to support students,” says Reed Sheard, vice president for advancement and CIO. “I can’t wait to see the transformative impact of the Center for Student Success on the lives of students.”
Professors will be involved in the new initiative, assisting with co-curricular exercises and programs through the new center and extending their expertise to help support students.
“This gift boosts our efforts to help students flourish in their academic work and their personal lives,” says Provost Mark Sargent. “We’ll expand our abilities to mentor, tutor and advise students as they begin their studies, caring for and supporting them through the familiar challenges of rigorous academics. Not only will more students start well, but many will develop greater confidence and vision for their lives after Westmont.”
The anonymous donors struggled during their university experience and seek to provide the resources they wish had been available to them. They envision a center at Westmont that will make a lifelong impact on students.