Giving

Give to the School of Dance

Dean’s Discretionary Fund

The Dean’s Discretionary Fund (DDF) enables the dean to provide limited but often life-changing financial support to students who are unable to provide the full tuition in any given year (in spite of exhausting available student loan options). Often times it is a few thousand dollars that stands between a student and their fine arts education. You cannot imagine the relief and gratitude a student in need feels when he/she is helped in this way.

The DDF also enables the Dean to fund student travel for such world-class competitions as the Prix de Lausanne in Switzerland, and the Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP). These highly visible events expose our talented students to elite-level students, choreographers, and directors in the national and international dance world. UNCSA’s presence at these competitions continues to provide value as marketing and recruiting tools that help attract talented students who wouldn’t otherwise be exposed to our program. The DDF also supports emerging opportunities to enhance the student experience, as well as faculty development (e.g., teacher training workshops over the summer months).

If you are able to contribute to the DDF, please know that every dollar makes a difference.  Even $20 a month can make the overall School of Dance experience a better one, while allowing us to continue building our reputation as one of the premier schools in the nation. If you wish to learn more about the Dean’s Discretionary Fund, please contact Interim Chief Advancement Officer, Richard Whittington, at whittingtonr@uncsa.edu.

Dean’s Council

Becoming a member of the Dean’s Council is a great way to be more deeply engaged with the School of Dance. Dean’s Council members meet with the dean throughout the year to discuss ideas for engaging the School of Dance with the local community and with the professional dance world at large. These meetings have proven very fruitful in raising the school’s profile, improving its curriculum, and increasing funding. The Dean’s Council is also invited to take part in special events at the school, such as dinners with special guest artists, and join excursions to New York to visit dance companies like American Ballet Theatre, observe professional company classes, attend a performance, and have dinner with a principal dancer. Membership on the Dean’s Council is a $5,000 gift per year to the Dean’s Discretionary Fund. If you wish to learn more about the Dean’s Council, please contact Richard Whittington at whittingtonr@uncsa.edu.  

Gillian Murphy Endowed Scholarship

Thanks to many generous donors (large and small) we have reached our $600,000 goal to fully endow the Gillian Murphy Endowed Scholarship.  As a highly acclaimed principal dancer with the American Ballet Theatre, Gillian (’96) is one of our most distinguished alumni. The fund enables us to award an annual, merit-based $25,000 scholarship to a talented student for four years.

If you are interested in contributing to the fund, or wish to learn more, please e-mail our Interim Dean of Dance, Jared Reddick, at reddickj@uncsa.edu or our Interim Chief Advancement Officer, Richard Whittington, at whittingtonr@uncsa.edu.