College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

Support a professionalizing academic or creative experience and make a difference for a current student!

The CLASS Dean's Excellence Fund supports initiatives across the College. This year we are focusing in part on small grants to fund student travel to participate in a professionalizing academic or creative experience-- such as conferences, festivals, exhibitions. Presenting or exhibiting their work is not required but is always encouraged!

There are real benefits to enabling a student to travel to see an art exhibit or theatrical performance that directly informs their work, or to hear from and network with other undergraduates or master’s students at a conference in their area of study. Students return with an enhanced sense of themselves as knowledge-makers and engaged with a world beyond the classroom.

Any amount can help with a train ticket, an overnight stay, an admission or registration fee. Current students are seeking support to present work at a gathering of counseling students, to visit an exhibition by an artist with direct influence on their own artwork, or to present their work at a women’s studies gathering. Think of those who helped you along your way, and dig deep!

Examples of how your gift can make an impact:

• $50 - funds a train trip to Chicago
• $150 - covers an overnight stay at a conference venue
• $500 allows for airfare or covers registration fees and lodging for a conference or festival