The most meaningful and impactful gifts happen at the intersections of a benefactor's heartfelt passions and Duquesne's ambitious vision.

What means the most to you? How can you light the spark to IGNITE transformational change? 

We invite you to consider these opportunities to support our schools, departments and programs.

Then, make a gift now or contact us to learn more about major and planned giving options.

Invest in the Future

Your investment in scholarships and financial aid will pay dividends today, tomorrow and forever.

Our Spiritan founders insisted that the transformative benefits of a Duquesne education be available to all worthy students, regardless of ability to pay. Funding for need-based financial aid is critical to keeping this promise alive - now and for generations to come.

In the earliest days, the Spiritans often reduced or waived tuition for those who could not pay. Today's conditions are much different, but higher education remains the key to better lives and careers. Many students and their families sacrifice and often incur substantial debt in their quest for a college education. For many, the bottom line cost is a key factor in deciding whether to enroll or stay at Duquesne.

More than 90 percent of incoming Duquesne students receive some form of financial aid, scholarships or grants. More than $100 million is University-based, with a large portion coming from donor-endowed scholarships. Still, more help is needed to realize our founders' vision.

Increased financial aid does not imply relaxed admission standards. To the contrary, it is crucial to sustaining our success in attracting the most talented and motivated students, and to building a more diverse and vibrant learning community. By making finances less of a concern, students and families can make decisions based on Duquesne's many other advantages.

More dedicated scholarship funds will also have a beneficial effect on the University's balance sheet. Funding more need-based aid from endowments rather than operational revenue will make more resources available for improvements in academics and student life.

 

Ways to Give

Illuminate the Mind

Your gift to academic initiatives will unleash the boundless potential of every school, program and student.

Enhance Existing and Create New Centers of Excellence

Centers of Excellence are woven into our means to achieve-these are bundles of faculty, educational programs, research efforts, and facilities that can enhance our impact and reputation in an area or across units. These centers are important platforms for creating innovative educational programs, supporting faculty research, and building collaborative bridges inside and outside the School.

  • Center for Excellence in Entrepreneurship
  • Center for Excellence in Supply Chain Management
  • Center for Leadership in Professional Selling
  • Investment Strategy Institute
  • Institute for Sustainable Business Innovation
  • Albert P. Viragh (B'27) Institute for Ethics in Business
  • Center for Student Success (opening fall 2022)

Even though aspects of several centers have already been funded, our ever-changing world demands continuous investments to keep our centers at the forefront of their disciplines. Whether your interests are in curricular advancement, faculty research, or student success, there's an opportunity for you to help us achieve our bigger goals.

Compelling Undergraduate and Graduate Programs

Our new spaces facilitate better ways of teaching and learning, in which the acquisition of knowledge is reinforced by hands-on experiences that instill practical wisdom. The power of curricular change is evident in our First-Year Innovation Experience, which pushes all new freshmen out of their comfort zones and enhances their ability to recognize and seize opportunities.

We have revitalized the undergraduate business core, moving major courses into the freshman and sophomore years, and created even more hands-on experiences, both within our School and in collaboration with Duquesne's other schools. Cornerstone and capstone experiences have been developed for our graduate programs. In addition to curricular development, donors may consider funding co-curricular initiatives such as student activities and competitions that allow our students to hone their skills to an even higher level and test them against peers from the best programs across the country.

World-Class Faculty and Experienced Executives

We strive to recruit outstanding educators, to support their work, and to increase their prominence in teaching, scholarship, community development and business practice. Creating additional named faculty positions will help us attract and retain high caliber scholars in a difficult hiring market where there are insufficient numbers of PhDs. Faculty resources are also vital for supporting summer grants and increased scholarly productivity.

We also seek to expand our roster of Executives-in-Residence. These working and retired business leaders bring years of experience to all aspects of the school: advising on program development, helping to build corporate relationships, teaching classes, mentoring students and more. Named funds can be established on an endowed or term basis to support chairs and directorships, professorships and fellowships, executive residencies or administrative support.

Reimagining Our Home

The School of Education is based in historic Canevin Hall, which will soon mark its centennial. The second building completed on campus-and a result of the University's first public fundraising campaign-Canevin has been a hub of campus life for nearly a century, housing not only classrooms but also, at times, a central cafeteria, radio studios, and even a pioneering pharmacy clinic in the 1940s.

The ground level of Canevin Hall currently houses our Reading Clinic. Since 1964, the Reading Clinic has helped children ages 6-17 with affordable, research-based assessment and tutorial services in a nurturing environment. Students enhance their skills with methods developed and practiced by our nationally recognized faculty researchers.

The ground floor of Canevin is the foundation of the building. The work taking place there is foundational to how the School trains professionals and builds relationships with community stakeholders. What could be achieved if the Reading Clinic were surrounded by other externally-facing clinics providing professional learning experiences for our students and vital services to our neighbors?

This is our vision for a three-year transformation of Canevin's ground floor-a vision that can become reality with generous support from donors like you.

Phase 1: Create an intergenerational, cross-discipline space for students in education, school counseling and school psychology to work together in support of their learning.

Phase 2: Create interactive learning classrooms designed to develop and deepen curricula that meet the needs of today's youth, their families, and their communities.

Phase 3: Create additional spaces-based on the Reading Clinic model-to support the learning of surrounding communities in math, science, civic engagement, and assessment.

Scholarships and Financial Aid

Teachers and counselors are among society's most important professionals. But they're seldom the highest-paid, especially in the urban and rural areas where they're most desperately needed.

Many of our outstanding undergraduate students come from families of modest means, and face significant debt that is difficult to repay on a teacher's salary. We also have working professionals pursuing our master's and doctoral programs. They often choose Duquesne for the quality of our programs and our distinctive personal approach.

Of particular importance are financial resources to support the matriculation and retention of Black, Latinx, and first-generation students.

Our Spiritan history and mission-and the student-centered focus of our Strategic Plan-require that we do everything possible to relieve the current and future financial burdens our students face. Philanthropic support for undergraduate scholarships, graduate fellowships and resource funds can be a transformational investment in our students at the heart of our mission.

Experiential Learning Opportunities

Our students are deeply interested in experiencing transformational learning opportunities in settings and cultures different from their own. We seek enhanced funding for our students to participate in U.S.-based, mission-aligned Spring Break or Maymester programs, such as working with Spiritan priests or affiliated nuns in New Orleans or Los Angeles to support K-12 student learning. These opportunities-along with our established study abroad programs, add depth and breadth to our students' experience and preparation for supporting diverse communities and should be available to all, regardless of their personal financial circumstances.

Field-Based Practitioners Fund

To strengthen connections and insight among our students and faculty, we seek resources to fund practitioners currently working in schools, hospitals and clinics who will serve as executive faculty, teaching semester-long courses, promoting community-based work and mentoring graduate students.

Community-Engaged Teaching and Research Fund

Donor support can enhance vital resources for faculty members doing community-engaged teaching and research, provide workspaces with their community partners, and provide transportation to students participating in outreach efforts.

The Vision Fund

The Vision Fund encompasses three pillars that are essential to keeping Duquesne Kline Law School on the forefront of legal education. The Vision Fund not only enhances the Law School’s programs and initiatives; it also provides resources for ambitious marketing to help us share our accomplishments with others. 

Developing Collaborative Learning Opportunities: Today, lawyers must know more than the law. They must understand the confluence of disciplines that influence their work and society. To prepare our students to practice law in this changing world, our approach to legal education also must change. We must provide interprofessional and multidisciplinary experiences focused on teaching financial literacy, business acumen, and emerging technologies.

Teaching Principles of Leadership: Duquesne Law is uniquely positioned to draw from our Spiritan ethos in guiding a mindset that emphasizes servant leadership and value-centered leadership. We have committed ourselves to educating students who understand the importance of inclusive leadership and who develop their self-awareness, cultural awareness, and global awareness as conscientious world citizens. Our Leadership Fellows Program is an example that is unique to Duquesne Kline School of Law to empower our students to positively impact the future and their careers.

Fostering Student Well-Being: In accordance with our Spiritan Mission, our first priority under this pillar is ensuring that the Law School is a welcoming and supportive environment for all. We are also committed to modeling respectful dialog and bringing our community together to engage in intellectually challenging discourse. 

Finally, we are focused on making student and attorney well-being a top priority. Not only are we here for our students in time of need and crisis by working together with Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers of PA and our Campus Counseling and Health Services, we are also focused on integrating sustainable life habits and creating a culture around healthy and fulfilled living

Bar Preparation

Duquesne Kline School of Law is committed to assisting graduates to achieve first-time bar passage by providing comprehensive training. Our hallmark bar studies program begins during new student orientation, continues throughout our program of legal education, includes specific bar exam training, and continues after graduation.

We remain true to our commitment to prepare our students for the bar exam and practice. For the July 2022 bar exam, our graduates once again significantly outperformed the statewide average.  Our first-time taker pass rate exceeded the statewide average by more than seven percent and we were in a virtual tie for fourth among 11 Pennsylvania-area schools. Additionally, our most recent Ultimate Pass Rate, as measured by the ABA, is 92.31 percent which is above the aggregate national average.

Our bar program correlates directly to our mission of educating practice-ready lawyers who have the necessary confidence and skills to excel in their profession. Keeping this program at the cutting edge and our graduates at the forefront of success requires continual investment. Through your generous support, our School will continue to ensure all students are thoroughly prepared for the practice of law.

Programs for Working Professionals

Our Law School began as an evening program so that working people could pursue a legal education. The legacy of our evening division is a part of our unique history and we are developing flexible, innovative ways for students who work full time to obtain their law degree with new hybrid and hyflex course offerings.

 

The McAnulty College and Graduate School is grounded in the values and traditions of the liberal arts that are hallmarks of all great universities-especially Catholic institutions. For students in all of Duquesne's schools, the liberal arts serve as the foundation for educational pursuits and personal and social development.

The liberal arts aid in the promotion of essential skills, including critical and creative thinking, precise writing, qualitative and quantitative reasoning, and effective communication. They also impart values, knowledge, and understanding that enrich students' experiences and empower them to address personal, local, national, and global problems and needs.

Following are several key areas in which donors can support the College and Graduate School.

McAnulty Academic Program (MAP) Internships

Internships allow students to apply the attributes of a liberal arts education in a variety of professional settings, and are integral to the job preparation focus of the University's Strategic Plan. Developed in collaboration with Duquesne's Center for Career Development, MAP internships help students identify their professional passions and pursue them with confidence.

Donor support at all levels is needed to sustain and grow the MAP Internships in such areas as:

  • Faculty Mini-Grants: Funding for financial awards that help departmental internship directors to improve existing internships and develop new ones.
  • Student Internship Awards: Financial assistance allowing students to take advantage of unpaid internships.
  • Transportation: Private support is needed for bus passes, dedicated van pools and other transportation options to get students to and from internship sites.
  • Endowed Directorship: Permanently funded position to oversee College internship programs.

Center for Advancing Media and Publication (CAMP)

The College is at the epicenter of a University-wide effort to enhance digital media facilities and capabilities. We envision a comprehensive, state-of-the-art center that not only enhances student learning opportunities in a wide range of media-related programs, but also positions Duquesne as a conduit for civic discourse and the exchange of scholarship throughout the region and beyond.

CAMP interfaces with nearly every aspect of the University's strategic plan, from fully preparing students for their professional careers to promoting deeper community engagement.

The opportunities for donors to realize our ambitious vision are equally diverse. Building on the capabilities of the current Caulfield Media Center, we seek investments in additional production space and locations, and in increasing the quality and quantity of technology we can deploy. Support is also needed to establish new teaching and research programs, increase faculty counts and fund a program director to oversee activities and work with industry and community leaders.

First-Year Residential Learning Communities

The first-year residential learning communities have become a distinctive hallmark of the College's liberal arts curriculum. In choosing their learning community, first-year students who live on the same floor of a residence hall select four courses they will take as a cohort of no more than 36 students in their first year.

The learning communities have proven effective in helping students find friends and study companions; creating a sense of identity and community among students in the College; encouraging students to relate topics in different courses and integrate their knowledge; and connecting the classroom with the community through service.

Gifts may be directed to the overall operation of the Learning Communities, or to academic or co-curricular initiatives in a particular area of interest.

Scholarships and Resource Funds

Duquesne's Spiritan heritage underscores our continuing emphasis on increasing endowed and term funds for need-based financial aid, scholarships and resource funds. These funds ensure that Duquesne can always attract, retain and transform talented and students.

Scholarship Funds

Our Spiritan heritage underscores our emphasis on increasing endowed funds designated for student scholarships. Our founders and sponsors were determined that the benefits of a Duquesne education should be available to all, regardless of ability to pay. Many of our outstanding students come from families of modest means, invest what the can towards their degrees, but still graduate with significant debt. Endowed scholarships ensure that we can attract and retain the most talented and motivated students for generations to come.

Programmatic Support

Institute of Entertainment, Music, and Media Arts (IEMMA): IEMMA is a unique interdisciplinary program that provides resources for undergraduate and graduate students to learn all aspects of the entertainment industry-from composing to recording, performance to engineering, production to distribution, and everything in between. We help each student develop an entrepreneurial mindset that can, in turn, help them generate multiple revenue streams through their creative abilities in all media including performance, recording, producing, composing, engineering, managing, publishing and distribution, gaming, and more. Students benefit from an environment equipped with the latest hardware and software, as well as supplemental education provided by leading industry manufacturers and trade associations, world-renowned guest artist lecturers, and immersive experiences where the students, themselves, run all aspects of both small- and large-scale productions, from pre-production planning to distribution.

City Music Center Scholarships: City Music Center of Duquesne University (CMC) has proudly served as the Pittsburgh area's premiere provider of musical instruction for non-degree-seeking students of all ages since its founding in 1989. As the community outreach division of the Mary Pappert School of Music, CMC strives to educate all who are interested, regardless of musical ability or financial situation. Contributions will help City Music Center families by providing financial resources for scholarships, classroom materials, and musical instruments.

Facilities Support

Enhanced Sound Recording (Digital) Technology: Music can endure forever. For more than 25 years, we have graduated award-winning producers and engineers from our music technology program. Our educational relationship with Solid State Logic provides an opportunity to enhance the technology in the School's control room and mastering suite facilities, as well as supplemental student workstation rooms. This will help the program to maintain the level of excellence found in its curriculum, ensuring that students have the necessary tools to compete in the sound recording engineer market.

Streaming Technology Support: The School of Music is home to two first-rate performance venues-the PNC Recital Hall and the Dr. Thomas D. Pappert Center for Performance and Innovation. As the COVID-19 pandemic swept the globe, it became clear that streaming capabilities of these rooms has been limited. Recent installation of a new high-quality audio streaming solution called IQOYA has become a standard way for our students to provide a way for friends and family to be able to hear their performances and recitals around the world. In order to provide video streaming options, similar solutions are currently being investigated. These systems will require both hardware and software upgrades, as well as purchase and installation of new equipment.

Mary Jane Schultz Music Center: The Mary Jane Schultz Music Center provides our students with an ever-expanding resource of music and music-related research materials. Located on the fifth floor of Duquesne University's Gumberg Library, this collection of music resources comprises an extensive collection of musical scores and DVD/CDs, online research databases, and a wealth of archival materials, such as our unique collection of the papers and personal belongings of the composer Paul Hindemith. As digital technologies have become more standard in recent years, new content consumption processes including subscriptions to music streaming services, etc.-take shape.

Chairs and Professorships

You may wish to consider further strengthening our world-renowned faculty by funding an:

Endowed Dean's Chair: Provides support for administrative leaders.

Endowed Chair: Helps us to retain outstanding faculty members and attract new faculty "stars."

Endowed Visiting Professorship: Brings scholars from around the world to Duquesne to share their experiences and expertise during an academic year or other time period.

Endowed Term Professorship: Supports a tenure-stream faculty member for a term of years as specified by the dean; used to recognize "rising stars" and help the University retain them.

Undergraduate Research

Undergraduate research is an integral part of the experience in the Bayer School. In some departments, 100 percent of the majors participate in research. Students begin as volunteers and can also take research for credit during the year.

A culminating experience for many students is the 10-week summer program. Students are paid a stipend and receive free housing to immerse themselves in externally-funded research projects. During the summer, students learn side-by-side with faculty, graduate students and peers in the lab, seminars and workshops. Additionally, students participate in community service and science ethics training. Each participant presents their work at a program-closing symposium, which also includes students from regional colleges. Many of these students use their results to write scientific papers and present their work at national scientific conferences. The travel for these presentations is supported by the departments and School.

Participation in this program is career-changing for many students and allows our students to be competitive for
jobs at Johnson & Johnson, NASA and Intel and admission to graduate schools such as Harvard, Yale, Northwestern, and Johns Hopkins.

Scholarships and Financial Aid

Duquesne’s founders believed that education should bevavailable to all, regardless of ability to pay. Endowed scholarships ensure that Duquesne can attract and retain the most talented and motivated students for generations to come.

Graduate Fellowships and Assistantships: These may include stipends for research, honors thesis projects, books and supplies, and other needs. As with scholarships, these resources attract graduate students to Duquesne and support their efforts.

4+1 Program Scholarships: In five years, students in our 4+1 programs earn a B.S. and M.S. These programs attract first-generation college students who are eager to enter the skilled workforce with the advantage of a master’s degree. These degrees give them increased earning potential of up to $20,000 per year over students with a B.S. However, M.S. students are not eligible for financial aid and grants. The School is seeking donations to support these students.

STEM: Education in the Community

Internship Support: Some students opt not to participate in
undergraduate research on campus but work at companies,
both regionally and nationally. However, often companies do
not pay students for these opportunities. Many of our students
cannot work for free and therefore, must turn down these
opportunities to further their career. Support for internship
experiences is being sought.

Educator Workshops: While new teachers are needed,
instructors currently engaged in science and math education
also require professional development to incorporate new
pedagogical approaches, especially inquiry-based methods, into their classrooms. The Bayer School will offer workshops in
these areas to local high school teachers. Funding is needed toexpand these programs.

Summer Educational Experience for Disadvantaged
Students: This program pairs economically disadvantaged high school students with participants in the Summer
Undergraduate Research Program, providing teens with
motivation, encouragement and a jump-start on their academic
pursuits. Currently funded in part by the Howmet Foundation,
donor support will ensure the program’s continuation and
allow for expansion.

Facilities and Infrastructure

The Bayer School has expanded, both in terms of research
sophistication and teaching capacity, over its 25-year history. Mellon Hall was state-of-the art when it was built in the
mid-20th century and Fisher Hall has been retrofitted. However, lab space is needed for growing programs such as Environmental Science, which does not have an experimental lab, and Forensic Science and Law, which has no research space, even though all majors are required to write a M.S. thesis. These programs collaborate with Chemistry and Biological Sciences to meet this requirement. Additionally, labs in the three fundamental science departments—Chemistry, Physics and Biological Sciences—are in need of renovation for modern educational experiences.

With the advent of the College of Osteopathic Medicine, our School of Natural and Environmental Sciences is moving
towards the current research lab space model used by many
other institutions, in which researchers with common interests share space. Mellon Hall, however, was built for each researcher to have his or her own lab, with cinderblock walls literally and figuratively dividing the areas of research. We now work collaboratively on interdiscplinary projects and aim to have the space reflect this goal.

This would require significant renovation of research laboratories. Such reconfiguration, for example, would allow our biochemists to tackle neurodegenerative disease in a single space. Faculty, graduate students and undergraduates from multiple labs would learn side-by-side.

Other Opportunities

Dr. Jeffry Madura Memorial Chemistry and Biochemistry
Graduate Student Award: Named for a beloved professor
who passed away in 2017, this endowed fund generates
annual financial support for the development of graduate
students in Chemistry or Biochemistry. This includes travel
awards for attendance at conferences or workshops in
research and teaching, support for outreach efforts by
graduate students, and funding for an end-of-year
symposium.

The John S. Doctor Memorial Prize for Scientific
Leadership: Named for a former professor and chair of
Biological Sciences, this award recognizes teaching and
research in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.
Honorees are invited to Duquesne to share their insights
with fellow scientists, teachers and students. Gifts to the
Doctor Endowment will ensure that this prize grows in
global status and continues to be awarded in perpetuity.

The Theodore Weismann Memorial Endowment: A longtime adjunct professor of chemistry, Weismann advised
the Student Affiliate Chapter of the American Chemical
Society for more than 20 years. His students won national
recognition and presented their research at the ACS
national convention every year during his tenure. The
Weismann Endowment will extend his legacy by sustaining
the student chapter and its participation in professional
meetings.

Named Discretionary Support Endowments: Discretionary operating funds may be established at specified giving levels. These unrestricted funds allow the Dean to support student conference attendance, seminars and lectureships, lab equipment additions or repairs, and other emerging opportunities to enhance the educational experience of Bayer School students as they arise.

Libraries are vibrant spaces for individual and collaborative study. Gumberg Library is committed to creating an environment where students can find the technology and spaces they need to succeed at Duquesne and beyond.

Donors may wish to support continuing or new initiatives such as:

Flexible and technology-integrated spaces for collaborative and individual study.

Makerspaces where students can gather to create, invent, and learn. Resources could include 3D printing, color printing, binding, laminating, crafting and art supplies, etc.

A Special Collections Reading and Research Room for researchers to engage with unique primary source materials in a secure and scholarly setting.

Research, instruction, and consultation services

While academic and information landscapes continue to shift and evolve, the university library remains an intellectual hub of any campus. It is the place where students gather to become scholars and faculty look for support in teaching and research.

Technology is transforming education and the library's role is to teach and support information literacy and critical thinking skills. Existing and envisioned initiatives that will benefit from donor support include:

Digital scholarship platforms that compile and store student and faculty scholarship-in effect, a living and growing collection of the University's entire scholarly output.

Instruction software to develop online learning objects that help students distinguish between "real" and "fake" news, conduct research beyond the Web, and use information effectively and ethically.

Research data software that supports our students as scholars and faculty in teaching advanced research methods.

Comprehensive academic resources and information

Gumberg Library offers seamless access to a range of up-to-date information sources across disciplines. Consistent support is needed to ensure continued access to the digital collections and databases Duquesne students and faculty rely on for their scholarly pursuits. Funding a disciplinary journal or database subscription allows you to advance your own individual academic passions with Duquesne's student scholars.

Duquesne's standing as a research destination relies in part on the maintenance and expansion of its unique collections-resources not found anywhere else in the world. These include longstanding holdings such as the Eastern European Collection and recent additions such as the Irish Literature and Culture collection curated by alumnus and Ambassador Daniel M. Rooney. External funding ensures the preservation process is expedited and unique materials are discoverable to researchers. Donors holding rare or unique collections of primary source materials are invited to contact us about donating their collections.

The ultimate goal is to ensure that collections reflect the institutional research, curricular requirements, and scholarly pursuits of the Duquesne community. Software and technology funding opportunities in this area could enhance the accessibility and discoverability of the library's resources, as well as support advances in data visualization, analysis, and geographic information systems.

Programming for curricular and co-curricular community engagement

Gumberg Library engages in the exchange of ideas between the campus and the community-at-large. Donors are invited to support:

Experiential learning programs such as the Oral History Initiative, which conducts and preserves interviews with populations such as veterans and Spiritans, offers community workshops, and trains students in the methods of professional oral historians. Currently run by a part-time historian, the program could expand with full-time staff funding.

Relevant and engaging programs, speakers, and events at the library, as well as community partnerships such as "The Big Read," in which groups across campus and throughout the region read and discuss a significant book.

Scholarship Funds and Academic Support: Our Spiritan founders and sponsors were determined that the benefits of a Duquesne education should be available to all, regardless of ability to pay. Endowed scholarships ensure that Duquesne can attract and retain the most talented and motivated students for generations to come.

Such support is particularly important to the Honors College. The outstanding students Duquesne seeks to recruit are coveted by many institutions, and often have multiple scholarship offers to choose from. Endowed scholarship funding will maintain and enhance Duquesne’s competitive position with this critical pool of talent.

Funds are also needed to provide scholarships and awards for Honors College students continuing beyond the freshman year, to recognize demonstrated excellence in the classroom, laboratory, campus and community.

Unrestricted Funds: Unrestricted gifts allow the director to direct resources to the program’s most critical needs and to respond to unexpected opportunities. The vast majority of gifts to the Honors College are designated for a specific program or purpose, making such discretionary funds particularly valuable.

Faculty Support Grants: The Honors College Core Curriculum emphasizes team teaching and multidisciplinary approaches to course content. Faculty members working in this creative environment need funding support for their collaborative efforts to plan course content and prepare class materials.

Support for Undergraduate Research: The Honors College encourages its members to engage in serious undergraduate research, regardless of their field of study. Many of Duquesne’s schools and departments offer robust undergraduate research opportunities. The Honors College seeks to work collaboratively with these efforts and to promote student scholarly inquiry in other disciplines.

Funding is needed for such expenses as student travel to conduct research or present their findings at academic conferences. Ultimately, the Honors College hopes to create a formal center for undergraduate research that would review applications and award such support. The center would also organize events featuring the best of Duquesne’s undergraduate student research, encourage outstanding undergraduate students to apply for the major national competitive scholarships, and assist students in navigating the arduous application process for these scholarships.

Furnishings and Improvements for Honors/Service Learning Building: The new headquarters for the Honors College and the Office of Service Learning is located in a historic 19th Century building. Significant renovations have been made and the offices are currently operating in the location, however there is still a need for furnishings and artwork (especially art with a Pittsburgh or Duquesne theme). Technological upgrades are also needed, including wireless Internet connectivity and an Internet-linked projection system for the conference area.

Naming Opportunities: Many of these priorities present excellent naming opportunities for generous benefactors at specified levels. These may include named scholarships and faculty resource funds, naming of the center for undergraduate research center, and naming of the Honors College itself.

The Learning Skills Center has served Duquesne University students, faculty and staff for more than 30 years. We provide free tutoring, academic counseling, study skills development, various forms of testing and learning disabilities services.

Over the past five years, we have served more than 5,000 people, 3,000 of whom were students seeking tutoring. It is our trained, supervised, paid tutors that make our services so popular and effective.

The Learning Skills Center also provides student development services to the larger Pittsburgh community. Over the past 25 years, our Summer Institute and our Program for Academic Coaching Through Tutoring (PACT), a service learning initiative, have served thousands of public school students from the Hill, Oakland, South Side, North Side, Lawrenceville, East Liberty, Homewood and other Pittsburgh communities.

All Summer Institute and PACT alumni graduate from high school, most attend college, and a few have even graduated from Duquesne University.

The Learning Skills Center is a major component of the University's retention program. Each year we outreach to and assist hundreds of students who encounter academic difficulties and need a helping hand to get back on the path to success.

Operational Support Opportunities

Endowed Tutor Scholarship Fund: Provides three student tutors with 25 percent of their tuition for two academic years.

Endowed Partial Tutor Scholarship Fund: Provides two student tutors with 15 percent of their tuition for two academic years.

Endowed Tutorial Fund: Attracts and compensates top quality tutors.

Endowed PACT Scholarship Fund: Provides an annual scholarship for two PACT alumni attending Duquesne.

Endowed Summer Institute Scholarship Fund: Provides tuition, room and board for two Pittsburgh Public School students from deserving families to attend the Summer Institute.

Endowed Directorship: Ensures that the University continues to attract and retain a top professional as Director.

The Center for Community-Engaged Teaching and Research welcomes support in the following areas:

General Activity Support with Center Naming Rights: This support comes with the opportunity to name the Center.

Community Engagement Scholars Program with Naming Rights: This selective program recruits undergraduate students and engages them in leadership and community engagement development. They serve as liaisons between community-engaged classes and local community organizations. Funding is needed to support orientation, training, and stipends for participating students.

Public Problem Solving Planning Institutes: As the University launches community-engaged teaching and research as components of the undergraduate experience and faculty workload, disciplinary and interdisciplinary work groups will convene as institutes to identify the social and environmental issues they seek to address. The purpose of each institute is to develop teaching and research agendas that are animated by a theory of change model.

Collective Impact Assessment: As teaching and research agendas are designed that address a variety of public problems, the University needs to establish a model of collective impact assessment that discerns the University's ability affect change within a particular issue area across a range of projects and programs. Support is needed for the development and implementation of collective impact assessment.

Scholarships: Establishing scholarships, particularly for students of color who demonstrate a commitment to community service, will enable students to become community change agents through their Duquesne experience and involvement with the Center.

Intentional Living Arrangements: Students within each intentional living house, a residence in one of the communities local to the University, will receive free housing in exchange for their participation as leaders within the Center. Programming for residents of these houses will be provided at the house and in the surrounding community.

Graduate Research Assistantships: Graduate research assistants will investigate community-based issues relevant to specific neighborhoods of interest.

Community-Engaged Research Activities: Each year, faculty are awarded community-engaged research seed funds through the Provost's office. These faculty partner with established community-based leaders to research issues pertinent to the Pittsburgh region. Awards are renewable for up to two years and recipients are expected to generate additional external funds beyond the term of the award.

Faculty Fellowships: Each year, five faculty who have proven themselves to be Master Community-Engaged Teachers are given a fellowship to share their teaching expertise with their faculty peers through one-on-one consultation and workshops. In mentoring emerging community-engaged teachers, these fellows bolster the quality of community-engaged learning classes across the University and significantly enhance the human capacity of the Center to serve faculty.

Transportation Resources: The biggest challenge to successful community-engaged learning experiences is getting students to and from community sites. Not all sites are on public transportation lines, and not all public transit options are reliable or run on schedules conducive to a student's class schedule. Smaller forms of transit, such as mini-vans that groups of students could sign-out, would greatly alleviate this challenge.

Annual Speaker Series: External, renowned experts on community-engagement would be welcomed to the University to speak about their work and to work with our faculty on community-engaged teaching and research development.

Teaching and Research Workspace: Currently located in a Victorian-era row house on the northern edge of campus, the Center requires inviting and functional office and meeting space for students, faculty, and community partners in addition to its staff.

Research Laboratory Funds: Community-engaged research often requires meeting space, data analysis software, research assistants, and data collection technology, such as video cameras and voice recorders.

The Robert & Patricia Gussin Spritan Division of Academic Programs opens the door to success for deserving students who profit from four semesters of our individualized academic, vocational and personal support. Since our inception in 1997, we have served 691 students. Using a cohort model that emphasizes personal and professional growth, 68 percent of our students continue at the University and earn their undergraduate degrees.

The drive, determination and ability of our students and the effectiveness of our personalized attention are demonstrated by their academic performance. Fifty-four percent of our 2008-09 freshman class, for example, attained a 3.0 or better grade point average and 98 percent earned a 2.0 or better by the end of their second semester. We are an academic success program with a 13-year track record of graduating successful people.

One secret of our success is our diversity. Our students and staff come from widely different backgrounds, various regions of the country and from abroad, making us the most ethnically and culturally diverse academic program on campus.

Operational Support Opportunities

Endowed Partial Scholarship: Provides partial tuition support for a Gussin Spiritan Division student.

Endowed Scholarship: Provides major tuition support for a Gussin Spiritan Division student.

Endowed Fund for Student Resources: Provides funds to defray the costs of books, supplies and other educational expenses incurred by Gussin Spiritan Division students.

Endowed Teaching Assistant Fellowship: Attracts outstanding graduate teaching assistants and supports their studies.

Director's Discretionary Endowment: Assists the Director by offering flexible resources to address changing needs.

Endowed Directorship: Ensures that the University continues to attract and retain a top professional as Director.

Endowed Cultural Enrichment Scholarships: Supports living and travel expenses for Gussin Spiritan Division students at Duquesne's Italian Campus for one semester.

Duquesne has maintained and strengthened its historic commitment to teaching. Since 1989, our Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE) has helped faculty members and graduate student teaching assistants to excel as teacher-scholars who are deeply invested in learning.

True educational excellence is not just a matter of what content is taught, but how it is taught. Quality teaching focuses on outcomes-the knowledge, skills and values students develop from their schooling. A learner-centered approach engages students, making them active participants in the educational process rather than passive recipients of information. Engaged students become intentional, responsible, life-long learners, equipped with the writing, thinking, collaborative and ethical skills needed to excel in changing workplaces and a changing world.

Such creative teaching requires that faculty members understand and select appropriate pedagogical theories, methods and tools, infusing them into new and existing courses.

CTE is a valuable resource to faculty members who seek to implement innovative teaching approaches. Faculty members deal with publication expectations, funding constraints and scarce available time. Thus, CTE employs a comprehensive approach to instructional, professional and organizational development. Programs are offered in different formats serving the wide range of needs faculty members face at every stage of their teaching careers, including graduate students teaching for the first time, new faculty pursuing promotion and tenure, and senior faculty.

CTE organizes and sponsors more than 50 events each year, starting with annual orientation sessions for full-time and adjunct faculty and graduate student teaching assistants. Each month brings a schedule of new faculty luncheons, workshops, book studies, learning groups, speakers and institutes, culminating every spring in a Celebration of Teaching Excellence, at which annual awards for innovative teaching are presented to exceptional faculty and graduate assistants.

The Center houses and distributes an expansive library of print resources and develops online materials providing instructors at all levels with tools to strengthen teaching and succeed in academic careers.

CTE staff members provide individual, confidential consultations on topics such as teaching, service-learning, outcomes assessment, and the scholarship of teaching and learning, and assist Duquesne's graduate students in preparing for academic careers. The staff offers classroom observations and guides instructors in the use and interpretation of student evaluations.

Workshops and resources can be tailored to specific disciplines. CTE can customize programs on such topics as designing courses and syllabi, lecturing interactively, giving students feedback, developing and grading assignments, and integrating multiculturalism. The Center frequently supports academic committees, providing recent research on best practices in higher education.

CTE also administers mini-grant programs supporting program-level outcomes assessment and promoting multicultural educational initiatives.

CTE programs and services benefit faculty members of all ages and experiences, from senior professors to new Ph.D.s to adjunct professionals to graduate students just beginning their academic careers. The approach is intentionally personal, dynamic and interdisciplinary, encouraging all who engage in teaching to interact with and learn from each other.

Goals and Needs

Strengthen services for graduate students teaching at Duquesne and preparing to become faculty members: CTE provides orientation, workshops, consulting on teaching, and guidance in preparing job search dossiers and teaching portfolios. The Center is piloting an official record of university teaching and related professional experience that will further enhance graduates' prospects. Funds are needed to sustain this initiative, to provide more systematic mentoring of graduate students by faculty, and to offer opportunities for teaching assistants to interact with Duquesne alumni who are successful faculty members at other institutions.

Deepen faculty understanding of teaching and learning through faculty learning groups: This concept, currently a pilot project, brings together faculty members from various disciplines and experience levels to conduct scholarship on teaching and learning which will result in conference presentations and published papers. Support is needed to underwrite travel costs for participating faculty to present their findings at conferences.

Rejuvenate mid-career and senior faculty members through professional development and leadership: A small number of seasoned faculty participate in leading CTE sessions, serving on assessment and award committees, and acting as advisors to CTE staff, but no formal programs currently exist for the more than 250 full and associate professors. CTE seeks to expand its offerings to provide systematic training and opportunities for experienced faculty to provide leadership to their peers and less experienced colleagues.

Provide programs and services for adjunct faculty: While CTE supports full-time faculty and graduate student teaching assistants, more than 500 part-time faculty do not now benefit from its full services. The Center would like to establish an adjunct teaching award program, support travel to conferences on teaching and learning, and make a wide range of programming and resources available to adjunct faculty online through the University's intranet.

Inspire the Soul

Your support will uplift our unique student-centered experience, kindling the flame within every heart.

The Duquesne experience is more than the learning that takes place in the classroom. Support of co-curricular/extracurricular activities, community outreach and campus ministry allow students to experience an education for the mind, heart and spirit.

The Duquesne experience is more than a few years of classrooms, labs and libraries. It is a transformational education for the mind, heart and spirit. We take our mission seriously, and strive to enhance every aspect of our students' lives. The costs of these amenities cannot be covered by tuition and fees alone.

Co-Curricular/Extracurricular Activities: Every undergraduate's journey begins with personal attention throughout the admissions process and an award-winning freshman orientation. Special services span the entire first year, resulting in high satisfaction and retention. Academic, social, spiritual and health-related programs are available to all students throughout their years on our Bluff. More than 100 activities and organizations allow students to hone professional skills, pursue personal passions, and build lifelong friendships. Athletic teams represent Duquesne with distinction.

Facilities: Over the past 50 years, Duquesne's campus has been transformed from a collection of row houses and garages into a beautiful, secluded community for academic life. Duquesne's ambitious master plan for campus development includes new academic, administrative, recreational and residential facilities, including innovative mixed-use development along the Forbes Avenue corridor serving students and revitalizing our surrounding neighborhood. Constant improvements to existing buildings and grounds ensure a more functional, more comfortable and safer atmosphere for all.

Community Outreach: As Duquesne serves God by serving students, they, in turn, reach out to those around them. Through service-learning programs and volunteer activities, Duquesne carries on the Spiritan charism of outreach to the poor and less fortunate-enriching students' lives while uplifting others. Support will ensure that all students have increased opportunities for these transformative experiences.

A gift to the Duquesne Athletic Fund will help to recruit, retain, train and support our outstanding student-athletes as they pursue a world-class education and playing experience.

 

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Scholarships: In keeping with Duquesne's Spiritan heritage, we seek to increase endowed funds for need-based financial aid and scholarships. Our founders and sponsors were determined that the benefits of a Duquesne education should be available to all, regardless of ability to pay. Endowed scholarships ensure that Duquesne can attract and retain talented and motivated students for generations to come

Unrestricted Funds: Unrestricted gifts allow the director the flexibility to direct resources to ODI’s most critical needs and respond to unexpected opportunities. Many gifts to ODI are designated for a specific purpose, making these discretionary funds even more valuable.

Cross-Cultural Program Endowment: As society becomes increasingly pluralistic, all students need to develop the knowledge and skills to successfully work with people of different backgrounds. ODI offers a wide range of co-curricular educational programs that not only improve the diversity climate on campus, but also prepare students to become leaders in personal and professional settings. These initiatives may include targeted efforts (such as financial literacy programs for at-risk students or anti-racist interventions dealing with specific situations) as well broad-based workshops and speakers open to all students that provide insights into cultural issues. Endowment funds are needed to ensure the continuation and expansion of these cross-cultural programs.

Multicultural Student Advisory Council: While ODI bears primary responsibility for cross-cultural initiatives, it also seeks to respond to student needs and promote campus-wide awareness and dialogue. ODI has assembled a panel of student leaders to help guide its efforts. Currently, this body operates only in an advisory capacity, but in the future, ODI seeks dedicated funding that the Council, in turn, could allocate to other student organizations that wish to offer multicultural programs furthering ODI’s goals.

Peer Educators: This program would create a corps of “diversity ambassadors.” Similar to resident assistants, these student leaders would receive intensive certification training in promoting diversity and addressing multicultural issues across campus. Funding is needed to support both training and stipends for selected students during academic terms.

Travel Funds: Students’ educational experiences and leadership skills are enhanced by attendance at regional and national professional conferences. Funds are needed to defray students’ costs of travel to and participation in these valuable networking opportunities.

Book Scholarships: The increasing expense of required textbooks is a real barrier to many students seeking to begin or continue their studies. ODI book scholarships would assist needy students in addressing this vital academic need.

Multicultural Resource Library: ODI seeks to build, maintain and house a collection of books, audio and video resources addressing diversity issues both on campus and in the larger society. These materials would provide opportunities for students to enhance their understanding and implement principles demonstrated in other ODI activities.

Naming of the Department: A substantial endowment gift commitment to name the ODI would provide continuing funds for many of the initiatives described herein, while serving as a perpetual living testament to the donor’s generosity, compassion and vision.

Endowed Graduate Fellowship: Would provide funding for a graduate assistant to help the director implement new and existing programs and work directly with students.

Facilities Improvements: Operational funds are sought to renovate, maintain and decorate ODI offices and upgrade the technology available for student and staff use.

The Office for Military and Veteran Students (OMVS) was established by Duquesne University in August of 2015. Although the University has been working closely with the military and veteran student (MVS) population for years, this was the University’s first opportunity to create a standalone office and Director—retired Air Force Lt. Col. Don Accamando—to help meet the needs of this non-traditional student community.

The Office supports MVS by fostering a learning environment where they can build upon their life experiences and be accepted for who they are, while providing them with an opportunity to earn a distinctive Duquesne education for the mind, heart and spirit.

There are approximately 215 MVS attending Duquesne. At least one MVS is enrolled in each of the University’s nine schools. We provide a variety of options for them to study, including accelerated degrees online. Liberal Arts, Nursing, Business and Education are the most popular degree programs for MVS.

Duquesne’s programs for veterans are nationally ranked by U.S. News & World Report and a number of publications and web sites serving the military community.

In 2014, the Duquesne University School of Nursing was awarded a three-year $913,043 Federal Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) grant to support a Veterans to Bachelors of Science in Nursing (VBSN) program. This new national initiative supports educational and employment opportunities for military veterans, Reservists, National Guard and active duty members.

Duquesne’s program is specially-tailored to meet the needs and expectations of veterans. Recognizing that many veterans prefer to seek help and guidance from other veterans, for example, the School recruited an academic coach, advisor and recruiter with military experience. Duquesne’s program serves as a model for other schools that are developing military-friendly programs of their own.

In 2016, a $7,000 grant from the Student Veterans Association of American and Home Depot enabled the renovation of a Military and Veteran Student Center adjacent to the Office for Military and Veteran Services in Libermann Hall.

Funding opportunities are available at many giving levels to improve these initiatives and facilities, and to enhance other vital aspects of Duquesne’s MVS efforts.

Scholarships and Resource Funds: Since its founding in 1878, Duquesne University has pursued a vision that no worthy student should ever be turned away for lack of ability to pay. This commitment extends to our MVS students. Duquesne participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program and helps MVS students to take full advantage of their federal benefits, but many students still require additional assistance. Establishment of new endowed scholarships and resource funds—and contributions to enhance existing funds—will help ensure that all MVS students at Duquesne receive the support they need for tuition and other academic expenses.

Student Services: OMVS provides a number of specialized services to its military and veteran students, including personalized assistance with VA certification, admissions, financial aid and registration procedures, arrangements for VA work-study, and a Student Veterans of America chapter. Funds may be established to sustain and support staffing and professional development of these dedicated personnel.

University-Wide Initiatives: Duquesne’s commitment to military and veteran students extends far beyond OMVS. Units across campus— including the Psychology Department’s Military Services Clinic, Counseling and Wellness Center, Army ROTC, the Veterans Law Clinic, Gumberg Library, Career Services and Commuter Affairs all play a role in our comprehensive approach. Donors are welcome to support any of these departments with a designation to military initiatives.

Events for Veterans: OMVS organizes or participates in a wide variety of events throughout the year, including:

  • Veterans’ Week events, including the largest Veterans’ Day breakfast in Pennsylvania, attracting nearly 700 attendees annually
  • Reunion and Prayer Service during Homecoming
  • Military appreciation at football and basketball games
  • A veterans’ literary society
  • Career skills and networking events

Donors may help to sustain these events or develop new initiatives, such as a Veterans’ Oral History Project.

Marketing and Recruitment: As the marketplace for military-friendly education becomes increasingly competitive, OMVS seeks support for a dedicated Marketing and Recruitment endowment to better publicize Duquesne’s programs and services.

Other Ways to Help: In addition to monetary gifts, alumni and friends are encouraged to invest their time and talents in MVS programs at Duquesne. Volunteer opportunities include assistance in recruiting, training and mentoring students, and service on Duquesne’s Veterans’ Advisory Board. For more information about how to get personally involved, please contact Christopher Boissonnault, Director of OMVS, at 412.396.5366

Cross Cultural Mission Experiences: Spiritan Campus Ministry offers students several opportunities each year to live the call to service in solidarity with the poor. These include the "Pittsburgh Plunge," in which students are immersed amid the challenges of urban poverty, spending their spring break working in schools, food banks, homeless shelters and other social service agencies. Cross-cultural trips are also offered in locations across the country and abroad:

  • New Orleans, where students assist in the ongoing recovery efforts after Hurricane Katrina
  • Immokalee, Florida, where students work alongside migrant farm workers
  • Baileysville, West Virginia, where students work with impoverished residents of the southern Appalachian coal fields
  • San Juan de La Maguana, Dominican Republic, where students operate a camp for children and assist at a Spiritan mission church in an urban barrio.

Funding is sought to continue these experiences and add new ones, such as a civil rights tour of the American South, travel to missions in Tanzania, and pilgrimages to France and Rome to trace the footsteps of our Spiritan founders. Generous benefactors can make new opportunities possible, while relieving students of the burden of fundraising to support these trips.

Additional funding is needed to provide materials for students to use in upgrading the mission facilities in the Dominican Republic, such as the replacement of a tin roof, addition of solar panels and construction of a playground.

Liturgical Enhancements: Liturgical celebrations unite students, faculty, staff and administration in frequent celebrations of faith. From daily Mass to special services for the holy seasons of Advent and Lent, all are called to participate, to be uplifted and transformed. Thanks to a recent gift, a new sound system has been installed in the University Chapel, which is now also equipped for live Webcasting. Alumni and friends all over the world now can view and share in liturgical celebrations at Duquesne.

Additional equipment and supplies, such as those listed below, will enhance the atmosphere for worship and prayer, while creating new opportunities for increased student involvement:

  • Instrumentation for music ministers, particularly percussion equipment such as timpani, a snare drum, suspended cymbal and hand shaker items
  • Chairs to complement a new musicians’ riser
  • Vestments: A complete set of liturgical color vestments and Spiritan vestments with matching stoles
  • Liturgical color altar cloths and banners
  • Worship aids, such as music octavos for regularly used selections and annual renewal of Breaking Bread hymnal subscriptions

Facilities Improvements: Campus ministers hope to establish a Technology Fund to spread the word of events and activities across campus through such additions as digital message boards.

Fair Trade Conference: The term “fair trade” describes goods that have been produced by people who have been paid a living wage. Fair Trade companies support and guarantee humane labor conditions, direct trade, community development and environmental sustainability. This expansion of current “Fair Trade Awareness Week” events would bring internationally known speakers to campus to enlighten students about progress and concerns in the movement.

Consistent Ethic of Life: Catholic teaching encourages and supports life in all of its stages–from conception to natural death–and requires that we encourage life in our interactions with others. A periodic speakers series would bring renowned speakers such as Serrin Foster, Helen Prejean and John Dear to campus to discuss different aspects and applications of consistent life ethics.

JPIC (Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation) Student Development Fund: Over time, the Spiritans have developed a distinctive approach to issues of justice, peace and the integrity of creation. This spirituality not only calls for the liberation of the disadvantaged, but also demands pilgrimage, presence and lived solidarity with the poor. This fund would support student travel to conferences, workshops and experiences related to this key aspect of our mission and identity.

Library Fund: The Spiritan Campus Ministry Center houses a few Catholic books, periodicals and audio-visual resources that support organized group activities and aid individual members of the community in pursuing their personal journeys of faith. Funding is sought to significantly increase these library holdings.

Additional funding is needed to provide materials for students to use in upgrading the mission facilities in the Dominican Republic, such as the replacement of a tin roof, addition of solar panels and construction of a playground.

Donor-Directed Opportunities: The Spiritan approach to ministry is based on mutual respect and a thoughtful exchange of ideas—“around the table” rather than “from the top down.” Thus, Spiritan Campus Ministry welcomes ideas donors may suggest for enhancing programs or outreach through charitable gifts. Together, we can serve students and all humankind by touching and changing minds, hearts and spirits.

Integrate Health Care

Your gift will improve health care access and quality for all while transforming Duquesne’s future forever.

COVID-19 has both exposed and exacerbated health care disparities, especially among our low-income communities. In a nation of plenty—and a region renowned for health care and innovation—too many people still lack access to basic medical services.

There aren’t enough doctors to serve everyone, especially in the primary care practice so vital to overall wellbeing. And the shortfall will only worsen in the years to come. Medical schools across the country have increased enrollment, but a growing, aging population—coupled with the impending retirement of thousands of active physicians—amplifies the urgency of the need. We are answering the call.

 

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Student Support for Clinical Education

Over the years, we have established clinical sites outside of the greater Pittsburgh area that provide students with valuable and diverse experiences. Although there are additional costs associated travelling to, and in some cases living at distant sites, students report that the value of these sites outweigh the costs. In some situations, financial assistance is provided to students to offset these added expenses.

Scholarship Funds

Duquesne University's Spiritan heritage underscores our continuing emphasis on increasing endowed funds designated for student scholarships. Our founders and sponsors were determined that the benefits of a Duquesne education should be available to all, regardless of ability to pay. Endowed scholarships ensure that Duquesne can attract and retain the most talented and motivated students for generations to come.

A particular concern for students in the Rangos School is the need for Educational Emergency Funds. With many of the School's clinically-intensive offerings extending beyond the traditional four years and limiting outside employment opportunities, students often experience unforeseen financial circumstances that force them to drop out before completing their degree programs. Emergency funds will assist students in overcoming these obstacles. Both revolving and endowed funds are needed.

Equipment and Technology Fund

Support is sought for the continuous acquisition, maintenance and upgrading of state-of-the art educational technology. Specific needs include the most advanced patient simulation technology -computerized mannequins that can be programmed to present a wide variety of symptoms, providing students with challenging and realistic clinical exercises.

Service Learning Mission Trips

For the past several years, the School has conducted mission trips. While administration would like to formalize these opportunities within the service learning requirement of the University's new undergraduate core curriculum, funding is needed to assist students with travel expenses and provide a more permanent infrastructure for the program.

Human Anatomy Dissection Laboratory

The human anatomy laboratory supports cadaver dissection for teaching and research of human anatomy. The lab has eight large flat panel screens to view animated presentations or instructor demonstrations using GoPro Video technology. Accompanying the lab is virtual anatomy lab featuring zSpace technology. This lab features five computer stations with 3D capabilities to allow students to interact and explore the human body with greater depth and detail than ever before.

Student Facilities Improvements

The School seeks to provide a more comfortable and functional atmosphere by renovating the student lounge and outdoor patio area, and by providing wireless Internet access throughout its facilities in Rangos and Fisher Halls.

Faculty and Student Research

Research contributes directly to the body of scientific knowledge and to the academic reputation and prestige of the School and the University. Often, faculty and students work collaboratively in the exploration of particular topics. Through mentoring, oversight and assistance in disseminating results (as conference papers and publications), faculty introduce students to the academic profession, define and demonstrate expectations, and teach the values of participating in a scholarly community. Support opportunities are many and varied, spanning all disciplines within the Rangos School.

Faculty Endowments

Endowed chairs and professorships help the School to attract and retain outstanding teachers and scholars.

Resource Funds

Endowed funds provide a steady source of income for teaching enhancement, hands-on learning projects, visiting lecturers and non-tuition student expenses, such as travel for presentations at professional conferences.

Unrestricted Funds

Unrestricted gifts allow the dean to direct resources to the School's most critical needs and to respond to unexpected opportunities. The majority of gifts to the Rangos School are designated for a specific program or purpose, making such discretionary funds particularly valuable.

Give Now

Why Invest in Nursing Now?

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, nurses are being seen as modern day heroes, tending to the critically ill, donned in personal protective equipment (PPE) and serving as a significant communication conduit between acutely ill patients and their families. The important role of nurses is being recognized across the globe.

Yet the global shortage of nurses continues to grow and nursing faculty are struggling to meet the growing demand. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts the need for an additional 203,700 new nurses each year through 2026.

The nursing shortage is fueled by an increasing demand for health care workers to care for an aging baby boomer population, but also the number of baby boomers who are nurses and nurse educators themselves approaching retirement. We are ready for this challenge; however, educating the nurse leaders of tomorrow requires additional and sustainable resources.

New Classroom and Lab Spaces

In response to the nation's urgent need for nurses, the School continues to experience student enrollment growth. As a result, we have outgrown our classroom space, nursing lab and simulation facilities, faculty offices, research offices, and student study and resource areas. The School is poised for continued growth; therefore additional resources are needed to meet the School's current and future enrollment needs.

State-of-the-Art Technology

High-tech simulation technology is an essential component of nursing education today-the nurse of the future must be a health technology expert. Undergraduate students must have access to the latest learning technologies in basic and advanced patient care skills, and graduate students require advanced assessment and primary skills in order to be prepared to meet the needs of a rapidly changing health care environment. Harnessing the latest innovations and technological advances in health care, such as Telenursing and Augmented Reality Simulations, will enable faculty to prepare the next generation of compassionate and highly competent nurses to deliver expert care in diverse health care settings.

Student Scholarships and Emergency Funds

Duquesne's founding Spiritans believed that the benefits of education should be available to all, regardless of the ability to pay. Providing educational access is especially important in nursing, as there is a strong connection between a culturally diverse nursing workforce and the ability to provide quality, culturally competent patient care. Increasing funds for scholarships and need-based aid will allow the School to extend its commitment while recruiting the most talented and competitive students.

Faculty Research

The mission of the Center for Research for Underserved and Vulnerable Populations is to use technology and informatics in research, education and patient care; address disparities in health care; and develop interdisciplinary approaches to prevention and treatment. Funding is needed to help us recruit and retain a diverse cadre of nurse scientists, with generous research start-up packages, seed money for interdisciplinary pilot projects, and supports for professional development such as a distinguished speaker series. An endowed chair would provide a competitive edge in attracting an established researcher in the context of the current nursing faculty shortage.

Nursing Ethics

Nurses are continually on the front line of ethical issues in health care. The nursing faculty supports all students in responding to the challenge to live their beliefs in relation to ethics, social justice and patient advocacy in nursing practice. As the health care environment continues to change, it is imperative that we educate and develop nurses who can make an impact in health care institutions and higher education in order to give nursing a critical voice around ethical issues.

Funding opportunities would include a new endowed chair in nursing ethics, support for research on nursing ethics and doctoral program funding in nursing ethics.

New Program Development

The BME/BSN Five-Year Dual Degree Program integrates the clinical knowledge of nursing and the technological aspects of biomedical engineering. Students collaborate with health care providers in a biomedical engineering capstone project to propose a solution to an unmet need in patient care. Funding sources will enable students to intern in high-tech environments and start-up companies.
In response to an aging baby boomer population and rising mental health/illness and substance abuse, we have recently introduced two new NP tracks: Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner and a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. These programs will both fill a need in the profession and are very timely.

Unrestricted Funds

Unrestricted gifts allow the dean to direct resources to the School's most critical needs and to respond to unexpected opportunities. The majority of gifts to the School of Nursing are designated for a specific program or purpose, making such discretionary funds particularly valuable.

Scholarship Funds: In keeping with Duquesne University’s Spiritan heritage, we seek to increase endowed funds for need-based financial aid and scholarships. Our founders and sponsors were determined that the benefits of a Duquesne education should be available to all, regardless of ability to pay. Endowed scholarships ensure that Duquesne can attract and retain talented and motivated students for generations to come.

Unrestricted Funds: Unrestricted gifts allow the dean to direct resources to the School's most critical needs and to respond to unexpected opportunities. The vast majority of gifts to the Pharmacy School are designated for a specific program or purpose, making such discretionary funds particularly valuable. Some of the most important uses of these finds are to support student pharmacist leadership programs, presentations at national meetings, and attendance at state and national meetings.

Learning Technology: The School seeks funding for educational technology and software to enhance student learning and teaching outcomes. The development of more interactive lectures and patient simulations will enhance student problem-solving and critical thinking skills.

Entrepreneurial Education: The entrepreneurial spirit has been the impetus for improving health and financial outcomes through pharmacy innovations, including work flow solutions and robotics, design and delivery of medications, and the ability to provide services in a cost-effective manner while enhancing patient care. Interdisciplinary initiatives will plant the seeds of innovation and independence by integrating entrepreneurial education throughout the curriculum. All pharmacy students will increase their knowledge in emotional and social intelligence and skills in marketing, management, problem-solving, and development of business plans to fully develop their innovative ideas. In keeping with Duquesne's mission and values, students will develop a keen appreciation of ethical issues and practices of business and pharmacy. Duquesne pharmacy graduates will be uniquely qualified to start their own business or bring entrepreneurial skills to established employers. Resource funds have already been secured, supporting faculty efforts to study and adapt best practices, develop courses and teaching tools, and build partnerships within and outside the University.

Center for Pharmacy Care: This academic research center provides pharmacist-directed programs and services for disease prevention and health management for the campus community, employers, and the Pittsburgh community. Recognized as a model in pharmacist-directed wellness by the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, the Center offers publications, seminars, health screenings and follow-up counseling. The Center seeks to expand its community practice education, research, and service efforts in underserved neighborhoods. Giving opportunities include naming of the Center and funding for outreach programs.

Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Technology: Federal regulatory initiatives are encouraging drug manufacturers to implement Process Analytical Technology, a scientific framework designed to promote innovation, efficiency and quality. This, in turn, creates a need for a new breed of pharmaceutical process chemists with skills in chemical engineering, pharmaceutics and analytical chemistry. As one of only 11 academic institutions participating in the Institute for Pharmaceutical Technology and Education, Duquesne seeks to meet this growing need through the integration of teaching, training and basic research, and by fostering cooperation among universities, industry and government. Financial support will help Duquesne to develop both programs and facilities that will keep the school and its students at the leading edge of this initiative.

Endowment of the Center: An endowment would allow Duquesne's Center for Healthcare Ethics to become one of the most prominent of its kind in the world and would support its mission of providing global leadership in ethics, promoting excellence in scholarship and training graduates academically and professionally to advance discourse on health care ethics in research, teaching and service.

Endowment for the Center Director: An endowment would allow the Center to attract and retain a world-renowned scholar with global bioethics experience. Such a director will lead the Center's educational programs, enhance the Center's reputation for research, and support the extensive variety of services that the Center's personnel provide.

The Center's current director is Dr. Henk ten Have, who has held positions as Professor of Medical Ethics and Director of the Department of Ethics, Philosophy and History of Medicine at the University Medical Centre of Nijmegen in the Netherlands as well as Director of the Division of Ethics of Science and Technology with UNESCO. He has been involved in public discussions examining palliative care, euthanasia, drug addiction, genetics, choices in health care and resource allocation. Over the last decade, he has been particularly involved in debates on global bioethics, emphasizing the need to create bioethics infrastructures (teaching programs, ethics committees, legislation) in developing countries.

Endowed Graduate Fellowships: The quality of a program's students reflects and enhances its academic vitality and scholarly reputation. Fellowships within the Center would attract outstanding graduate students and support their activities in global settings, while also allowing for visiting scholars and academic conferences.

Endowed Research: Research is an essential component of scholarship in bioethics. An enormous number of research resources in bioethics are available worldwide; the challenge is finding and selecting the most appropriate ones. A research endowment will further encourage and assist ongoing student engagement in research projects.

International Student Exchange: International partnership agreements have already been signed with institutes in Azerbaijan, Burkina Faso, Colombia, Croatia and India, allowing Duquesne students to do one semester of research abroad in exchange for a student from the partnering institute visiting Duquesne's campus. Additional funding would allow the Center to send and receive an increased number of students and partner with additional countries.

Annual international training courses in bioethics targeting experts from developing countries, particularly members of bioethics committees.

Ethics teacher training courses for healthcare professionals involved in ethics education, with one-week scholarships for participants from developing countries.

Online clinical ethics consultation services for colleagues from developing countries confronted with problematic cases and in need of expert advice.

The Center is planning its own annual International Global Bioethics Conference, which will bring together experts from various continents to analyze salient problems in contemporary ethics, science and healthcare.

A smaller-scale symposium will include an annual keynote speaker's lecture on Duquesne's campus and the presentation of a Global Bioethics award for outstanding scholarship in the field.

Unrestricted gifts allow the Center to direct resources to the program's most critical needs and to respond to unexpected opportunities. The vast majority of gifts are designated for a specific program or purpose, making such discretionary funds particularly valuable.