Endowments

Scholarships

Scholarship donor and recipient

Hundreds of endowed and annually funded scholarships have been created by generous donors to honor individuals or organizations. Each has specific and unique criteria. Competition for scholarships is intense and merit scholarships are often only available to the most outstanding new freshmen and continuing students as determined by the award authority. The value of endowed scholarships are determined based on annual earnings.

Any gift amount can be applied to an existing scholarship, however you can also create your own named scholarship as a memorial or a way to honor an individual, organization, corporation or foundation.

Endowed Scholarships
  • Remain in perpetuity
  • Only award the income
Annual Scholarships
  • Remain active with support from annual gifts
  • Minimum award, currently $1,000, is determined by the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid

Provide scholarship support

View all donor-funded scholarships

 

Jason Brett and classmates during their school days

Watch Jason Brett '01, '11M, share the story of a group of young alumni who created an endowment to honor their fraternity brother and the bonds they formed as UNCW students.

 

University Program Endowments

Nursing student

Academic excellence is the hallmark of the UNCW experience. The quality of the academic experience at UNCW guides daily decisions and inspires future endeavors. Brilliant students choose UNCW to challenge their abilities. Outstanding faculty choose UNCW to inspire students while leading them through the journey of discovery on campus, outside the classroom and through research.

Endowments by Area:

Cameron School of Business

Cameron Business School Endowment
Established in 1982 by Daniel D. Cameron and Bruce Barclay Cameron, Jr., earnings from this endowment promote and develop the business school at UNCW.

Cameron Executive Network Mentoring Award
The Cameron Executive Network Mentoring Award was created as an ongoing departmental award in the Cameron School of Business. The award was created by Joyce D. Arnette, to honor those who honored her as their Program Administrator upon her retirement. These awards are intended to support students in the Cameron School of Business.

Ernst & Young Fund for Excellence in Accounting Education
The purpose of the fund is to promote educational excellence in accounting at the Cameron School of Business Department of Accountancy.

H. David and Diane Swain Center for Business and Economic Services Endowment
Established by H. David and Diane Swain, the fund will be used to support the Center for Business and Economic Services, the business research and outreach division for the Cameron School of Business.

College of Health & Human Services

Marshburn Nursing Loan Fund
Established by Dr. and Mrs. Junius C. Smith to create a permanent loan fund for nursing students. The fund provides interest-free loan to students needing financial assistance to complete their tranining. Repayment of these loans allows for a revolving, permanent source of funds.

College of Humanities, Social Sciences & the Arts

Beckwith Endowment for Music
The Beckwith Endowment for Music is created by Barbara Beckwith Dobo in memory of her mother, Sabre Elizabeth Beckwith and her grandmother, Rachel F. Beckwith. This fund will be used to support the Department of Music at UNCW and will provide both scholarship support for music students as well as unrestricted funds.

Charles F. Green, III Support Fund for English
The fund was created by Charles F. Green, III, to support the advancement of the Department of English at UNCW. It is intended to provide support for the study of English at UNCW.

Department of Music Jazz Festival Endowment
Established in memory of Gunther Skiba by his wife, Ann Sherman-Skiba, in honor of his love for jazz and enthusiasm for the music program at the university. Funds accrued will be used for the sole purpose of supporting the Department's annual Jazz Festival held each spring.

Katherine K. Buckner Presentation Series Endowment
The endowment is created by Charles F. Green to support an annual presentation series from a distinguished scholar in literature or a distinguished creative writer.

Mimi Cunningham Speaker Series Endowment
This fund was established by the Department of Communication Studies in honor of Mimi Cunningham's dedicated years of service. This initiative will bring to campus individuals who specialize in a communication area represented in the department's diverse program.

Pat Hingle Guest Artist Fund
The fund was created in honor of Pat Hingle, by his friends, in recognition of his distinguished acting career and his love of the Wilmington community. Gifts to this fund will be used for expenses incurred by the Department of Theatre in attracting and compensating guest artists in theatre.

Susan P. McCaffray History Faculty Research Endowment
Established by Dr. Lisa Pollard, a long time member of the UNCW faculty in the Department of History, its purpose is to provide funds for faculty research in the Department of History, to include travel, conferences, supplies, and other items related to research needs.

College of Science & Engineering

Agios Isidoros, Louis & Artemis Cotses, and Tommy Cotses Mariculture Fund
The fund was created by Tommy L. Cotses in memory of his parents, Louis and Artemis Cotses and to honor the Cotses family legacy of supporting education. The fund is intended to provide support for the study of mariculture at UNCW.

R.B. and F.B.C. Chemistry Department Trust Fund Endowment
The endowment was established to provide a permanent source of annual funds to support the Department of Chemistry at UNCW.

William E. Sisson Marine Science Endowment
This endowment supports marine science research activities by the Center for Marine Science.

Will S. DeLoach Chemistry Fund
This fund was established to provide cash awards for students who receive the outstanding Chemistry student awards, to support faculty and student research in chemistry and scholarships for academically outstanding students in chemistry.

Watson College of Education

Dr. John Stike Education Laboratory Endowment
The endowment was created by Dr. John Stike, in honor of his mother, Betty Holden Stike, long-time UNCW faculty member in the school of education. Funds will provide annual earnings to supplement institutional programming and operation costs associated with the education laboratory operated by the Watson College of Education.

Taylor Williams Endowed Faculty Support Fund
This fund provides financial support to faculty in the Watson College of Education.

General Program Endowments

Dr. Ralph W. Brauer Library Endowment
This endowment will assist the university library in supporting any operating program or new initiatives sponsored by the library. Dr. Bauer was a long-time friend and colleague of President Randall and believed that the library was the soul of a university.

Dr. Ralph W. Brauer Special Collections Endowment
This endowment was created by a bequest in Dr. Brauer's will and demonstrates his lifelong commitment and interest in the activities of Randall Library's special collection unit.

Ann Flack Boseman Art Gallery Enodwment
The Ann Flack Boseman Art Gallery Endowment was created by Mark Griffis and Dave Robertson in honor of their friend, Ann Flack Boseman. It will be used to fund programming and expenses accrued in the operation of the Art Gallery located in the University Union at UNCW.

Commercial Realty Room Endowment
The fund was created by J. Robert Fullerton, John F. Hinrichs, and Charles (Chad) A. Paul, III in recognition of their love for UNCW and the Wilmington community, their lifelong friendship with Herb and Sylvia Fisher, and in memory of Charles A. (Chuck) Paul, Jr. This fund will be used to provide support for the Division of Student Affairs.

Computer Science Robotics Camp Awards
The Computer Science Robotics Camp Awards are created as annually funded awards at UNCW. The awards are being created by Dr. Barbara Ann Greim to pay for middle school students attending the summer UNCW Robotics Camp.

Stella Doran International Studies Award
The fund is created in memory of Stella Doran by her beloved husband Edward and their son, Dr. Guy Doran. Proceeds from this fund are to be used by the Office of International Programs to help offset costs, including travel, for students studying abroad.

Ev-Henwood Fund
Established by Troy Henry, this endowment will be used to assist in making the campus enjoyable and functional for the ecological research, nature appreciation, and observation and other related activiites.

Herbert & Sylvia Fisher Student Center Endowment
Established by devoted alumni Herbert and Sylvia Fisher, this fund will be used for student programming and expenses incurred for the operation, maintenance and augmentation of the building.

Harris Teeter Fitness Center Endowment
Established by Harris Teeter and the Dixon Foundation Inc. to support student health and welness.

Ron Johnson Program Fund
The fund is created in appreciation of Ron Johnson's many years of service to Randall Library and the UNCW campus. The fund is intended to provide receptions in Randall Library and addtionally, to assist campus student groups focusing on the activities of the campus gay community.

McEachern Life Long Speaker Series
The fund was created by Tabitha Hutaff McEachern to honor her longtime interest and involvement in public service outreach, a function of UNCW's Division of Public Service and Continuing Studies. The intent of the endowment is to provide annual earnings to assist with this lecture series.

Virginia and Derrick Sherman Emerging Scholars Lecture Series
Established by Phillip D. Sherman and Ann Sherman-Skiba in honor of their parents to create an annual lecture/seminar series to be administered and hosted by the University featuring an invited young scholar to present one or more public lectures, faculty seminars and classroom presentations on modern topics in history and international affairs.

Student Affairs Endowment
Established from the support of Parents Council members and corporate matching gifts for the purpose of supporting activities and projects within this division.

Wachovia Initiatives in Excellence Fund
The fund income is used to support excellence in teaching, research, learning, artisitic development and to fund new program initiatives and provide for program development in these areas.
 

Distinguished Professorships

Dr. Stephen Harper Distinguished Professor

Endowed Professorships allow UNCW to attract and retain the most distinguished scholars to educate our students. These prestigious awards foster a powerful academic experience by providing salaries, supporting research and enabling professors to engage in endeavors that lead to valuable discoveries for our students as well as our global community.

Professorships by Area:

Cameron School of Business

Cameron Distinguished Professorship of Accountancy
Distinguished Professor: Lorraine S. Lee, Ph.D., MBA
Established by Daniel D. Cameron and Bruce Barclay Cameron, Jr.

David S. Congdon Distinguished Professorship in Business Analytics
Distinguished Professor: vacant
Established by David S. Congdon as part of his commitment to the Congdon School of Supply Chain, Business Analytics and Information Systems within the Cameron School of Business.

Earl E. Congdon Distinguished Professorship in Supply Chain Management
Distinguished Professor: vacant
Established by David S. Congdon as part of his commitment to the Congdon School of Supply Chain, Business Analytics and Information Systems within the Cameron School of Business.

Elwood and Mary Walker Endowed Professorship in Accounting
Distinguished Professor: Victoria J. Hansen, B.S., M.S., Ph.D.
This professorship was created with a gift from Elwood and Mary Walker to enable the Department of Accountancy and Business Law within the Camerson School of Business to be a national model for the future through teaching, research, and service/engagement.

Ronald & Cynthia McNeill Distinguished Professorship in Business
Distinguished Professor: vacant
Established by Ronnie & Cyndi McNeill, this professorship demonstrates the McNeill's deep commitment to UNCW. 

Duke Energy-Betty Cameron Distinguished Professorship of Entrepreneurship
Distinguished Professor: Craig S. Galbraith, Ph.D., MSc, MBA, B.A.
Established by the CP&L (now Duke Energy) Foundation to honor Daniel D. Cameron's service on the CP&L Board of Directors.

Duke Energy-Gordon C. Hurlbert Distinguished Professorship in Information Systems
Distinguished Professor: L Drew Rosen, Ph.D., MBA
Established by the CP&L (now Duke Energy) Foundation to honor Mr. Hurlbert's service on the CP&L Board of Directors.

College of Health & Human Services

Irwin Belk Distinguished Professorship in Nursing
Distinguished Professor: Patricia D. Suplee, Ph.D., RNC-OB, FAAN
Established by Mr. Irwin "Ike" Belk, in keeping with his distinguished record of generosity in support of education and health, to assist in the recruitment and retention of high quality faculty to the School of Nursing.

Lucy Ann Boddie Brewer Distinguished Professorship in Oncological Nursing
Distinguished Professor: vacant
This professorship was created by the Brewer and Boddie families in memory of Lucy Ann Boddie Brewer to provide support for oncological nursing education at UNCW.

Sandy and Deborah McNeill Distinguished Professorship in Nursing
Distinguished Professor: Barbara Lutz, PhD, RN, CRRN
This professorship was created by John A. "Sandy" McNeill, and his wife Deborah, to further their strong legacy of support for UNCW, southeastern North Carolina, and higher education. Mr. McNeill is a former chairman of the UNCW Board of Trustees.

College of Humanities, Social Sciences & the Arts

Charles & Hannah Block Distinguished Professorship in Jewish History
Distinguished Scholar: Jarrod M. Tanny, BA, MA, PhD
This professorship was established by Frank Block and Mary Levine in honor of their parents, Hannah and Charles Block.

Betty & Dan Cameron Family Distinguished Professorship for Innovation in the Non-Profit Sector
Distinguished Professor: Richard Clerkin, B.A., M.P.A., Ph.D.
Established by Mrs. Cameron and her children: Swanna C. Saltiel, Daniel D. Cameron, Jr., William H. Cameron, Charlotte A. Cameron and Hilda C. Dill.

Thomas S. Kenan III Distinguished Professorship in Creative Writing
Distinguished Professor: David Gessner, B.A., M.A.
This professorship was established by The C.D. Spangler Foundation of Charlotte, NC. It's purpose is to further enhance the reputation of the UNCW Creative Writing program, which has been cited as one of the top five innovative programs nationally.

College of Science & Engineering

Carl B. Brown Distinguished Professorship in Marine Sciences
Distinguished Professor: vacant
This professorship was created with a gift from Carl B. Brown in response to the challenge grant of the Board of Governors provided by the Distinguished Professors Endowment Trust Funds established by the NC General Assembly.

Will S. DeLoach Distinguished Professorship in Chemistry
Distinguished Professor: vacant
Established by Dr. Will S. DeLoach, the first doctoral-holding chemistry professor at Wilmington College. Dr. DeLoach desired the recipient be a passionate and skilled teacher, a productive researcher and dedicated citizen within the Chemistry Department and in the UNCW community.

Frank Hawkins Kenan Distinguished Professorship in Marine Sciences
Distinguished Professor: Joseph Pawlik, BS, PhD
This professorship was established by C. D. Spangler, Jr., and the C. D. Spangler Foundation in honor of Frank Hawkins Kenan's extensive and successful efforts on behalf of higher education in North Carolina, and his deep roots in Wilmington.

William R. Kenan, Jr., Distinguished Professorship in Marine Science
Distinguished Professor: vacant
The William R. Kenan, Jr., Charitable Trust provided funds to establish this distinguished professorship in memory of Owen G. Kenan.

Linda Sayed Distinguished Professorship in Pharmaceutical Sciences
Distinguished Professor: Andrew J. Andrews, B.S., M.S., Ph.D.
This professorship was established by Yousry and Linda Sayed, inspired by their interest in assisting the evolution of new programs related to pharmaceutical sciences, building on the strengths in the areas of chemistry and biochemistry at UNCW.

Yousry Sayed Distinguished Professorship in Pharmaceutical Sciences
Distinguished Professor: R. Thomas Williamson, B.A., M.S., Ph.D.
This professorship was established by Yousry and Linda Sayed, inspired by their interest in assisting the evolution of new programs related to pharmaceutical sciences, building on the strengths in the areas of chemistry and biochemistry at UNCW.

Watson College of Education

Wendy & Dell Murphy Distinguished Professorship of Education
Distinguished Scholar: Kevin McClure, B.A., M.A., Ph.D.
This professorship was established by Wendell H. "Dell" Murphy, Jr., and Wendy F. Murphy to further their strong legacy of support for UNCW, southeastern North Carolina, and higher education. They have consistently made gifts of their time and resources for the betterment of their community and service to UNCW. This professorship is another demonstration of their deep commitment to UNCW. Mrs. Murphy is a past chair of the UNCW Board of Trustees.

Donald R. Watson Distinguished Professorship in Education
Distinguished Professor: Martin Kozloff, B.A., M.A., Ph.D.
This professorship was created with a gift from Donald R. Watson in response to the challenge grant of the Board of Governors provided by the Distinguished Professors Endowment Trust Funds established by the NC General Assembly.
 
To speak with someone about endowments, contact:

Eddie Stuart
Vice Chancellor, University Advancement
Executive Director, UNCW Foundation
(910) 962.3626
stuarte@uncw.edu

 

Endowment Reporting

The Division for University Advancement, in collaboration with the Division for Business Affairs, is responsible for providing and distributing an annual report of the university's endowments. For questions, please contact:

Contact:
Missy Kennedy '01
Associate Vice Chancellor
(910) 962.2049
kennedym@uncw.edu

Available Reports

Common Terms
Book Value:

The dollar amount of the original endowment gifts donated, plus any additional gifts, and any gains (losses) realized upon liquidation of non-cash endowment gifts.

Market Value:

The market value as of June 30 of the individual endowment gifts, invested in the pooled endowment fund, allocated to the individual account based on the number of units held. Market value includes both realized and unrealized investment appreciation.

New Gifts:

Gifts made to an endowment or spendable fund during reporting period.

Spending Distribution from Endowment:

The portion of endowment investment appreciation that is withdrawn to fund the operating budget and expand in accordance with the endowments' designated purposes.

"Underwater" Endowment:

An endowed fund whose market value is less than its historic gift value.

Earned Income:

Income that is earned from investments, such as dividends from stock and interest from money market and/or bonds.

Realized capital gains/losses:

These are incurred when an asset is sold.  A realized capital gain results from selling an asset at a price higher than the original purchase price.  A realized capital loss results from selling an asset at a price lower than the original purchase price.

Unrealized capital gains/losses:

The change in value of an investment after it is purchased but before it is sold.

Total Return:

The percentage change in value over a period of time, taking into account net income and capital appreciation (depreciation). This would include interest and dividends, realized gains (losses), unrealized gain (losses) and investment management costs.

Frequently Asked Questions
What are endowment funds?

The university’s endowment funds consist of both true endowments and quasi-endowments, also known as “funds functioning as endowments.” True endowments are made up of gifts received from donors with the stipulation that the principal remain untouched and that it be invested to produce a never-ending source of support for the purposes specified by the donors. Quasi-endowments are funds set aside by the university to function as endowments over the long term but which may be fully expended, with the approval of the Board of Trustees, to meet the needs of the university.

Endowment funds are invested for the long term, and a portion of earnings from those investments help support the purposes for which they were established: student scholarships, academic programs, professorships, and other university needs.

What is endowment principal?

Principal is defined by UNCW as total donor gifts to a true endowment.  The terms principal and corpus are sometimes used interchangeably.

What is the difference between market value and book value?

The difference between book value and market value is unrealized appreciation (if market value is more than book value) or depreciation (if market value is less than book value).

What legal requirements regulate endowments in North Carolina?

In March, 2009, North Carolina adopted the Uniform Prudent Management of Institutional Funds Act (UPMIFA). This act replaces the previous guidance (UMIFA) adopted in 1985. (See Chapter 36E of the NC General Statutes) Unlike UMIFA, UPMIFA does not prohibit invasion of the endowment principal, but instead applies a prudence standard for investment and spending decisions.

UNCW has adopted a policy which takes the position that implementing the flexibility afforded by UPMIFA should be an option of last resort. If exercised, such spending shall not cause the principal to fall below 85% of the historic gift value of the subject endowment fund.

How large is UNCW’s endowment?

As of June 30, 2020, UNCW's endowment was comprised of 500 endowed funds and valued at $104 million.

How is endowment spending determined?

Spending policy rate is approved by the Board of Trustees of the University. The 4.5% spending policy rate is computed on the average endowment market value at the end of the previous 3 years. This rate helps to insulate the endowment from anticipated market volatility that includes lower investment returns and higher inflation. It also helps to ensure continued, steady support of student scholarships, and academic and university programs.

How soon will new endowments start to spend?

New endowments may begin spending after accumulated investment earnings are sufficient to fund the spending budget, subject to the annual computation date for endowment spending budgets of the previous June 30. It typically takes 18 months before a new endowment can begin to spend.

How does stock market volatility affect the endowment?

Stock market values go up and down. The university manages stock market volatility by maintaining a diversified portfolio, which includes equities, fixed income, private equity, venture capital, real estate, marketable alternatives and other investments. However, diversification alone will not prevent the endowment from sustaining losses during market downturns.

UNCW endowment’s spending rate helps to insulate the spending budget from short-term fluctuations in the financial markets by using a conservative spending rate formula. The university’s endowment spending rate helps to smooth out the impact of volatile capital markets by providing for annual distributions of 4.5 percent of the average market values of endowment units over the past three years. The approach helps the university budget more consistently for its revenue streams. 

Why not increase the rate of spending from endowment earnings when state funding is cut or growing slowly?

The current endowment spending rate is set to protect and grow the value of the endowment for the future, because it must continue to grow over time to preserve the quality and health of the university. If an institution were to spend down its endowment for unplanned expenses, it would take many years to build the endowment back up through investment income, reduced spending and new gifts.

 

 

UNCW Endowment Report