Advancing our
ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE
PROPELLING STUDENTS FORWARD through stellar academic opportunities and experiences is central to Catawba’s mission.
It’s with the generosity of our supporters that we’re able to provide cutting-edge facilities like the Graham Genomics Lab that gives students real-world experience, to support top-notch faculty with unique expertise like Chair of the Music Department Jeff Little who brings 30+ years of music industry experience to his classes with technology of the Steinway Spiro, and to create immersive opportunities like traveling to Rwanda to study African conservation and collaborate with local wildlife researchers.
Expanding academic programs, providing hands-on opportunities, creating additional learning spaces, and supporting students throughout their educational journeys are just a few aspects of our academic vision that you could help us realize. Let’s empower the next generation of change makers, great thinkers, and thoughtful leaders.
of community survey respondents listed academic facilities as their top campus priority.
of 2023 graduates completed at least one high-impact practice like research and internships. We’re aiming for 100%.
academic facility improvement projects in the Campus Master Plan.
"The power of a college education gives those individuals the capabilities, skills, and qualities needed to navigate today’s career-dominated environment. Technology is shifting continuously. They are setting themselves up for things that they may not fully realize at this point but that they can be capable of handling. I think if Catawba didn’t exist, that level of confidence-building and level of embedding characteristics that are valued in today’s world would be missing."
– Dr. Michael Bitzer, Professor of Politics and History
ACADEMIC PRIORITIES
THRIVE @ CATAWBA – This student retention initiative helps us provide the resources and support to see each and every student through to graduation.
NEW ACADEMIC PROGRAMS – We’ve recently launched the Green Technology, MS in Exercise Science, and Ketner MBA programs.
HIGH IMPACT PRACTICES – We hope to expand the research opportunities, internship partner programs, and study abroad experiences for our students.
ACADEMIC FACILITIES – We’re renovating and expanding existing classrooms and labs and providing the latest technology and equipment for innovative teaching and learning. Teachers learn in a dedicated teaching classroom built for research and growth in early childhood education. Healthcare professionals train in technology-rich labs with a focus on real-world applications.
Advancing our
ATHLETIC EXPERIENCE
WE’RE SHAPING FUTURE LEADERS AND EFFECTIVE COLLABORATORS through the athletics program. At Catawba, we believe that athletics play a pivotal role in the college experience. Sports encourage coming together as a community to celebrate our shared experience. By strengthening our programs and facilities, we deepen our connection with the broader community and enhance the College’s competitive edge as a model Division II College.
Investments in our athletic program ensure that our student athletes have access to top-tier resources that support them on and off the field — and our athletes are doing good far beyond the competition. Many are leaders across campus and top-academic performers in the classroom. Expanding the athletics fieldhouse to create room for practice that leads to peak performance. Opening new and updating existing fields and stadiums to host our community. Investing in equipment that allows our athletes to be top competitors — with your support we’ll achieve these goals and continue to grow in our capacity to nurture Catawba athletes into lifelong leaders.
participation in athletics programs on campus.
of service hours completed by student athletes.
athletic facility enhancement projects in the Campus Master Plan.
"At Catawba, our student-athletes are committed to excellence—both in the classroom and in competition. By enhancing our athletic facilities, we are making a bold investment in the future of our programs and in the lives of more than 600 student-athletes. These improvements will provide the space, resources, and support our students need to grow, lead, and succeed—in the competition venue and beyond. Your generosity fuels more than construction—it fuels possibility. Every gift to this campaign is a powerful statement of belief in our mission, our momentum, and the enduring strength of Catawba Culture."
– Michelle Caddigan, Vice President for Athletics
ATHLETIC PRIORITIES
STADIUM EXPANSIONS AND UPDATES – We’re continuing the renovation of Phases 2 and 3 of Newman Park and upgrading the facilities for a better experience for athletes and fans alike.
HAYES FIELD HOUSE RENOVATION – We envision a full-scale expansion, maximizing the facility’s impact and supporting all 600 of our student-athletes, 24 teams, and the athletic training program.
ATHLETIC SCHOLARSHIPS – We plan to enhance scholarships available to Catawba College athletes.
ENDOWED COACHING POSITIONS – We will create endowed positions for Catawba Athletics coaches.
Advancing our
COLLEGE ENDOWMENT
WE’RE SOLIDIFYING OUR PLACE IN THE FUTURE through the Catawba College Endowment. Endowed gifts help us continue the good works that we’ve already embarked on like scholarship funds that bring top students who may not have otherwise been able to afford college, professorships that attract top faculty, and so much more.
These gifts also allow us to invest for the future. An endowment gift is a donation that preserves the original value of the gift and grows over time. The funds are held in perpetuity and invested. The accumulated appreciation on the investment is used to fund an annual distribution. Through this dedicated funding, an endowment gift ensures the stability of a scholarship, professorship, or program, while also ensuring the College has a safety net that it can count on for years to come.
Each endowment gift, because of its enduring nature, is an endorsement of Catawba’s mission and its place as a leader in the future of education.
in scholarships awarded to students annually.
ONE of the largest college endowments in the Southeast. – Business North Carolina
Nearly
of Catawba students qualify for aid of some type.
"Alumni, friends, and donors continue to inspire us by the confidence they place in Catawba. Words are inadequate to express my gratitude and that of the entire Catawba family for this kind of support, which enables us to offer an exceptional education, rich with opportunities for students to explore the world and discover their place in it."
– Catawba President David P. Nelson
ENDOWMENT PRIORITIES
UNRESTRICTED GIFTS – These types of endowed gifts give Catawba the flexibility and benefit of deciding how to best use the gifts based on its assessment of the current needs of the College. In short, these gifts help us be prepared no matter what’s on the horizon.
ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP SUPPORT – Help Catawba continue to deliver on its promises to support deserving students through existing endowed scholarship programs.
NAMED ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIPS – Create access and financial security for deserving students by establishing an endowed scholarship fund that aligns with your vision for the future of Catawba and its students.
NAMED ENDOWED FUNDS – Support the College and solidify your legacy for generations to come through a named endowed gift in an area that aligns with your values.
TOGETHER, WE CAN DO A WORLD OF GOOD.
The Where Our Good Goes campaign is a comprehensive campaign with the goal of securing Catawba College for generations to come.
