{"id":6778,"date":"2021-03-02T10:08:13","date_gmt":"2021-03-02T15:08:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.eckerd.edu\/news\/?p=6778"},"modified":"2022-11-03T09:52:50","modified_gmt":"2022-11-03T13:52:50","slug":"innovation-fund-to-support-strategic-initiatives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.eckerd.edu\/news\/blog\/innovation-fund-to-support-strategic-initiatives\/","title":{"rendered":"Eckerd College launches new Innovation Fund to support strategic initiatives"},"content":{"rendered":"[vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” row_border_radius=”none” row_border_radius_applies=”bg” overlay_strength=”0.3″ gradient_direction=”left_to_right” shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_spacing=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”] [image_with_animation image_url=”6780″ animation=”Fade In” hover_animation=”none” alignment=”” img_link_large=”yes” border_radius=”none” box_shadow=”none” image_loading=”default” max_width=”100%” max_width_mobile=”default”][vc_column_text]Open-air classrooms like this one have become part of the College’s distinctive excellence. Photo: Angelique Herring ’19<\/em>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row type=”full_width_content” full_screen_row_position=”middle” column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” row_border_radius=”none” row_border_radius_applies=”bg” overlay_strength=”0.3″ gradient_direction=”left_to_right” shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none” shape_type=””][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”right” column_element_spacing=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]\n

Literal and figurative seeds are being sown across the campus of Eckerd College as President Dami\u00e1n J. Fern\u00e1ndez announced on March 2<\/a> that a brand-new Innovation Fund to support strategic initiatives has raised $2.7 million toward its $10 million goal.<\/h3>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row type=”full_width_content” full_screen_row_position=”middle” column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” scene_position=”center” top_padding=”32″ text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” row_border_radius=”none” row_border_radius_applies=”bg” overlay_strength=”0.3″ gradient_direction=”left_to_right” shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none” shape_type=””][vc_column column_padding=”padding-2-percent” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”right” column_element_spacing=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]Backed by the Eckerd College Board of Trustees, the Innovation Fund will provide starting costs for major initiatives, capital projects, and new staff and faculty positions that undergird the four pillars of President Fern\u00e1ndez\u2019s vision for the College\u2019s (Re)Foundational Imperative<\/a> formulated from research, community conversations and observations during his first few months in office. Every dollar of the fund will be put toward establishing more distinctive excellence, transformational student experiences, social impact and sustainability priorities.<\/p>\n

Each of the pillars\u2014Eckerd at the Edges: Innovation in the Liberal Arts and Sciences for Our Times; The City as Classroom, the Campus as Laboratory; Inclusive Excellence: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging; and A Sustainable Future: Pursuing Resilience\u2014addresses major parts of the College\u2019s strategic planning process.<\/p>\n

Most of the initial gifts have come from current trustees and friends of the College whose belief in the pillars and special connections to our 188-acre campus go beyond a four-year stay. Two of the first donations were given in memory of family members lost, but never forgotten.<\/p>\n

Shortly after losing his sister, Cari, President Fern\u00e1ndez’s family\u2014his son, Juli\u00e1n, his mother, his brother and sister-in-law and their children, and his niece, Lauren\u2014decided to honor her life by making a gift to establish an endowed scholarship for first-generation women of color to attend Eckerd College.<\/p>\n

\u201cCari, who was born in Cuba and was a first-generation college student, would be pleased to know that proceeds from the Cari Fern\u00e1ndez Endowed Scholarship will contribute to the institutional imperative of enhancing diversity,\u201d said President Fern\u00e1ndez. \u201cA diverse educational experience is key to making Eckerd representative of and of service to the \u2018New America,\u2019 and that means bringing students in, putting resources on the table, and building the scaffolding necessary for success. It can be done, but it requires some institutional reengineering and commitment.\u201d<\/p>\n

Doug, Mary and Jill Scovanner had been searching for a way to honor their son and brother, Tim Scovanner \u201911, after he passed away in 2016. While considering all the options, a trip to the waterfront on campus<\/a> made clear that a project in this area\u2014one Tim had so many fond memories of\u2014would make him the proudest. After hearing about Eckerd College\u2019s innovative use of outdoor classroom spaces to creatively combat the COVID-19 pandemic, the Scovanner family increased an initial pledge to $1 million to build an outdoor classroom\/pavilion area near Kappa Field.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row type=”full_width_content” full_screen_row_position=”middle” column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” scene_position=”center” top_padding=”32″ text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” row_border_radius=”none” row_border_radius_applies=”bg” overlay_strength=”0.3″ gradient_direction=”left_to_right” shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none” shape_type=””][vc_column column_padding=”padding-5-percent” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”left-right” column_element_spacing=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” el_class=”lg_text” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]“Tim’s Eckerd experience was shaped by its vital community\u2014friends, faculty, classes and time spent on the waterfront,\u201d the Scovanner family said. \u201cIt is our hope the Pavilion will become a place of gathering, sharing, fun and support for all of the Eckerd community past, present and future.”<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row type=”full_width_content” full_screen_row_position=”middle” column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” scene_position=”center” top_padding=”32″ text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” row_border_radius=”none” row_border_radius_applies=”bg” overlay_strength=”0.3″ gradient_direction=”left_to_right” shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none” shape_type=””][vc_column column_padding=”padding-3-percent” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”right” column_element_spacing=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]In addition to these gifts, the Eckerd College Board of Trustees<\/a> was asked to participate as individuals in contributing to the fund to move the College forward. To date, 100% of board members have contributed to projects ranging from faculty and staff positions to seed money for a campus farm.<\/p>\n

Fund initiatives that will launch this semester include:<\/p>\n