The Colgate Fund — unrestricted support for all areas of academic and student life — emerged as an important resource for the University’s response to the pandemic this past spring.
In the aftermath of the campus closure, the Colgate Fund’s Student Emergency Relief Fund helped support students returning home with assistance for travel, housing, meals, and technology needs. For the approximately 250 students who remained on campus, the fund contributed to no-cost meal plans for all.
At the same time, the University provided a significant refund of room and board costs to families. This loss of revenue was offset by the Colgate Fund, which provides budget relief across many areas of the University.
“The Colgate Fund is a key resource for the University, not only when things are running smoothly, but especially during times of uncertainty,” says John Collins, associate vice president for budget, financial planning, and analysis.
To ensure that Colgate’s essential operations — most importantly, the education of 3,000 students — continued, the Colgate Fund aided the transition to remote teaching and work for faculty and staff, especially by supporting technology needs. The result was the delivery of 1,500 online classes per week.
The Colgate Fund also helped the University extend support to the Hamilton community. For example, Colgate provided a three-month rent freeze for University-owned properties in the village and made available extra housing for doctors and nurses who work in Hamilton but live elsewhere.
“The Colgate Fund was extremely helpful this year in maintaining business and academic continuity during a challenging and disruptive time,” says Collins. “It is a resource that has an impact across the entire institution.”