NEWS

$500,000 fund aids extracurricular endeavors by journalism-mass communication students

By ZACH HOSKINS
School of Journalism and Mass Communication

CHAPEL HILL -- A new $500,000 fund in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Journalism and Mass Communication encourages students to make the most of their time on campus by taking advantage of activities beyond the classroom.

The Don and Barbara Curtis Excellence Fund for Extracurricular Student Activities supports undergraduate majors in the school who participate in meaningful out-of-class activities that will help them in their mass communication careers. The Curtises have pledged $500,000, which will provide about $25,000 a year to support students.

Don Curtis is head of Curtis Media Group, which is believed to be the largest single-shareholder broadcasting company in the nation. He owns 14 radio stations in Raleigh-Durham. He is a member of the school’s Board of Visitors and a 2002 honoree in the N.C. Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame.

While a Carolina student, Curtis was active in student government, twice serving as president of the Summer School student body. He left the university in 1965, three courses short of his bachelor’s degree. Last Dec. 12, 37 years later, Curtis passed an oral exam and received his degree from Chancellor James Moeser in a special ceremony in Carroll Hall.

"I owe the university and my experiences as an undergraduate so much credit for preparing me for life and my professional career," Curtis said in December. "Did I spend too much time with extracurriculars such as student government and other campus activities? I think not. Those experiences have proven to be priceless."

Any student in the school may apply for funding independently or as a member of a student organization. If an application is selected to receive funding, the amount will depend on the nature of the proposal.

Examples of meaningful extracurricular activities include participating in internships; attending national and regional competitions or meetings; working for "Carolina Week," the school’s student-produced television news program; or participating in the school’s annual fall- and spring-break trips to major U.S. cities to meet and gain insights from professional communicators.

"This is a unique opportunity in the school, and we’re mighty grateful to Don and Barbara Curtis for establishing this fund," said Dean Richard Cole. "Extracurricular activities are an important component of every student’s education, and this fund will reward those students who work to get everything they can out of their time in our school."

The first application deadline for students is Oct. 1.

The gift from the Curtises counts toward the Carolina First campaign goal of $1.8 billion. Carolina First is a comprehensive, multi-year private fund-raising campaign to support Carolina’s vision of becoming the nation’s leading public university.

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School of Journalism and Mass Communication contact: Zach Hoskins, assistant dean for communications, (919) 966-3323, zhoskins@email.unc.edu

News Services contact: Mike McFarland, (919) 962-8593