Every day, SMU faculty and staff help shape the lives of countless students, peers and community members. Their efforts – whether in the office or in the classroom, locally or abroad – create world changers.
In addition to your time and talent, your current-use gift as part of SMU’s annual faculty and staff giving effort has an immediate impact on students today. Your ongoing support powers the ambitious efforts of SMU students who will no doubt change the world in the years ahead.
Make the gift that makes sense for you.
Giving to SMU has never been easier. Many faculty and staff choose to make a recurring gift by payroll deduction. Others make their gift online by charging their credit card monthly, quarterly or annually.
SMU’s annual faculty and staff campaign began in 2009 and continues to showcase the strength and commitment we each bring to our profession and to the students of SMU. SMU is one of the nation’s leading universities because of the work and service we perform together.
Last year more than 57 percent of SMU’s faculty and staff gave to SMU. This year, our goal is to raise $175,000 in current-use funds from 60 percent of our colleagues. Thank you in advance for your support.
Fredrick I. Olness and Jennifer “JJ” Jones ’93, ’99
Co-chairs of the Faculty and Staff Campaign
Give Now
Make a recurring or one-time gift using your credit card.
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Please enter a value greater than or equal to $5.
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Or make a recurring gift through payroll deduction.
Track Our Progress
School or Area | Progress | Donor Goal | Donors Still Needed |
---|---|---|---|
Athletics | 109 | 63 | |
Business and Finance | 134 | 85 | |
SMU Libraries | 52 | 33 | |
Cox School of Business | 144 | 95 | |
Dedman College of Humanities & Sciences | 156 | 92 | |
Dedman School of Law | 58 | 37 | |
Development and External Affairs | 142 | 79 | |
Legal Affairs | 9 | 1 | |
Lyle School of Engineering | 56 | 32 | |
Meadows School of the Arts | 103 | 71 | |
Office of Information Technology | 86 | 38 | |
Office of the President | 24 | 13 | |
Office of the Provost | 117 | 70 | |
Perkins School of Theology | 57 | 27 | |
Simmons School of Education and Human Development | 87 | 53 | |
Student Affairs | 56 | 30 |
Impact Stories
Frequently Asked Questions
For two reasons. First, faculty, staff and alumni giving rates heavily influence corporate and foundation gifts to SMU. They look for a high level of support from our closest constituents. Second, by supporting the campaign’s three funding areas, your gift can help make SMU the best it can be.
It’s up to you.There are a variety of areas to support, and your donation can support a school dean’s fund, SMU Fund, President’s Partners, Mustang Club or building/capital project. If you want to support President’s Partners, your money will be used by departments applying for those funds.
Faculty and staff participation is measured by the number of current full-time faculty and staff donors divided by the total number of current full-time and permanent part-time SMU faculty and staff. Participation is measured by a cash gift, whether that gift is made via payroll deduction, a planned gift, an outright gift of a check, credit card or a pledge payment on a new or existing pledge.
We encourage all of SMU’s faculty and staff, past and present, to give to the annual campaign.
All gifts, no matter the size or the area (designation) chosen, support the annual Faculty & Staff Campaign.
There is a $5 minimum for all gifts including cash, check, credit card and payroll deduction gifts (by pay period). All gifts of $5 or more will be counted in the campaign.
If you department has a fund-raising designation, you may give to it.
Yes! President’s Partners continues to be a strategic funding priority for the University. All gifts to President’s Partners will be counted in the campaign.
Your name will be included on donor lists unless you choose to opt out of our donor lists. If you are a President’s Associates member, your name and gift amount will be published on that list according to giving level and the number of years you’ve given; however, you may also choose to opt out of that list.
If you have additional questions, please email fsgiving@smu.edu.
President’s Partners
SMU faculty and staff members directly support the work of their colleagues and enhance the student experience through the President’s Partners program.
Since the introduction of the program, gifts to the President’s Partners program have funded a number of important projects. For example, past grant recipients received funds to purchase anthropometric equipment for student research in Anthropology (2011), equipment to enhance a mentoring program in the Annette Caldwell Simmons School of Education and Human Development (2008), and a Lemur multitouch control surface for performance and studio research in the Meadows School of the Arts (2009). See below for the list of additional grants funded by the President’s Partners Program.
Gifts can be made by payroll deduction, credit card, or check. Donors who give $100 or more each fiscal year (June 1 through May 31) will receive special recognition.
For inquiries about President’s Partners program grants, contact the Provost’s Office at 214-768-2816. For questions about the President’s Partners program, please e-mail fsgiving@smu.edu or call 214-768-4748.
Downloads

Based on the number of years of giving, faculty and staff who give at least $100 in SMU’s fiscal year to the President’s Partners program receive one of these pins.
- Year 1 — Red
- Year 2 — Blue
- Year 3 — Gold
- Year 4 — Platinum
- Year 5 — Gold with ruby
- Year 10 — Platinum with Sapphire
Grants
Name | Title | School | Department | Requested Equipment or Materials |
---|---|---|---|---|
Bierman, Sue | Director, LEC | University | LEC | Projection system in second LEC classroom to include projector, wiring, retractable screen and labor for installation |
Goldberg, Paula | Lecturer | Meadows | Film & Media Arts | Request funding to purchase tracks and accessories to enhance the existing doorway dolly (a wheeled platform for camera and camera operator). |
Goolsby, Ryan | Technical Mgr | Meadows | Multiple | CNC routing machine which allows the limited 3-D cutting of a range of materials with computer control. |
Johnson, Melissa | Reference & Digital Svcs Librarian | Cox | Library | AAXA P300 battery-operated projectors and accessories. |
Kerins, Mark | Associate Professor | Meadows | Film & Media Arts | Color grading software and control surfaces for three advanced workstations. |
Strecker, Teresa | Lecturer | Dedman | Biology | Four Thermo Scientific Spectronic 200 Spectrophotometers to support recruitment of academically gifted undergrads to the sciences, research, and enhance teaching and learning. |
Wallmark, Zachary | Assistant Professor | Meadows | Music | 20 Galvanic Skin response sensors to measure Musical Emotion & Galvanic Skin Response in the Music Classroom. |
Wetherington, Ron | Professor | Dedman | Anthropology | Newly available human bone casts for classes in Human Evolution, Forensic Anth and Zooarchaeology |
Windham, Lottia | Sr Student Financial Specialist | University | Student Financials | Funding to cover promotional items and printing costs, workshop materials and supplies, refreshments for workshops, and registration/certification fees related to workshops. |
Committee
Co-Chairs
Fredrick I. Olness, Co-chair
Jennifer “JJ” Jones ’93, ’99, Co-chair
Athletics
Kurt Pottkotter
Business and Finance
Vacant
Vacant
SMU Libraries
Carolyn Keenon
Julia Stewart
Cox School of Business
Jim Bryan
Don Shelly
Dedman College
Luisa del Rosal ’08,’15
Vacant
Dedman School of Law
Martin L. Camp ’79
JoAnn Hubbard
Development and External Affairs
Vacant
Vacant
Legal Affairs
Paul Ward
Lyle School of Engineering
Thomas Siems
Emily Newsome
Meadows School of the Arts
Jay Hengst
Christopher Dolder
Perkins School of Theology
Ted Campbell ’84
Ellen Frost ’85
Office of the President
Vacant
Office of Information Technology
Gina Benavides
Aren Cambre ’99, ’03, ’14
Provost/Academic Affairs
Vacant
Vacant
Simmons School of Education and Human Development
Lauren Gilmore
Vacant
Student Affairs
Renee’ Gibson ’05
Vacant
Ex-Officio Members
R. Gerald Turner
Brad E. Cheves