Vincennes University receives gift of faculty endowment from Indiana couple
The Whittington Endowed Faculty Fund was created with $750,000 from Ro and Charles "Shorty" Whittington’s Landmark Farm Foundation, Inc., and is the first faculty endowment VIncennes University has had.
A new faculty endowment fund, the Whittington Endowed Faculty Fund, has been established at Vincennes University thanks to a generous donation from Ro and Charles “Shorty” Whittington. The couple has donated $750,000 to the employee endowment fund.
According to an article on Vincennes University’s website, Provost Dr. Laura Treanor said of the couple’s generosity, "This historic endowment underscores our unwavering dedication to academic excellence and innovation. Faculty are the lifeblood of what we do, working directly with our students to produce skills and experiences that lead to life-changing outcomes. I and Vincennes University are immensely grateful to Ro and Shorty Whittington for their visionary philanthropy, which will have a profound and lasting impact on our faculty, University community, and beyond."
The Whittington Endowed Faculty Fund will allow the university to expend more resources in the recruitment process to find and retain talented educators. In the College of Technology and the College of Business and Public Service, the fund will provide stipends for five positions. A significant portion of the gift is allocated toward funding staffing for agricultural education, about which Shorty is passionate.
He said, "We want to make things available for young people to help them grow and help get them jump-started. I farmed for a long time, and if you plant a seed and you take care of that seed it grows." He added, "My wife and I have a real desire to build up kids to get them where they need to be. Our objective is to invest in Vincennes University faculty and help them make things better."
The Whittingtons have been longtime sponsors of scholarships for kids in 4H and have offered financial support to many initiatives.
“We extend our deepest gratitude to Ro and Shorty Whittington for their outstanding generosity. It is an honor for VU and the Foundation to be a part of their passion and vision for making a meaningful difference in the lives of those we serve. Their commitment to youth and education is truly inspiring,” said Kristi Deetz, the Executive Director of VU Foundation and Senior Director of Institutional Advancement.
For more information about Vincennes University, visit the school’s website.