It has been a year since I began my tenure as Claflin University's ninth president. In retrospect, it has been an enlightening and rewarding experience and the past six months have been remarkably challenging due to COVID-19. However, your collective generosity during this global crisis has been an unequivocal testament to the University's "Value Proposition," which states that "Student success at Claflin University is characterized by persistence toward graduation, receipt of prestigious fellowships and scholarships, admission into competitive graduate and professional schools and recruitment by major companies and agencies." Your unwavering support also affirms that Claflin University is here because of you. It's an indisputable fact that we do not take for granted.
The 2020 Fall Semester is in progress and members of the Class of 2024 and returning students are beginning or continuing their pursuit of academic excellence through our world-class faculty and innovative teaching. Despite theunique and unimaginable disruption caused by COVID-19, Claflin's upward trajectory as one of the nation's premier institutions of higher education has continued. Because of you, my "Claflin Confidence," assures me that Claflin students will receive sufficient financial support and other critical resources that will allow them to earn a Claflin degree.
That is why it is so important that you make a gift to the Claflin Fund - the University's Alumni, Family and Friends
Campaign - to support scholarships and program enhancement initiatives. These are essential needs that contribute to the University's capacity to recruit and retain high-achieving scholars; maintain prestigious national accreditations and rankings; attract accomplished, student-focused faculty; and technology upgrades which improve the efficacy of remote teaching and learning. Our goal is to raise more than $1 million and surpass the 50 percent mark in alumni annual giving. (To be included in this year's Founder's Day report, your gift must be made by October 15, 2020.)
Claflin is here because, after more than 150 years, you and other constituents and stakeholders have helped preserve theUniversity's proud legacy as "South Carolina's oldest HBCU and the first institution of higher education to welcome all students regardless of race, gender, religious or ethnic origin."
Claflin is here because of you and we need you more than ever during this exciting, new chapter of our illustrious University "On a Hilltop High."
Your gift to the Claflin Fund will help us continue to create transformative opportunities for future generations of visionary leaders and the entire campus community. Please click
here and select from the giving options listed and your method of payment.
Claflin is here because of you - and your gift is greatly appreciated.
With Panther Pride,
Dr. Dwaun J. Warmack
President