Continuing the mission of The Shirt Project to unify, support and give back to the University of Notre Dame student body, a portion of the profits from The Shirt will fund a new Student Enrichment Endowment to help support student opportunities and needs.
Justin McCurdy, the current student president of The Shirt Project, said at the 2017 Shirt unveiling that the new endowment will support the work of the Office of Student Enrichment to help fund the overall student experience and necessities, such as winter clothing, computer expenses, emergency travel and extracurricular experiences.
“The Shirt Project started as a way to raise money for Notre Dame student activities and to unite all students in Notre Dame Stadium,” McCurdy said. “The Student Enrichment Endowment will continue to unite us by providing under-resourced students with the opportunity to experience all Notre Dame has to offer.”
In February 2017, McCurdy and Student Union Treasurer Mason Shinn worked with the Student Senate to pass a resolution to institute the Student Enrichment Endowment. Prior to the resolution, proceeds from The Shirt were allocated toward the Student Union, the Rector Fund and the Shirt Charity Endowment. After discovering the Shirt Charity Endowment had become a self-sustaining entity and the Rector Fund was being exhausted annually, the students proposed reallocating funds to a new endowment on behalf of the Office of Student Enrichment.
Now profits will be allocated toward the Student Union, which distributes money to undergraduate student organizations, and the Student Enrichment Endowment, which ensures all students can participate in the full Notre Dame experience, regardless of their financial situations. The Shirt Charity Endowment will remain in place and continue to serve as a resource for students who have extraordinary medical expenses.
The Office of Student Enrichment will allocate the funds from the Student Enrichment Endowment.
“I am thrilled by the student initiative to find more ways to support each other,” said Marc Burdell, director of the Office of Student Enrichment. “It is our goal to invest in students and ensure they are getting the most out of their Notre Dame experience. This endowment will allow us to fulfill even more student requests and help us to further address their academic and social needs.”
Established in 2016 with a $20 million gift from Notre Dame graduate Sean Cullinan and his wife, Sue, the Office of Student Enrichment offers personal support, social enrichment and growth opportunities for high-achieving and under-resourced students. Programs address students’ academic, social and professional development needs, and topics such as peer mentoring, financial literacy and career discernment.
The Shirt was created in 1990 as a fund-raising and community-building initiative. Operated entirely by a student committee, The Shirt design and color change annually.
Contact: Kate Morgan, communications program director for student affairs, 574-631-1377, kmorgan4@nd.edu
Originally published by at news.nd.edu on April 28, 2017.