SUPPORTING OUR STUDENTS
concurs. “We all share something in common and I love that,” she says. “I laugh, I cry, and I study with these women. We balance each other.” Academic Excellence Mills continues to provide students with resources that empower them to excel in their course work. Students draw upon The Writing Center’s tutorials and workshops to hone their writing skills; the center’s hours will be doubled in the coming academic year. Students in Chem 4 (Introduction to College Chemistry) benefit this year from a pilot quantitative skills workshop designed to help them overcome anxieties about math and consider careers in the sciences; this workshop will be extended to other lowerdivision courses. Tutoring services are being developed for students enrolled in particularly challenging courses.
Financial Aid Mills admits students with great academic potential regardless of their financial means, then develops, for each student, financial aid packages that may include scholarships from the College, federal and state grants, loans, and work-study. Eighty-eight percent of undergraduates receive scholarships directly from Mills. The amount of the College’s budget dedicated to financial aid has risen from $8 million to $14 million in five years, reflecting increases in tuition and in the number of students. Yet Mills cannot meet the full need of all qualified students. Students experiencing financial difficulties may be forced to leave college or take longer to complete their degrees. To address this challenge to student success, the Mills College Annual Fund (MCAF) is focusing
this year on increasing contributions for scholarships. It has introduced the Named Student Scholarship Program, which enables each donor who gives $5,000 or more to the MCAF to name a scholarship in honor or memory of a loved one. In fall 2007, a student will be named as the donor’s scholar and receive 100 percent of the donor’s gift. “Receiving a scholarship from the College demonstrated that an investment was being made in my education,” says Alison Lazareck, ’08, “and because of that I have been motivated to invest as much as I can myself, through my academic work and by seizing every opportunity to make the most of my Mills experience.” Call (510) 430-2366 to make a gift to the MCAF scholarship fund.
D
anforth House, Stephenson House, and Springs House rise above the slopes of Prospect Hill, looking over the San Francisco Bay and the neighborhood surrounding Mills College. Dedicated on October 26, 2006, these Craftsman-inspired townhouse apartments are the most recent additions to student housing options on campus. The buildings are named in honor of three living women who have provided exemplary leadership on the Mills College Board of Trustees. In 1992, Joan Lewis Danforth, ’53, became the first woman and alumna to chair the board. Clare H. Springs, ’66, served as chair from 1996 to 2001. Vivian M. Stephenson, LHD ’05, has served as chair since 2002 and received an hon-
orary degree from the College in 2005. Flanking a common courtyard, the apartments can house up to 95 undergraduates over 21 years of age as well as graduate students. Each four- or fivebedroom apartment includes a living room, dining room, kitchen, and two baths. Danforth House opened for occupancy in August 2006, Stephenson House opened in December, and Springs House opened this month. During the dedication ceremony, Danforth House resident Leah Albin, ’07, welcomed the audience. “I love living here and feeling independent,” she said. “It’s amazing to live with women whom I’ve known, respected, and trusted for years. . . . I’m very excited to be among the first tenants.”
GENE DAILEY
New Student Apartments Named After Mills Trustees
The dedication ceremony for the new townhouse apartments featured remarks by (left to right) Trustee Clare H. Springs, Trustee Joan Lewis Danforth, student Leah Albin, President Janet L. Holmgren, and Board of Trustees Chair Vivian Stephenson.
Winter 2007 M I L L S Q U A R T E R LY
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