Truist invests $5.3 million in UNC Charlotte to launch Truist Institute for Student Success

April 19, 2022
Categories: General News Tags: Chancellor, University Advancement

Truist Financial Corporation and UNC Charlotte are partnering to support student success and workforce development for the Charlotte region and beyond. Through a $5.3 million investment by the bank, the University will launch the Truist Institute for Student Success. The announcement was made during the Shaping What’s Next celebration, officially welcoming Chancellor Sharon L. Gaber to Charlotte.

“We are grateful to Truist for their investment in our University and recognition of the transformative power of a Charlotte education,” said Gaber. “Together, we are offering life-changing experiences and furnishing students with the tools and knowledge necessary to build successful, meaningful lives and careers.”

The University recently launched a 10-year strategic plan, “Shaping What’s Next,” that emphasizes the importance of educational opportunity and excellence; top-tier research and creative discovery; positive impact on the community – locally and globally; and equity and engagement.

“Truist’s partnership with UNC Charlotte on education, research and career development opportunities for the University’s students is a clear manifestation of our purpose to inspire and build better lives and communities,” said Bill Rogers, chairman and chief executive officer of Truist Financial Corporation. “We’re honored to work with Chancellor Gaber and the entire UNC Charlotte community to foster a pipeline of globally competitive leaders, and in doing so, enrich the community in Charlotte and enhance workforce development in North Carolina and beyond.”

The Truist Institute for Student Success focuses on three primary areas:

Scholarships, Experiential Learning and Leadership Development

  • The Truist Scholars Program will provide historically excluded students with demonstrated financial need a four-year renewable scholarship, helping make the goal of a college education more attainable and affordable.
  • The Truist Student Accelerator Program is uniquely designed to offer undergraduate and graduate students with demonstrated financial need full tuition and fees and a guaranteed internship with the bank, providing practical, applied experience to enhance classroom instruction. Additionally, they will establish the Truist Innovation Center in the PORTAL building to provide creative collaboration space for program participants, Truist team members and University faculty and staff.
  • The Truist Leadership Development Experience will support opportunities for students in the Forty-Niner Intensive Transition Program, designed to help first-generation and historically excluded students have a successful acclimation to college life while developing skills to help them become leaders in their communities.

Research and Discovery

  • The Truist Business Innovation and Research Program will fund year-long research projects for teams of faculty, graduate and undergraduate students that will be presented during a yearly symposium to share their gained knowledge with others. This investment supports the scholarly mission of the University and will help address challenges facing the business community.
  • Truist will sponsor two data science conferences at the University. The Analytics Frontiers Conference and the Women in Data Science Conference will bring the brightest minds from different industries and academia to Charlotte to collaborate and share ideas around cutting-edge research and the future of the field.

Charlotte Athletics and Student-Athlete Support

As the official bank of Charlotte Athletics, Truist will support Charlotte’s student-athletes, ensuring they have the resources to thrive on and off the field. This includes the sponsorship of the United in GOLD program, which provides mental health, financial literacy, career readiness and mentoring services to members of Charlotte 49ers athletics teams.

Photo: Bill Rogers, Truist Financial Corporation chairman and chief executive officer, right, with Chancellor Gaber and Dontá Wilson ’97 chief retail and small business banking officer and a member of the executive leadership team for Truist who also is a member of the UNC Charlotte Board of Trustees.