A $768,000 grant from the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust will improve Willamette University’s ability to reach and serve a broader array of students as the university expands its academic offerings.
With the addition of the university’s new undergraduate business and graduate data science programs, the merger with Pacific Northwest College of Art and plans for future cross-university program offerings, Willamette is working to improve access to information about the breadth of its curriculum for current and prospective students.
An upcoming website redesign will make navigation easier and more intuitive, allowing users to find information about the university and its various offerings. All course listings will be available at one location, rather than divided by college, and academic pathways — the courses, degrees and programs available to students — will be searchable by major.
It is one of many infrastructure needs addressed by the generous grant, which also supports President Steve Thorsett’s broader goals around institutional growth and sustainability.
“The Murdock Trust has long been a partner in supporting Willamette’s undergraduate science programs, as well as the capital and infrastructural projects that have advanced the university’s core mission,” he said. “We are grateful for the Trust’s understanding of how these critical, strategic efforts help to create meaningful, sustainable change, and for its leadership in helping organizations like Willamette achieve our long-term goals.”
Based in Vancouver, Washington, the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust’s mission is to enrich the quality of life in the Pacific Northwest by providing grants to organizations that seek to strengthen the region’s educational, social, cultural and spiritual base in creative and sustainable ways.
