The Knox Experience

Knox is not simply an education; it's an experience. Learning at Knox takes place in classrooms, in residence halls, and on athletic fields. It happens through independent research and creative work, service opportunities, internships, and study off-campus and abroad. And thanks to a truly diverse community, one that unites students from different backgrounds, cultures, and religions, our students live and learn in an environment that challenges them each and every day. The four-year Knox Experience must continue to engage a diverse student body inside and outside of the classroom—on campus, in our community, and around the nation and the world.

Help take Knox Above & Beyond by supporting the following projects:

• Student research and creative work, supported by the Vovis Center for Research and Advanced Study
• Additional opportunities for community service, supported by the Kleine Center for Community Service
• Upgrades to athletic facilities, courts, and Lay Natatorium, plus endowed monies for athletics
• Global studies travel funds, supported by the Stellyes Center for Global Studies
• Additional staffing and internship support for the Bastian Family Center for Career Services
• Scholarships and financial aid

Alumni Hall Transformed—Fundraising Complete

Alumni Hall, this historic building, houses four of Knox’s signature centers -- the Vovis Center for Research and Advanced Study, Stellyes Center for Global Studies, Kleine Center for Community Service, and Bastian Family Center for Career & Professional Success -- as well as the Offices of Admission and Alumni Relations. The transformed Alumni Hall, thanks to gifts of more than $12 million from more than 650 donors, is an entry point to life on campus and the Galesburg community for students and a gateway to life beyond Knox for alumni.

Global & Off-Campus Studies

Thirty-five percent of all Knox students study off-campus before they graduate, through 31 short- and long-term programs in 18 countries, as well as the United States. To truly prepare students for today’s global world, these percentages must increase. Knox plans to increase the percent of students experiencing overseas and off-campus study to 60 percent by 2020. Endowed travel funds will support the work of the Stellyes Center for Global Studies to ensure that all students who desire to can experience the world before they leave the College.

Career & Pre-Professional Opportunities

Preparing students through experiential learning and internships is a cornerstone of a Knox education and a key to success in life after Knox. Endowed funds can expand staffing for the Bastian Family Career Center and add an array of programming to better prepare our students for a lifetime of productive citizenship and effective leadership.

Student Research & Creative Work

Knox pioneered undergraduate student research in the 1920s and formalized it in the 1950s. Endowed research funds and an array of programming opportunities will support the work of the Vovis Center for Research and Advanced Study, a key resource for the 89% of Knox students who complete independent research and creative projects. During the summer, the Center conducts a collaborative research term called ASSETS (Artists, Scholars,  Scientists & Entrepreneurs of Tomorrow) that brings together all students doing research, no matter their area of study, and no matter their research location—from the Knox campus to Bankok, Thailand.

Community Service

Knox students annully provide more than 16,000 hours of service in the Galesburg community, and Knox was named to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll four out of five years in a row. Endowed funds will expand opportunities for service, providing students with an even broader reach and impact beyond the boundaries of the campus and the opportunity to acquire a deeper appreciation for commitment to others.

During the Above & Beyond Phase II, endowed funds were developed for: 

• Student research
• Academic programs - Early American history, physics, ethics, American Studies, entrepreneurship, Rep Term, peace & social justice, library, creative arts
• Student experience funds for Power of Experience, sustainability, in support of a new director of Spiritual Life, and for community service opportunities
• Scholarships for students in need providing more than $675,000 in new scholarship monies annually. 

Athletics

President Teresa Amott has publicly committed to create a competitive athletics program at Knox. During the Above & Beyond Initiatives, Athletics has hired full-time coaches for all sports except swiming/diving and recruiting has improved. While many of Knox’s athletic facilities have been renovated in the past decade, gifts from donors are making improvements to Turner Track and to Meridan Tennis Courts.

In addition to the Prats Field renovation, during the Phase II of the Initiatives the following athletic projects were undertaken: 

• Renovation of the football and basketball offices
• Creation of the Schmid Golf performance center for the Knox men's and women's gold teams
• Updating of all free weight equipment in the E & L Andrew Fitness Center