The University of Central Arkansas has received an anonymous $5 million gift that will be used to support its interior design program.
CONWAY, Ark. — The University of Central Arkansas (UCA) has received a $5 million anonymous gift that will be used to support its interior design program in the Department of Art and Design.
$4 million of the donation will be used to endow faculty positions, allowing at least four named professorships. The remaining $1 million will be used to support internship and experiential learning opportunities for students.
“This very generous gift will be transformative for a growing program with a national reputation for high-quality and accomplished graduates. These funds will ensure the retention and recruitment of outstanding faculty and make certain that our students are placed in challenging and meaningful experiential learning opportunities,” said UCA President Houston Davis.
Before graduation, all UCA students must complete an internship. Currently, nearly 60 businesses across Arkansas serve as internship partners with the interior design program.
Since 2016-17, the interior design program has seen a 41% increase in enrollment.
“Our students already participate in a number of professional development opportunities, such as national conferences, community-based projects, and certification exams. This gift will allow us to expand access to these kinds of real-world learning environments, which are invaluable to students as they prepare to begin their careers in interior design,” said Patricia Poulter, provost and executive vice president. “We are grateful for this gift and what it will allow us to accomplish on behalf of the students.”
2023 graduate Amy Ling said that she saw the program expand in exciting ways during her time as a student.
“I knew interior design was such a hidden gem,” Ling said. “The program is very impressive, and I know the faculty work extremely hard to help the program grow.”
When she first started at UCA, she explained that many of her friends were unaware of the school’s interior design major. However, by her senior year, she noticed an increased awareness of the program from fellow students while working as a peer coach.
Kionna Browning graduated in 2022 and now works as an interior designer at Arkansas Children’s Hospital. She said she appreciates the value that benefactors are seeing in UCA.
“I am glad that donors are investing and looking more into interior design because it is one of the most important careers,” Browning said. “You’re learning how to draft and hand-draft things. You’re learning how to calculate how much lighting needs to go into a room and learning all the different codes about stairwells and making sure that places in buildings are accessible.”