Multi-Ethnic Education and Engagement Center
MEC Fund
The Multi-Ethnic Education and Engagement Center (MEC) Fund is made available through the generous donations of family, friends, and alumni of MEC and the University of Dayton. The MEC Fund provides students with resources to support experiences that accompany their courses or areas of study and assists in improving the learning and engagement spaces within MEC.
Direct Student Aid
Structured to address needs that surface outside of tuition, students can apply for funding to support experiential learning opportunities such as:
- study abroad fees,
- graduate school testing expenses,
- and emergent financial issues associated with taking advantage of education-related benefits of life outside of the classroom.
Undergraduate students may apply for the fund on a rolling basis. A committee will review the application, and the decision will be shared via the student's University of Dayton email address within ten business days. The fund allotment does not exceed $1,500 per request per student.
Recipients will demonstrate a commitment to leadership and service to MEC and the UD community and pursuance of academic excellence. They must be in good standing with the university at the time of review. Students must demonstrate financial need to be eligible for the grant.
MEC Community Development
In addition to addressing the experiential learning needs of students, up to 20% of the fund may be used to offset costs associated with restoring and updating the Center's physical facility, in order to remain accessible and reflective of the community it serves. Physical space is a vital variable to fostering student wellbeing, morale, learning, and increasing cultural representation at the University of Dayton. Space is quintessential to mattering and belonging for underserved and underrepresented students. Belonging is empirically tied to persistence and completion (O'Keefe, 2013). Additionally, utilizing the theoretical framework of Abraham Maslow (1943), the Multi-Ethnic Education and Engagement Center places particular emphasis on students' physiological needs, safety needs, belonging needs, esteem needs, and overall self-fulfillment and self-actualization.
Our physical space provides an opportunity to address students' needs by increasing cultural knowledge and awareness through passive and intentional education and fostering diverse and inclusive communities. The community development portion of the fund will improve our commitment to ethnic and cultural representation and better the overall design aesthetic of the Center.
Funds are made available through the generous donations of family, friends, and alumni of the University of Dayton. If you are interested in contributing to the fund, you can give online or call 1-888-253-2383.
Thank you for your support!
Funding consideration to undergraduate students will include the following criteria:
- Recipient must demonstrate a financial need.
- Funding will be made by the Multi-Ethnic Education and Engagement Center (MEC) at the University of Dayton, in consultation with the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid, to a recipient who identifies with one of the primary populations served by the Multi-Ethnic Education and Engagement Center. These populations include Black or African American, Hispanic or LatinX, Asian American/Pacific Islander, Native American or students with two or more ethnic identities.
- The fund will NOT be used for tuition, but may impact a student's financial aid package.
- Be in good academic and non-academic standing with the University.
- Have a record of leadership and service on campus.
- Reflect the Marianist value of commitment to community through involvement in diverse campus communities.
- Complete all MEC Fund application questions in full.
Additional factors that will be considered:
- Whether the student has utilized the fund before.
- Whether the student has assisted in exhausting other options for funding.
The student recipient will be notified as soon as possible via their University email address. If you have any questions about the application process, please contact:
Multi-Ethnic Education and Engagement Center
937-229-3634 | mec@udayton.edu
The MEC Fund application asks for basic information, to describe the circumstances of the need, and what other sources of funds are available. The details of a student's request will be kept confidential.
The MEC Fund Advisory Committee will consider each request and determine whether the MEC Fund could be used for the request. Decisions will be made as soon as possible depending on the urgency of the need.
The committee will:
- Review the application along with any supporting documentation;
- Make a decision to accept, reject or suggest other resources to address the need;
- If the request is accepted, determine an appropriate dollar amount; and
- Provide details in writing to MEC.
Racqueal Gamble
Associate Director, Partnerships & Programs/Veteran Services
Flyer Student Services
Enrollment Management
Cynthia Payne
Interim Director
Multi-Ethnic Education and Engagement Center
Merida Allen
Executive Director and Associate Dean of Students
Multi-Ethnic Education and Engagement Center
Shyra Thomas
Sr. Associate Director, Development, Diversity & Access Initiatives
University Advancement