The USC Parents Fund

— Rick and Tina Caruso
Co-chairs, USC Parents Fund

Fall 2009

Dear USC Parent,

One of the greatest joys of my life is watching my child grow and thrive as a USC student. If you’re like me, you’ve already done everything you can to help your child become a part of the Trojan Family, and you want to do everything you can to ensure that these formative years on campus are as enriching as possible.

That’s why I’m writing today. As a parent, there is a special role for you to play at USC, and I hope you will join me in making the most of the opportunity. The USC Parents Fund has a history of enhancing campus life in ways that the normal operating budget does not allow. Here are just a few of the ways that gifts from parents have already invigorated the USC experience:

• We’ve supported new initiatives such as Visions and Voices to bring students in contact with world-renown artists and humanitarians, and Trojans Without Borders, a multi-faceted strategy to establish USC as the 21st-century exemplar of a global institution for education and research;

• In the spirit of President Sample’s vision of a campus that is always growing, ever changing, never finished — because Trojans are never satisfied with the status quo —the Parents Fund has enhanced the campus experience by creating cutting-edge learning spaces such as upgraded computer labs, extending the hours at Doheny Library, and purchasing recreational exercise equipment.

This year, the USC Parents Fund will support the Innovative Undergraduate Teaching Initiative, which gives our children unique opportunities for active, hands-on learning, often beyond the confines of the classroom.

Imagine an engineering class that travels to Honduras to design and implement a water system for a village … or an earth sciences class packing mules in a remote area of Yosemite to gather soil samples … or an online business magazine, accessible worldwide, produced by our students … or a creative writing class working with middle school students in Los Angeles, honing their voices by helping youngsters find their own … and you get some idea of how the Initiative encourages faculty and students to stretch, and to go beyond the norm.

I hope you will contribute to the USC Parents Fund this year to help the Innovative Undergraduate Teaching Initiative reach its full potential, so our children can reach their full potential.

In the past, many students have responded enthusiastically to several pioneering courses developed by USC faculty, including:

• Professor Najm Meshkati’s (Viterbi School of Engineering) new undergraduate course, Engineering and Public Policy, which focuses on applying technical solutions to societal problems.

• A course called Writing in the Community, created by Professors Stephanie Bower and John Murray (USC College), in which students partner work with community groups in the practical application of writing skills.

• In the Art History Department, Professors Richard Meyer’s and Selma Holo’s (Director, Fisher Museum) capstone course sequence in art curatorship, developed in partnership with local museums.

These efforts to focus on problems of societal interest, to provide opportunities for service learning and experiential learning, and to foster collaboration, will benefit our children greatly in their adult lives. And it is all in keeping with USC’s strategic plan and vision of international impact in the 21st Century.

I’m proud to support that vision, and I urge you to join me by making a gift of $100 or more today. Through the USC Parents Fund, we can help create the setting in which our children can immerse themselves in the quest for enlightenment. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Rick and Tina Caruso
National Co-Chairs, USC Parents Fund

P.S. I hope to see you at Parent’s Weekend, Oct. 23-25, which has the fitting theme of “Cultivating the Spirit of Creativity.” You can cultivate that spirit today with a gift to the USC Parents Fund, which will be used to support the Innovative Undergraduate Teaching Initiative. Also, please check the enclosed list of companies that match employee gifts to USC. If your employer participates, you could double your impact on the USC Parents Fund through an employer matching gift. Thank you.