When three generous, far-sighted UO parents created the Students in Crisis Fund, they couldn’t have imagined how a global pandemic would intensify the need for it
Covering rent, paying utility bills, buying groceries. Those are the most common requests from University of Oregon students affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. So far, the university’s Students in Crisis Fund has fulfilled more than 650 such calls for emergency financial assistance, most of them from undergraduate seniors.
When the fund was created in 2018, social distancing, remote learning, and state lockdowns weren’t circumstances its founders imagined, says Jamie Carr of Rancho Santa Fe, California, who helped start the fund and remains a steadfast advocate for the cause. Carr’s deep connections to the UO took root when her son Tyler was a Lundquist College of Business student and have only deepened since he graduated in 2016.
Although she earned her degree from UCLA, Carr says “My heart’s been in Oregon ever since my son went there. I feel comfortable in Oregon. We’re family.”
Calls for help have surged dramatically because of COVID-19, says Carr. But the purpose of the fund remains the same: helping students overcome financial barriers, big or small, as quickly as possible. Donors have answered the call.
During a UO virtual town hall on March 30, President Michael Schill committed to providing $1 million in funds for the Students in Crisis Fund. University Advancement is currently raising funds to fulfill this commitment and have raised more than $900,000 from over 1,200 donors through the UO’s DuckFunder campaign and from other gifts received in just two months. The university is committed to supporting students and will continue its fundraising efforts to provide sustainable support to this fund for our students now and into the future.
The success of the campaign and other fundraising efforts has been heartening, said Carr.
“It’s very gratifying to know that something I worked to develop has been successful, and that others see the need for it. We need a lot of support for this fund right now.”
Though the founders did not anticipate the current demand back when they started the fund, they knew it was important. As a member of the UO’s Parents Leadership Council, Carr joined Duck parents Booka and Edythe Michel of Austin, Texas, to create a resource for students facing unexpected financial obstacles.
While participating in parent leadership activities, they learned about the national issues of food scarcity and other financial obstacles for college students.
“I remember one student who couldn’t afford to fly to their father’s funeral,” said Carr. “That really tugged at my heart. We knew we had to get this fund going.”
Carr and the Michels worked with the university to establish a fund specifically for students with problems such as the ones they were hearing about, but flexible enough to offer immediate assistance for whatever unexpected challenges might arise.
In addition to their time and leadership, Carr and the Michels contributed the startup funding. For Carr, it was a very personal cause.
“I grew up in a family with a single mother who worked making dresses and doing alterations from six in the morning until midnight to keep four children fed and clothed,” said Carr, who worked as a law clerk and took out student loans while attending UCLA.
“I had many moments of vulnerability during my college years,” she added. “I always worked, and was often overwhelmed. If this type of fund had been available to me, it would have made things easier. As we see now, more than ever before, our actions can have a life-changing effect.”
In most cases, said Carr, the financial challenges facing students are temporary. But the help they receive could mean the difference between staying in school or dropping out.
“My gifts are all related to social issues that are important to me,” said Carr, who has also given to the College of Education, Black Cultural Center, and UO Dreamer student scholarships. She serves on the board of trustees for San Diego’s Nativity Prep Academy and plays leadership roles at Rancho Santa Fe's Helen Woodward Animal Center and Jewish Family Services in San Diego.
No one could have anticipated COVID-19 and its impact on college students, said Booka Michel, a musician and film and music producer. The Students in Crisis Fund is the best way for donors to make an immediate difference for students affected by the pandemic, he added.
“When we started this, there was a real need. But we had no idea something like this was coming down the pike with these kinds of numbers and this kind of pressure,” said Michel. “We’re just glad there’s a well-oiled machine set up and ready to roll.”
The Michels’ ties to the university started when their son Jacob began considering the UO—a bold move when you live blocks away from the Darrell K. Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium and have extended family, across multiple generations, who attended the University of Texas at Austin (UT).
Michel recalls the day when they were driving past the UT campus and Jacob told him he wanted to attend college on the west coast.
“He says to me ‘Dad, I want to tell you something. Promise you won’t get mad, OK?’ Just what every parent wants to hear, right?” Michel said. “But I was relieved when I learned he was just telling me he wanted to attend either UC Berkeley or the UO. I told him, ‘I get it—go branch out on your own.’”
The Michels started making friends at the UO before Jacob had even enrolled. At the 2013 Alamo Bowl, when the Ducks beat the Longhorns, the Michels met with Brian Stanley, the UO’s senior assistant director for transfer and residency. It was the first connection in an ever-expanding web of Duck friendships.
Once they toured campus, the deal was sealed.
“Jacob was there 45 minutes,” recalled Michel, “and he said ‘This is it.’ He loved it.”
The Michels were just as eager about philanthropy as they were about the Ducks, the UO, and meeting alumni, faculty, and staff. Before Jacob took his first class, they had given to a memorial fund for outdoor program scholarships.
Their generosity has continued. The Michels have contributed to Academic Residential Communities, the Holden Leadership Center, and more. As the demand for emergency funding grows, they hope more donors will contribute to the Students in Crisis Fund.
“Nobody knows when the end of this thing will come or all the ramifications of it,” said Michel. “The effects will be felt for some time. Everything is an unknown, but the Students in Crisis Fund covers a lot of situations.”
—Ed Dorsch, University Communications
To learn more about the Students in Crisis Fund, please contact Jen Parker: jeparker@uoregon.edu.
To make a gift, visit the UO’s Duckfunder crowdfunding website.
Students can learn more about accessing crisis funds by visiting the Office of the Dean of Students website. Students may also email uodos@uoregon.edu or call 541-346-3216 during business hours to learn more.