UM President, husband give $1M for international study, other student aid

10/8/2013

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The University of Michigan’s outgoing President Mary Sue Coleman and her husband are donating $1 million for scholarships at the school, the university announced today.

The gift from Mary Sue and Kenneth M. Coleman will fund undergraduate and graduate students in international study, internships, service work and other opportunities. The Ann Arbor school said the gift is part of the Victors for Michigan campaign, which starts Nov. 8.

“What intrigues us so much about education today is the rich variety of international experiences with which students may engage,” Mary Sue Coleman said in a statement. “We want to help students who otherwise might not have the opportunity to experience what we did as students.

“It may be a semester abroad, international service projects, internships or situations we’ve yet to imagine,” she said.

Coleman said her 3 months of study in Europe as an undergraduate changed her outlook about herself and what she wanted to do with her life. Kenneth Coleman, a political scientist, traveled to Latin America as a graduate student.

“There is no better way to understand the universality of human experience, as well as the diversity thereof, than by experience abroad, which should be an important part of both undergraduate and graduate educational experiences,” he said.

The Colemans have given $1.79 million during her 11-year tenure as president, the university said. She’s retiring next July.

In 2009, the Colemans made a gift of $25,000 to create the Mary Sue Coleman and Kenneth M. Coleman Student Global Experience Fund. They have donated her salary increases back to the school three times in support of University of Michigan students.