July 8, 2020
Ursuline College announces a grant from The Dr. Rustom and Mary Khouri Foundation of $50,000 to help launch the College’s Institute for Women, Wellness & Work, a new initiative offering credit- and non-credit-bearing programs.
“We are very grateful to Rustom and Mary Khouri for their generosity and their faith in Ursuline College,” said Ursuline College President Sister Christine De Vinne, OSU, PhD. “They know that our new Institute for Women, Wellness & Work will open doors of opportunity for many women and we are delighted to partner with them in this effort.”
As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, women are disproportionately facing unemployment, with women of color bearing the heaviest burden, according a New York Times story on Bureau of Labor Statistics findings. Apart from the pandemic, opportunity and pay inequities have long persisted, with women making $0.81 for every dollar a man makes, according to Payscale.com.
Responding to this, the Institute is offering new academic programs this fall in the three broad categories of:
- Women’s Leadership
- Integrative Health & Wellness
- Workforce Development
These programs have been developed as part of the Institute’s mission to provide immediate opportunities, especially to women, to develop new skills that can accelerate their careers or help them pivot to new opportunities.
This gift from the Khouri Foundation will enable the College to offer free or reduced-tuition grants to support the cost of programs and create access to the Institute’s fall 2020 lineup. Funding will be prioritized to support women of color, those who are under-represented in a particular field, or unemployed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Thanks to the Khouri Foundation grant, we are able to give women access to education that will help them advance in today’s economy with a sense of purpose in their lives,” Sr. Christine said.
Mary Khouri, a long-time member of the Ursuline College Board of Trustees, is founder and Chief Administrative Officer of Carnegie Management and Development Corporation. Her husband, Dr. Rustom R. Khouri, is President and CEO.
“Rustom and I are so very pleased and humbled to offer our backing to Ursuline College in launching this timely venture in support of women,” said Mary Khouri. “Our hope is that access to the Institute will quickly and practically empower and help women develop skills in high-demand fields, accelerating their careers and leadership roles as change-makers in Northeast Ohio."
The Institute for Women, Wellness & Work expands on the College’s rich history of:
- Developing and empowering women
- Educating compassionate leaders in health care
- Preparing women to take up their place as leaders in vibrant careers that help them live meaningful lives
The Institute’s fall programs include certificates and micro-credentials at the graduate level in Women’s Leadership, Wellness (Financial Wellness, Mindset Coaching, Integrative Health & Wellness, Longevity, Spiritual & Social Wellness, and Substance Use Disorders), and Women in The GIG Economy.
Further information about Ursuline’s new Institute for Women, Wellness & Work is available at www.ursuline.edu/wellness.
