Support As-U-R
Donate to As-U-R by designating your finacnial gift to the "As-U-R Program Support Fund" when you give to App State.
Student Testimonials
‘As-U-R is a great way to get connected with mentors that can help you with school, making friends, getting crucial connections and even just someone to talk to when you need it.’ | ‘AS-U-R has been an essential part of making my transition from community college to Appalachian State an awesome experience. I am a much better student than I was before joining AS-U-R because of what I've learned from AS-U-R in terms of organization and time management.’ | 'As-U-R provides a space where I can focus on what I need to do, but also one where I can take a break if I need it with no judgement. The community there is also very welcoming and I know I can chill with Kelly and Scotty-dog whenever they’re not busy!’ |
Your Impact
As-U-R students are the leaders of tomorrow. Your support, combined with their App State education and resources, lays the groundwork for their success. Here's how your support of the As-U-R Program fund aids us in delivering the best academic support to our neurodiverse community:
- Mentor salaries: Each student in As-U-R is paired with a mentor. The mentors meet twice weekly with the students, in a one-on-one setting and in a small group, to navigate projects, deadlines, and study techniques. Our 15 mentors are our biggest resource and a significant portion of our budget. Combined, they dedicate around 550 hours every month to the program during the academic year, which is about $600 per mentor per month.
- Monthly community building events: Our team organizes monthly events where students can connect with peers who understand the challenges and triumphs of navigating executive functioning challenges. These events, crucial for fostering a supportive environment, require approximately $100 each to execute.
- School and office supplies: Located in I.G. Greer, our space includes a resources closet stocked with essential supplies like notecards, pencils, and dry erase markers. Ensuring these supplies are readily available is a strategic move to help students overcome obstacles to their success. Regular restocking incurs an average monthly cost of $50.
We are excited about the opportunity to see how our program's goals align with your philanthropic interests. Reach out to us to initiate a conversation or give online.
Monthly Summaries
Each month, our director compiles data, charts, and stories from the As-U-R staff and students. These summaries are intended to serve as a point of discussion and transparency regarding the “behind-the-scenes” operation of this crucial student support program.
As-U-R History
As-U-R was created under College STAR (Supporting Transition, Access, and Retention), a grant-funded project that supports the development of initiatives for postsecondary campuses to become more welcoming to students with learning and attention differences. As-U-R was founded at App State with a $1.5 million grant that ended in December of 2017. Since then, with the exception of physical space on campus and the compensation of As-U-R’s two full-time staff members (Director and Assistant Director), As-U-R is entirely funded by the generosity of donors.
As part of providing our studentsthe most exceptional support, As-U-R holds an annual benefit each spring to showcase our students talents, celebrate our graduating class, and reconnect with our alumni. This event is open to family, friends, guardians, and program partners. It is an opportunity to see the impact of our program in our students' lives.
The 8th Annual Benefit is Saturday, May 4, 2024 from 5:00pm until 8:30pm in the Plemmons Student Union in the Solarium. We will also be hosting a silent auction at the event and in the week leading up to it. Please email AsUR@appstate.edu to RSVP.
