UR to build learning center with $25 million gift from Weinstein family

University of Richmond President Kevin Hallock and Vice President of Advancement Martha Callaghan announced that Carole and Marcus Weinstein will donate $25 million to build a new learning center in a statement emailed to the UR community.

“This extraordinary gift will enable the University to create a collaborative, state-of-the-art center that co-locates, integrates and expands services focused on academic achievement for students,” the statement read on March 15.

This is the second-largest gift that UR has received and the largest gift that the Weinstein family has given. Over the past several decades, the family has made many different investments in the UR community, the statement read.

“This is really in line with what they’ve done which is to continue to invest in the core mission of what we do and in making student experiences really exceptional,” Callaghan said.

Such donations are often made with a certain mission in mind. The Weinstein family has given to several different buildings on campus including the Carole Weinstein International Center, Weinstein Hall and the Weinstein Center for Recreation. Their gifts have also supported professorships, scholarships and endowments for international education and chaplaincy.

UR’s effort to continue strong relationships with its alumni has contributed to years of generosity from graduated students, building UR’s endowment, Callaghan said.

The Weinstein family has friendships with faculty and staff across UR including its current and former presidents. When UR presents opportunities for growth that contribute to its mission, the Weinstein family is responsive, Callaghan said.

“Carole and Marcus are profoundly generous, kind, and smart people and treasures of our university,” Hallock said in an email to The Collegian. “Their impact is seen all over our campus, and I am forever grateful to them.” 

To recognize Marcus Weinstein’s support for students and the academic mission of UR, he received UR’s highest honor, the Paragon Medal, the statement read.

“The Carole and Marcus Weinstein Learning Center will be built within the existing footprint of the library,” Director of Media and Public Relations Sunni Brown wrote in an email to The Collegian. “The planning process is underway, and additional details will be available at a later time.”

The Learning Center will build upon the speaking, writing and peer tutoring resources that UR currently provides to support students, the statement read.

“This comprehensive center will complement the dedicated mentoring that students receive from faculty with an array of services to champion students in every stage of their educational journey,” the statement read.

The center will include additional resources for students and faculty such as advanced quantitative support for data and computational learning and research. These will include subjects like statistics, pre-calculus, experimental design and programming, Brown wrote.

The Learning Center will also contain resources to optimize the student experience at UR by connecting them with skills and pathways to develop and engage with the community.

Brown wrote that the new Center would adapt as students’ academic and learning needs change over time.

“[The Weinstein family’s] gifts are directed towards making an experience possible for students or trying to fill a need that the university has that will make student life better or more meaningful,” Callaghan said.

Contact news writer Katherine Thomey at katherine.thomey@richmond.edu.