Southern University at New Orleans News December 22, 2010 SUNO to get share of major Coca-Cola Foundation grant New Orleans, La. – Southern University at New Orleans (SUNO) Foundation has been awarded $25,000 from The Coca-Cola Foundation (the Foundation), the philanthropic arm of The Coca-Cola Company. The funds are part of a $4 million grant distributed to 38 organizations across the United States and Canada in keeping with the Foundation's commitment to build sustainable communities throughout North America, including the District of Columbia and one Canadian province. The total scope of the grants includes water conservation, community recycling, active healthy living and education. The Southern University at New Orleans Foundation is the fundraising arm of SUNO. The grant will provide First Generation College Scholarships to twenty students who are enrolled as fulltime students at SUNO. To be eligible, students must have completed at least one semester at the University to be eligible. The First Generation Scholarship Program provides scholarship support to fulltime students who are the first in their immediate family to attend college, maintain a 3.0 grade point average and demonstrate financial need. The Coca-Cola Foundation has contributed more than $23 million in First Generation Scholarship support since 1993. "The Coca-Cola Company should be commended for its support of education and its support of young people," said Dr. Emmett Bashful, Chairman of the Board of the SUNO Foundation. Bashful is also Chancellor Emeritus and the first Chancellor of SUNO. "These funds are important to helping SUNO maintain a commitment to its mission of providing access to a college education to students," said Dr. Victor Ukpolo, Chancellor of SUNO. "The University wants to do whatever it can to ensure that first generation college students from everywhere have access to the affordable quality opportunity SUNO presents to help students advance their lives." "At the Foundation, our goal is to make a positive impact by promoting and creating sustainable communities around the world," said Ingrid Saunders Jones, senior vice president, Global Community Connections, The Coca-Cola Company and chair of The Coca-Cola Foundation. "The funding provided to these 38 organizations will support community programs that align to our giving priorities across the U.S. and Canada." www.SUNO.edu An Equal Educational Opportunity Institution Southern University at New Orleans is a four-year public institution founded in 1956. Located in the Gentilly area, the University is an accredited liberal arts teaching institution which serves more than 3,100 students. SUNO, known for its highly engaged faculty and personal academic support, offers undergraduate degrees in seventeen academic programs and graduate degrees in four academic programs. The University accepts students under the Louisiana Board of Regents regional admission criteria, and is a member of the Southern University System. As a part of reaffirmation of its accreditation, SUNO’s Quality Enhancement Plan focuses on strengthening student online learning by getting "E-Focused!" More information about Southern University at New Orleans and its Quality Enhancement Plan is available at SUNO.edu. About The Coca-Cola Foundation Since its inception, The Coca-Cola Foundation has donated more than $355 million to community projects and initiatives across the globe. For more information about The Coca-Cola Foundation, please go to http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com/citizenship/foundation_coke.html. SANDRA M. PHOENIX Program Director HBCU Library Alliance sphoenix@hbculibraries.org www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org> 404.592.4820 1438 West Peachtree Street NW Suite 200 Atlanta, GA 30309 Toll Free: 1.800.999.8558 (Lyrasis) Fax: 404.892.7879 www.lyrasis.org<http://www.lyrasis.org> Honor the ancestors, honor the children.