The UMCOE Foundation is established on the principles of collaboration with multiple organizations that are all focused on the success of engineering education and research at Mizzou.
COE and Dean’s office
The UMCOE Foundation began within an advisory group to the Mizzou College of Engineering and its ultimate purpose is to continuously support the objectives of the College of Engineering. The COE has established areas of critical need for funding application as it evaluates its tightened state-provided budget, its continued enrollment growth and the desired resources to achieve premier status. The Foundation works closely with the COE Dean and their staff to apply contributed funds to those areas with most critical need, establishing a prioritized list of projects and programs for potential contributions. http://engineering.missouri.edu/
COE Advancement Office
The University of Missouri and each of its Colleges has established Advancement / Development Offices to promote the university by encouraging alumni and friends to invest in Mizzou. Maintaining its status as one of the world’s leading research universities requires the resources to compete for top students and faculty. Scholarships help Mizzou recruit talented students, and private support for faculty positions encourages top professors to choose MU. In addition, donations for programs from research projects to entrepreneurial opportunities set Mizzou COE apart. https://engineering.missouri.edu/alumni/
Shamrock Society
In 1903, University of Missouri engineering students proclaimed Saint Patrick the patron saint of engineers. Since then, he and the three-leaf clover are symbolic of some of the college’s most cherished traditions. In this spirit, the giving society for Mizzou Engineering’s most distinguished donors has been named The Shamrock Society. The reputation and legacy of the College of Engineering are built upon a foundation of educational excellence, student success, faculty accomplishment, and staff dedication. Private support by members of the college’s Shamrock Society has played a crucial role in building Mizzou Engineering’s tradition of excellence. Membership in the Shamrock Society is open to MU alumni and friends and to corporations seeking to lend their support to Mizzou Engineering. The Shamrock Society has acknowledged the UMCOE Foundation’s common goals, and has agreed that contributions through the Foundation will be recognized also as Shamrock Society contributions. (When the University signed an Affiliation Agreement with the Foundation, this soft-credit for donations also applies to the Jefferson Club at the University level.)
DEAC – The Foundation’s Historical Start
The Dean’s Engineering Advisory Council was established in 1998 to provide external support to the College of Engineering from alumni leaders and individuals/corporations that advocate Mizzou COE success. The UMCOE Foundation’s formation was recommended by a DEAC committee that studied alternative approaches to fund under-resourced salaries, activities, facility projects and entrepreneurial ventures within the COE. The establishment of a non-profit organization was viewed as needed, and was consistent with similar foundations at the other colleges at the University of Missouri. (This organization has been subsequently replaced with separate advisory groups to the Dean.)
MUEAO – scholarships
The Missouri University Engineering Alumni Organization was established in 1980 to focus on funding educational scholarships and student organizations at Mizzou COE through alumni contributions and fundraising activities. For example, they sponsor a golf tournament in Columbia to raise money for those causes.