Transylvania University today announced a $2 million, five-year technology investment made possible through a grant from the Bingham Fund for Excellence in Teaching at Transylvania. This strategic initiative will bolster classroom technology, foster digital fluency and drive innovation across the curriculum.
Enhancing teaching excellence and improving student experiences are the primary goals of the Bingham Fund grant, which supports these aims through classroom modernization and the implementation of cutting-edge technologies that create dynamic and transformative learning environments. The five-year rollout is front loaded, with immediate investments in technology needs, while laying the foundation for long-term technological innovation.
“The Bingham Fund for Excellence in Teaching recognizes the strategic importance of technology in supporting our faculty’s innovative instruction,” said Christopher H. Young, chair of the Bingham Board of Trust. “This investment directly empowers our educators with the tools they need to create dynamic learning experiences, which ultimately benefits Transylvania’s students and their educational journey.”
“We are grateful to the Bingham Fund for their visionary support,” said President Brien Lewis. “This generous grant helps us foster a truly advanced learning environment in alignment with our strategic vision to infuse technology throughout the university.
“The investment from the Bingham Fund is a bold step that enables us to create modern spaces, fully embrace technology across our campus and drive innovation across the curriculum. By doing so, we’ll foster digital fluency, securing Transy’s position as a leader in digital liberal arts, and making a Transylvania education even more dynamic, deeply engaging and profoundly impactful,” Lewis said.
The $2 million investment prioritizes two key areas that create an enhanced student experience: classroom modernization and the further development of innovative digital learning spaces. Recognizing the classroom as the cornerstone of Transylvania’s educational experience, the plan allocates the largest portion of funding to upgrading dozens of classrooms with state-of-the-art technology. Additional targeted investments will be used to enhance campus DArt Labs (digital arts spaces), giving students and faculty access to cutting-edge resources and adaptable environments that foster creativity and interdisciplinary collaboration.
About the Bingham Fund for Excellence in Teaching at Transylvania
Since 1987, the Bingham Fund for Excellence in Teaching at Transylvania has invested more than $30 million to develop, identify, promote and reward excellent classroom teaching. The fund has provided faculty awards and financial support to develop teaching initiatives, including summer seminars attended by faculty from a broad cross section of national liberal arts institutions. It has also supported the creation of a digital learning program to provide encouragement and professional assistance to faculty in the use of digital technologies in classroom teaching, as well as ongoing faculty development and faculty and student research through the David and Betty Jones Faculty Development Fund.
In May 2024, the inaugural Bingham Endowed Chairs for Teaching Excellence were announced, recognizing excellent teachers who are not only scholars, but thinkers who connect class material, no matter the topic, to the lived experience of Transylvania students. In October 2023, with support from the Bingham Fund, Transylvania launched the Bingham Center for Teaching Excellence. The center focuses on faculty development and student success, building on a long history of supporting and rewarding excellent teaching at the university.
Learn more about the Bingham Fund for Excellence in Teaching at Transylvania.