Arts and Sciences alumnus Keith Monda (MA, Economics, 1971; BS, Economics, 1968) and his wife Linda, have committed an additional $5 million to the College of Arts and Sciences. This gift supplements the Keith and Linda Monda International Experience Scholarships fund, which they established in 2011 with a gift of $5 million, bringing their total support for the scholarships to $10 million.

“Our objective was to do a little bit to level the playing field, to make sure that everybody who has an interest in understanding the broader world has the opportunity to do that,” said Monda, who serves as chair of the College of Arts and Sciences Advisory Committee and campaign chair of the College of Arts and Sciences Capital Campaign at Ohio State. “If you look around this troubled world that we live in, maybe some of the problems wouldn’t be as extreme if people at least understood the other individual’s point of view,” said Keith Monda.

Within four years, the Mondas’ initial commitment will provide—annually and in perpetuity—50 arts and sciences students with funds to participate in an international experience. The additional $5 million commitment, an estate gift, is expected to roughly double the number of students when it is realized.

Providing the opportunity to travel and experience first-hand the variety of viewpoints, cultures, and languages outside of the United States is an important goal for the College of Arts and Sciences, according to Joe Steinmetz, arts and sciences executive dean and vice provost. “Developing quality experiences for our students that go beyond the traditional classroom and laboratory will enhance their global perspective and understanding – helping prepare them for a lifetime of challenges and change,” said Steinmetz.

Ohio State is ranked among the top 10 nationally for its international student enrollment and in the top 15 for the number of students studying abroad, according to an annual survey published by the Institute of International Education (2012 Open Doors Report).

The average study abroad experience costs $5,000-$7,000, making it for many students a difficult activity to participate in without scholarship support. The Keith and Linda Monda International Experience Scholarships are expected to average $6,000 per student to pay for travel, housing, program fees, and other costs associated with living and studying in a foreign country.

“Keith and Linda have dedicated their lives to finding ways to make education and educational experiences accessible and affordable to all persons,” said Steinmetz. “Their extraordinary generosity will ensure that a vital part of a student’s education, the experience of studying abroad, will become a reality for many of our students who do not have the means to experience education and life in another country.”

The Mondas have a proud and distinguished record as supporters of the arts and sciences. They created the Keith and Linda Monda Scholarship Fund, which provides a scholarship for students from Ohio studying economics. They have also made several gifts to the Arts and Sciences Students First, Students Now fund, which provides emergency funds to students who need immediate financial help. In 2008, when Keith Monda retired from Coach, Inc. in his honor and at his request, Coach directed a gift to the Students First Students Now initiative.

Keith Monda describes retirement as the start of the “give back period” of his and Linda’s life. “People who are blessed have an obligation to give back.”

See more on the main But for Ohio State website.