The University of Alabama’s Culverhouse College of Business has renamed its real estate program following a generous gift by a Birmingham-area developer and alumni.
The newly renamed Rance M. Sanders Real Estate Program, which includes an all-new undergraduate major and an existing minor, follows a discretionary $5 million gift from Rance M. Sanders, president and CEO of the health care real estate firm The Sanders Trust LLC., and his wife Angie L. Sanders.
“I want to give students two things: one is access to a good education, and number two, we want them to get the very best professors and experience hands-on learning to hone real-world skills, within the real estate program,” said Sanders. “We just see so many students who are promising, who are capable, but are struggling financially. To be able to give them a hand and make a difference in whether they can stay in school or not — that really means a lot.”
Sanders is a longtime supporter of Culverhouse, where the Rance M. Sanders Endowed Real Estate Scholarship, established in 2007, currently awards approximately $7,500 to as many as six students each academic year. Sanders is also a member of the University of Alabama’s President’s Cabinet and is a board member of the school’s 1831 Foundation.
“Rance often shares that it was here at Alabama where he learned the value of preparation, perseverance and showing up, even when it wasn’t easy,” said Culverhouse College of Business Dean Kay Palan. “That credo carried him through law school, into business, and into a life of purpose. And today, he and his wife Angie are giving back in a way that reflects their belief in the power of education.”
