Town Hall Meeting Update, October 5, 2006
U.S. News rankings
It has been a month and a half since Convocation when we announced that UDM is ranked in the top tier of Midwestern Master's Universities by U.S.News and World Report for the sixth straight year. UDM is now ranked:
- #22 in the Midwest in overall quality and the top school in Michigan in this category,
- #8 in the Midwest in "great schools, great prices," and
- #5 in the Midwest in racial diversity—where students are most likely to encounter undergraduates from racial or ethnic groups different from their own.
There are about 450 institutions across the country in Master's or Comprehensive categories; only 10 are both top tier and high in diversity; UDM ranks #2 of those ten.
Enrollment
Enrollment results are good for Fall 2006. We have the most full-time students in 12 years; we are up nearly 400 full-time students in the past two years. The official census count was Friday, Oct. 6, and whereas we had hoped to be up significantly in headcount, we are about flat because our part-time enrollment fell while the full-time numbers rose.
Our freshman numbers continue strong for the 4th straight year, raising our full-time undergraduate count well above 2000. Our full-time-equivalent enrollment (which ties most directly to revenue) will show its fourth straight year of growth, up 400 in those four years, leaving us with the highest FTE enrollment in eight years.
It will be another week until we have good numbers for the first quarter of FY 2007. Nevertheless, despite a drop in tuition revenue in the second summer session and the part-time numbers for Fall term coming in below budget, it still looks as though we will be slightly favorable to budget for FY 2007 in both unrestricted net assets and unrestricted cash on the strength of our full-time enrollment.
School of Law honor
In case you did not see it in Campus Connection, UDM's School of Law has been recognized by the American Bar Association Student Law Division as the top university in the country for providing public interest opportunities for its students. The ABA's Judy M. Weightman Memorial Public Interest Award is given annually to a law school or individual in recognition of their outstanding community service projects, public interest programming and strong commitment to helping others in need.
Congratulations and thanks
Congratulations again to former Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs Nancy Surma, OSF and Associate Professor of Philosophy Gail Presbey, who were honored with Mission Leadership Awards at Convocation. I hope you also noticed that we have put in place a process for choosing annual Commitment to Excellence Award winners from among faculty and administrators.
Thanks again to Associate Professor of Philosophy David Koukal and others for planning the many and varied events inviting us to reflect on the five years since 9/11/2001. And congratulations to the Theatre Company for beginning another fine season at the Marygrove Theater. If you have not taken advantage of their offerings in the past, make this the year you start.
Thanks to all who helped make the many events of Founders Week and the visit of the Jesuit Superior General from Rome, the Very Rev. Peter-Hans Kolvenbach, S.J., such a success. (See the UDMcast of Father General Kolvenbach's address.) Thanks especially to all those in University Advancement who pitched in so generously. These events were a great celebration of our Catholic, Mercy, and Jesuit roots and a chance to reflect on their implications so that we stay true to them.
University Commons
University Commons, the coalition of business, institutional, and neighborhood organizations surrounding Livernois and McNichols, has undergone a significant restructuring in the last year. UDM is now a lead player in the organization. We will soon hire a Program Manager who will take over the day-to-day operations and see to it that all the facets of economic development continue to improve.
On a related note, the Livernois median is almost finished from McNichols to Seven Mile, and work is beginning between Seven Mile and Eight Mile. When that work is finished, plans call for the median to extend south, first to the Lodge, and then to Davison.
NCAA recertification
A month ago we had a site visit for ten-year recertification by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. All indications are that the review has gone very well. Thanks to Dean Suzanne Mellon and her team who prepared well for the visit. Continuing our tradition of student-athletes, UDM's softball team had the 4th highest GPA of all NCAA Division I teams in the country last year. Even better, it was the sixth straight year our softball team was in the top five in the country in GPA.
NCA review and strategic plan
Having survived the site visit from NCAA, we now look ahead to the site visit of NCA—the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. Thanks to Kathleen Zimmerman-Oster and her team, the self study is in its final edit. The site visit will be Jan. 29-31. Please make every effort to be available for conversations with the visiting team, especially on Monday, Jan. 29 and Tuesday, Jan. 30. See UDM's NCA information.
At the end of each chapter of the NCA self-study is a set of lessons learned and recommendations. Flowing from that has been a strategic planning process for UDM. A very rough draft went to the Shared Governance Strategic Planning Team. That team asked for something a little less rough. The ALT and PC have met three times since then to provide a more integrated strategic plan draft. The ALT and PC will continue developing the draft even as the Shared Governance Team provides its input. See the Strategic Plan team site.
At the end of October, the Board of Trustees will have an opportunity to react to the draft as it has been developed at that point. By December we will have a working document that will be shared with the NCA peer review team, and UDM will work from that document for the next few years.
The main strategic priorities in the draft involve strengthened academic and student life programs and facilities, a student experience that includes connecting to the community of practice and service learning opportunities, fiscal strength, and a UDM culture that makes the other objectives possible.
Improvement plans
Paying specific attention to the facilities piece, as I announced after the June meeting of the UDM Board of Trustees, we have updated and are continuing to study the McNichols Campus Plan. We are working on plans for an artificial, multi-purpose field and a wellness/fitness/recreation/health center.
We also plan renovations in all the residence halls and the Chemistry building. The timing of these projects is subject to fund raising, but we are continuing to invest in the campus IT infrastructure and ongoing capital improvements, even while waiting for the success of the fund raising.
At the Riverfront Campus, design work continues for an addition to the current facility, renovation of the existing facility, and a solution to the Law School parking needs. The timing of these projects depends as well on fund raising.
The location of the new Dental School will be announced soon. It will provide a significant increase in UDM's presence in Detroit and allow for growth in the number of students and programs, thereby also providing an increase in UDM's service to the underserved. It will also allow the Dental School to integrate all of its operations—instruction, labs, clinics, and administration—in one space.
These three major investments in the city of Detroit will add to the ongoing contribution of UDM's education, its presence in its neighborhoods, its payroll, clinics, and service activities.
In closing let me say how encouraged I am by the initial projections for FY 2007, the hard work and hopefulness of all those working on North Central reaccreditation and strategic planning, the wonderful Founders Week events, and of course, the daily dedication of faculty, staff and administrators in making UDM a university we are proud to represent. Five years ago, we were ranked #33 in the Midwest; this year we are ranked #22. Let's work together to continue the great results!
Thank you for all that you do everyday to ensure UDM's fine reputation in our country and our community.
Print-friendly