On Oct. 14–15, we hosted the Board of Trustees on campus for their quarterly meeting. We also celebrated the generosity of hundreds of leadership-level donors at the Francis Marion Drake Society Dinner on Friday. Thanks to the many staff, faculty, and students who helped these important events succeed.
A main focus of this weekend’s meeting was the Campus Master Plan. The conversation reviewed the many projects that have been completed over the last decade in accordance with the plan, and kicked-off the process of prioritizing campus capital projects for the future. I and others will work with many of you to better understand our opportunities and challenges regarding new and refurbished spaces, and will then work through the board’s Buildings and Grounds Committee to develop a 10-year priority list that will ultimately be approved by the full board. In keeping with the goals of our Campus Master Plan, the board also released additional funds to complete the conversion of the old University Bookstore into the new home for the Occupational Therapy Program.
Our rising STEM@DRAKE buildings are also part of the Campus Master Plan, as they address one of the plan’s main goals to “Enhance academic and student life programs and enable growth for generations to come.” STEM@DRAKE remains the University’s top fundraising focus, and we have made excellent headway toward our goal of $30 million. In his report to the board, Vice President for University Advancement John Smith noted that since just July 1 of this year Drake has secured $2.7 million in cash gifts and pledges. Coming out of this past weekend, and following board approval of identified STEM gifts, the total funds raised now exceed $22 million.
In the spirit of continuous improvement, Kevin Saunders, director of institutional research and academic assessment, presented a report on the work he has undertaken with President’s Council to revise Drake’s list of peer institutions. The final list of 15 schools will be segmented into three groups: direct competitors, peer schools, and aspirant schools. We will use this list for benchmarking purposes at the institutional level.
I also provided an update on campus-wide reaccreditation efforts. Most notably, the College of Business and Public Administration welcomed a peer review team from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) earlier this month. After a positive visit, this team is recommending accreditation for the CBPA; the recommendation must still be considered by the Initial Accreditation Committee and then by the full AACSB board in January 2017, at which time we will be informed whether the CBPA will receive programmatic accreditation.
As always, thanks to all who contribute to our successes as a University and our ongoing commitment to fulfilling our mission.
—Marty Martin