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Alumni, Donors, Partners,

I hope you have enjoyed the many recent news stories about the creative and productive achievements of our faculty and students. If you haven’t had the opportunity to view then, links to a few are available at the end of this message.

3-YEAR ACTION PLAN & BUDGET

Last fall all units within the University – academic, administrative, auxiliaries, etc. – prepared action plans to improve their performance. They used statistical data gathered earlier in the year, and met a number of criteria in crafting these plans.

These individual plans were combined into a University action plan that will inform and guide our budgeting process and strategic thinking in the near term.

Take a look at what Crain’s Cleveland Business reported in a recent news article about this plan:

“ÐãÉ«¶ÌÊÓƵ is trying to ‘refocus people’s attention on the things that matter most.’”

“The action plan, and the plans to use it to drive the budget process, marks a ‘substantive change’ from how the university has operated in the past.”

“This action plan starts to give structure to some of the goals described in the academic program review: investing in distinctive programs and using resources more efficiently.”

The article is attached to this message so you can read it in its entirety. As a supporter and friend of this University, you may be pleased to read of the progress we are making.

Fundraising Increase

Fundraising in the first six months of the fiscal year was $25.6 million – a 70-percent increase over the same period last fiscal year!  ÐãÉ«¶ÌÊÓƵ received more than $12.8 million in bequest gifts during the first six months this year, compared to nearly $2.3 million for the same period last year. New donors contributed more than $511,000 during the first six months, with the majority of new gifts coming from corporations, alumni and friends who attended alumni events and designated their gifts to Making a Difference Moving Forward scholarships.

150^th Anniversary Planning Underway

The Steering committee for our Sesquicentennial Celebration scheduled for 2020 has identified four goals:

1. Honor the history of ÐãÉ«¶ÌÊÓƵ.
2. Celebrate successes and achievements of students, faculty, staff and alumni.
3. Explore ÐãÉ«¶ÌÊÓƵ’s impact on the Akron community and beyond.
4. Envision what the future will look for Akron Zips

One project already underway is the “Hail We Akron” book project. It is a collection of ÐãÉ«¶ÌÊÓƵ memories from alumni, athletes & coaches, friends, faculty, community members, etc. It will be produced as a coffee-table book with a paperback version and a curated website. Solicitations have gone out via email and postcards asking for participation. They have made it easy to submit material. I invite you to do so if you have not already. Simply go to the project’s website for examples of recent submissions, and to submit your story and images.

David James Named Advisory Trustee

At their Feb. 13^th meeting, the University of Akron Board of Trustees elected David W. James, superintendent of Akron Public Schools, as an advisory trustee.

“We are very grateful and excited that Superintendent James is joining our Board,” said Board Chair Joseph M. Gingo. “He is highly regarded in both the K-12 education community and in Akron, and those connections will be very beneficial to the University. His experiences and insights will also help us to broaden and deepen our cooperative working relationship with Akron Public Schools as we all strive to help ensure students are prepared for their college careers." 

As the title “advisory trustee” implies, these distinguished individuals are non-voting members who bring their considerable expertise and experience to our Board in an advisory role. The other current advisory trustee is Anthony Alexander, retired FirstEnergy CEO.

Rethinking Race Forum to Begin

Our University’s annual forum on race and related issues, “Rethinking Race: Black, White and Beyond,” begins Monday, February 25 and continues through Tuesday, March 5.  It will feature films, performances, face-to-face conversations and keynote speakers. The goal of this endeavor is to facilitate discussion, examination and hopefully better understanding among people of all ethnicities.

More than 40 events are planned, and many are open to the public. Please join us and engage in such timely matters as diversity in the workplace, and awareness of issues and culture.

Thank You

Finally, I want to thank all alumni, donors, retirees and other friends for your continuing support. When we talk about celebrating the University’s 150^th anniversary, we also say we are laying the groundwork for another 150 years of service to the community, nation and world. We can say that with confidence because of the strong relations we have with so many of you.

To end on a light note, I invite you enjoy of our beloved mascot, Zippy.

Sincerely,

Dr. John C. Green
Interim President
ÐãÉ«¶ÌÊÓƵ

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