A New Year - A New Decade

Dr. Roger SublettWhile we do not yet have the final recommendation from our accrediting body, The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, we certainly are aware of the visiting team’s findings, and they are quite positive. We will prepare financial updates and share our revised strategic plan, along with progress reports on our university-wide assessment process with the HLC by January 2012. The Self Study process was enlightening, as we were able to truly peel away layers of processes; engaging, as we included staff and faculty across the university to work on the reports and collect evidence; and empowering, as we now know ourselves far better and are in an enviable position to move forward with vigor and optimism. (Read more about the Self Study undertaken by UI&U over the past two years).

As an old year ends and a new one begins, and as an old decade ends, and a new one begins, Union has strong endorsement from higher education colleagues, from the Ohio Board of Regents to The Higher Learning Commission. All of us can feel very good about our progress over the last few years. Although the journey has been long and often difficult, we are all stronger and more resolute in our planning for an even brighter future for Union.

Among the major goals that I want to establish for Union is to seek constant improvement in the academic quality of our programming and enhancement of services provided to our learners. We must identify resources to invest in our people in ways that we have not been able to do during the last few years. And, we must no longer depend solely upon tuition to support our university’s goals. It will be up to each of us to contribute to Union in multiple ways. With the beginning of a new decade, we need a bold vision. Without a bold vision, Union will never live up to its potential and the hopes of its founders and alumni. We can make our vision our reality by working together toward common goals. Today, we have more than 15,500 graduates from all of Union’s programs. Less than two percent of these individuals contribute to Union each year. While we are certainly grateful for the past support from our generous donors, I know that we can do better. Union graduates are making a difference in the lives of others wherever they serve, and it is now time for all of us who love Union to make a difference in the future of our university.

My goal over the next three years is to increase giving among Union graduates to 33 percent. Imagine the impact that this increase will have on our programs, faculty, staff, and learners, not to mention the positive impact on our academic reputation and visibility – and the value of a Union degree. If we do the math, that means that instead of just a few hundred alumni contributions, we’d have more than 5,000 contributors! Contributing to an organization is a way to ‘own’ the organization and to support its mission; at Union, we can contribute to scholarships for folks who will go on and continue to ‘do the Union thing’ of making a difference in the lives of others.

We are off to a great start already. For the first time in many years, Union has received gifts from three foundations: one in support of building maintenance/landscaping, another in support of scholarships for undergraduate women in our Cincinnati Academic Center, and a third in support of scholarships for learners in the B.A. program in Vermont. These gifts are a remarkable vote of confidence in Union and our people. But this is just a beginning. Our current annual fund campaign is still active. There is still time to give, and there is so much to give to.

I recently returned from Washington, D.C., where I had an opportunity to attend the annual conferences for the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and the National Association for Independent Colleges & Universities (NAICU). At the top of the agenda in both organizations were topics addressing transparency, costs associated with going to college, the role of government in addressing issues of quality and financing, services to learners, and ultimately the future role of higher education in helping the U.S. compete in a global economy. While we dealt with tough issues amidst the bleak economic forecast, I quickly realized that the challenges were not overwhelming—in actuality, they were exhilarating and offered great promise for all of us in higher education. The nation needs us today more than at any time since the 1960s, an era of experimentation in education during which Union was created. And, through our creative, flexible, interdisciplinary approaches, Union has an opportunity to assist adults in securing their futures because we have the experience, the courage, and the vision to seek constant improvement.

I have always been an optimistic person who dreams about the potential of positive actions.  I have never believed that there were things that I might not be able to impact—I try to see those things that need to be addressed and find creative, collaborative ways of moving forward without delay. This new year of 2010 provides one of those moments for positive action in support of Union. We have come a long way since 2001. We have endured the difficult challenges and we are positioned to create our own future based on our willingness to invest in ourselves. It is with great confidence that I look to the future of Union!  It is with great appreciation that I think about the tremendous support and sacrifices of all who stayed with Union over the last decade. It is with great anticipation that I ask us to work together to envision Union’s “path to distinction” over the next five years. I firmly believe it is not so much where we have been; it is where we are going that will define us both as a people and a vibrant institution.

I know I can continue to count on those of you who have been steadfast donors and urge those of you who have not yet contributed to Union to join me in this ambitious challenge. Each of us must play a role to help this university fulfill its mission, vision, values, and principles. Through our combined support, Union will earn its deserved role as one of the leading institutions of higher education committed to adult education.

Leadership involves celebrating the past, treasuring the achievements, assessing the present, and imagining the future. And, the most exciting of these is “imagining the future.” With your help, our future and the future of Union learners around the globe will be bright. Thank you for all you do for Union each day and for all you will do in future days.

Warm Regards,
Roger H. Sublett, Ph.D.
President