A message from the president

As seen within the Fall DU Review Magazine

 

I write this message with immense gratitude. I lately introduced that I’ll retire in June, and as I transfer by means of my closing 12 months main this outstanding college, I marvel at what we’ve achieved collectively.

We lately marked the profitable completion of our ELEVATE fundraising marketing campaign. Thanks to the generosity of our alumni, college and workers, company companions and mates, greater than $35 million was given to assist a few of the most mission-critical initiatives in our college’s historical past.

Your generosity has fueled the launch and growth of important packages, together with Casa Latina, a tutorial and cultural initiative supporting Latino college students and bilingual professionals; the growth of our College of Urban Education, which continues to organize culturally competent educators; two urgently wanted psychological well being initiatives which are producing psychological well being professionals and offering wellness sources for our college students; and lastly, your assist has considerably elevated scholarship funding, opening doorways for lots of of scholars who now have entry to a Davenport training.

A particular observe of gratitude goes to the Klingenberg household, whose transformative reward helped us create and assist the Wellness Center on the W.A. Lettinga Grand Rapids Campus. Their dedication to the well being and well-being of our campus neighborhood ensures a legacy of care that may profit generations to come back.

As you learn by means of this concern of DU Review, you’ll find out about one of many packages developed by the College of Urban Education. The FUSE program exposes center and highschool college students to STEM (science, expertise, engineering and math) ideas by means of partaking actions and experiential studying. The purpose is to reveal them to in-demand STEM-related careers whereas they’re having enjoyable.

And how about these Panthers! More than 200 student-athletes have been acknowledged for his or her tutorial achievements within the NCAA Division II Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. The honors went throughout a variety of males’s and girls’s sports activities. I’m so pleased with these college students who work arduous and excel at their chosen sport however always remember why they’re on the college. I’m trying ahead to watching our groups compete.

The ELEVATE marketing campaign identify couldn’t have been extra becoming. We have, collectively, elevated this establishment, its individuals and its future. When I retire on the finish of June, I’ll conclude greater than 50 years in larger training. Thank you for trusting me to serve this nice establishment. The greatest days for Davenport University are nonetheless forward.

 

Sincerely,

Richard J. Pappas, Ed.D.

President