I would like to thank everyone for their hard work and service in 2017. It is because of your continued commitment to teaching excellence and student service that we are graduating 706 students tomorrow. We are excited to welcome Lonnie G. Bunch III as our Commencement speaker. Bunch, a leading voice and scholar on African American issues, will receive Roosevelt’s highest honorary degree, the Doctor of Social Justice, honoris causa. I hope you will join me at the graduation ceremony to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of our students to obtain their degrees.
This past semester was filled with successes both inside and out of the classroom. We launched the academic year with a sold-out audience of 4,000 at the Auditorium Theatre for our American Dream Reconsidered Conference keynote discussion featuring Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Two days of sessions and panel discussions followed, drawing another 1,000 registered attendees. Roosevelt also enjoyed a successful year of fundraising, benefiting from nearly $17 million toward student scholarship gifts and grants. And, for the first time in several years, we had a 4 percent increase in new student enrollment.
Our faculty continues to inspire me with notable awards and achievements. Andrew Eggert, assistant professor and head of opera, was selected for the competitive Fulbright Specialist Program; psychology professor Steven Meyers received the American Psychological Association’s 2017 Robert S. Daniel Teaching Excellence Award; and Roosevelt pharmacy professors Cara Brock and Abby Kahaleh were named among Illinois’ top pharmacists in 2017. In addition, the College of Education is the first provider of teacher preparation training in Illinois to be accredited by the new Council for the Accreditation of Education Preparation (CAEP).
As many of you know, the Higher Learning Commission visited campus last week as part of their scheduled focus visit. Several key staff members devoted a great deal of time in preparation, especially Joe Regan, who coordinated all aspects of this visit. Your support and participation in various meetings and open forums helped demonstrate how we are Building a Stronger Roosevelt.
In closing, let us not forget at this time of year our commitment to serve one another and embrace our mission of social justice and inclusion. The core of Roosevelt’s legacy, one that you will carry forward, is that we do not discriminate based on one’s religion, gender, sexual orientation, race, economic status, color, disability, national origin, or veteran or familial status. It is every American’s right to attain their American Dream through the pursuit of higher education.
Wishing you all safe and happy holidays!