Annual Report of the President 2006

2005-2006

A n n u a l R e p o r t o f t h e Pr e s i d e n t

T A B LE OF C ONTENTS President’s Message ................. 3 Strong Academics .................... 5 Dynamic Faculty .................... 9 Catholic Tradition ................ 13 Empowered Community .......................... 17 Student-Centered Experience............................. 21 Values-Centered Focus ........... 25 The Power to Transform............................. 29 Financials............................. 32

Believe 2005-2006

A n n u a l R e p o r t o f t h e Pr e s i d e n t

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Believe in Gannon.

The word “believe” has taken on powerful new meanings at Gannon over this past year. As a Catholic university, believing in God and strengthening our faith have always been an integral part of our Mission. In the 2005-06 academic year, we developed a new branding and marketing initiative based on the marketing tagline, Believe. The strong sense of belief in Gannon that has been exhibited by our students, alumni, faculty, staff, and Board of Trustees members is the primary reason why the University continues to grow and transform lives. In this Annual Report, we share some stories that reflect on the accomplishments of the past year and also tell you where the University is headed. After you read this Report, it is my hope that your belief in Gannon as a quality institution of higher education will be even stronger.

First and foremost, we believe in our strong academic programs.

Gannon has advanced the academic excellence of the University by enhancing our more than 75 undergraduate, master’s and doctoral degree programs and creating niché programs to meet the growing needs of our students and the ever-changing demands of the work force (see page 6). U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges 2007” edition confirmed our strength in academics when, for the third consecutive year, Gannon was ranked as a toptier university among Master’s I Comprehensive universities in the northern section of the country. And, for the second straight year, Gannon was also ranked in the top ten as a best value in the “Great Schools, Great Prices” category.

Our strength in academics is due to the exceptional skills and talents of our dynamic faculty. The University is fortunate to have many caring faculty and staff members who make our motivated students’ experiences meaningful. Our 14:1 faculty-to-student ratio and our above-average national retention rate of 83.7 percent reinforce our student-centered focus. We share the stories of three of our dynamic faculty (pages 8-11), and we will continue to introduce you to others in our publications throughout the year.

Over the past year, there have been many accomplishments throughout the University ranging from increased enrollment and a deepened faith to enhanced technology resources and successful fundraising efforts. The 622 students who enrolled in the 2005 Freshman Class was the largest incoming class since 1993. This class included 28 high school valedictorians and 164 National Honor Society students. You will be pleased to know that total enrollment this fall is the largest in 13 years and consists of 3,815 students, which includes 1,140 graduate students, Gannon’s highest number ever.

The University also remains deeply committed to strengthening our Catholic Identity. Students exhibited a stronger commitment to their Catholic faith this past year, as indicated by substantial increases in Sunday Mass attendance and new initiatives such as student-led prayer at certain sporting events. Because of Gannon’s inclusive nature and values-centered approach, the University also offers numerous ecumenical faith-sharing groups.

As a result of our strategic planning goal to pursue more external funding opportunities, Gannon was selected as one of only 20 private universities nationwide to participate in the national CIC Teachers for the 21st Century Grant Initiative, a collaboration between the Council of Independent Colleges and the Microsoft Corporation. The grant will improve teacher education through the use of technology. In addition, Gannon received confirmation on August 25, 2006, that the University will receive $4 million in state capital grant funds to open the Erie Technology Incubator (ETI) in 2007, a project that has been in the planning stages since my first few months as president in 2001. The Incubator will house high-tech, start-up companies, and it has the potential to create 10 new companies and 600 new jobs every five years.

Gannon’s future success also relies, in part, on our more than 31,000 successful alumni worldwide, many of whom credit their Gannon and Villa Maria College experiences with transforming their lives. On May 11, the University launched the public phase of The Power To Transform Comprehensive Campaign with a formal kickoff celebration. I hope that you will affirm your pride in this great University by participating in The Power To Transform Comprehensive Campaign (pages 28-31). Your continuous generosity to and involvement with Gannon helps to transform students’ lives for years to come.

This Annual Report includes some, but not all, of the University’s notable accomplishments. As you read this Report, I hope that your belief in this great University is reaffirmed and that you feel compelled to stay active and connected to Gannon today and tomorrow. Your commitment to and belief in Gannon is a cornerstone to the University’s continuous growth and transformation.

Antoine M. Garibaldi, Ph.D. President, Gannon University

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Kris Legters, PT, DSc, NCS, oversees Doctorate of Physical Therapy students as they observe a model in the Motion Analysis Lab at The Shriner’s Hospital for Children.

Believe in

STRONG ACADEMICS. Educating a whole person requires work not only with books, lectures, discussion, and labs, but also the hands-on experiences that bring ideas into reality. Gannon believes in cultivating students’ minds by providing excellent academic opportunities that go far beyond classroom lectures.

Kristine Legters, PT, DSc, NCS, ’90M, Associate Professor of Physical Therapy and Chair of the Doctorate of Physical Therapy Program, has created and maintained connections in the community that take Doctor of Physical Therapy students into organizations and affiliated medical centers to put their classroom learning to the test. Last April, Legters invited Doctor of Physical Therapy students, Villa Maria School of Nursing students, and the Student Occupational Therapy (OT) Association to educate senior citizens on the dangers of falling through a program organized by the Erie County Health Care Fall Prevention Task Force, of which Legters is a member. Legters, along with her colleagues throughout Gannon’s health science departments, maintains connections in the community in order to provide students with accurate and varied clinical experiences.

By the time undergraduate students become upperclassmen or graduate students and are ready to gain hands-on experience in all majors, they have been provided a strong base of core-values and fundamental knowledge through Gannon’s Liberal Studies “Core of Discovery” curriculum. This core gives them the solid foundation they need as they progress through individualized studies in the more than 75 strong academic programs offered by the University.

Beyond the Liberal Studies background and hands-on learning opportunities that Gannon provides its students, the University remains a teaching university with a ratio of 14:1 students to faculty. That ratio, along with the wide variety of programs available to students and the hands-on opportunities that Gannon provides, makes Gannon’s strong academics worth believing in.

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Anne O’Neill-Klemensic, Director of Sports Marketing and Management, and Duane R. (Rick) Prokop, Assistant Professor of Marketing, speak with freshman student Mark Demski during a Gannon home football game.

education with a focus on the industry of sports, a field more than twice the size of the auto industry according to Assistant Professor of Sports and Exercise Science Jason P. Willow, Ph.D. Willow’s department works alongside of the Dahlkemper School of Business Administration to make this degree possible. Graduates of the program will be qualified to pursue careers in fields such as professional sports and related services, intercollegiate athletics, event management, recreation retail, sports communications, and sports marketing and promotions.

I n t e r d i s c i p l i n ar y S t u d i e s Gannon developed three new interdisciplinary undergraduate academic programs during the 2005-06 academic year, all three of which began in the Fall of 2006.

The first program to be approved by the Gannon Board of Trustees was the Scientific and Technical Sales major. The coursework for this program, which ranges from business statistics and financial accounting to molecular/cellular biology and physics, is designed to prepare students for sales-related careers in fields such as pharmaceutical, biomedical, chemical, environmental, and other technology-related fields.

The main objective of a second new program – that of Sports Management and Marketing – is to provide a specialized business

Most Reverend Bishop Donald W. Trautman presided over both December and May Commencement ceremonies, presenting diplomas to more than 900 graduates throughout the academic year.

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The third new degree that debuted in the fall of 2006, a bachelor of arts in Journalism Communications, was spurred by student demand, according to John Young, Associate Dean of Humanities, Business, and Education. The degree is designed for students interested in both print and electronic media and builds on and complements the University’s existing 18-credit minor in journalism. Coursework for the Journalism Communication degree will include areas such as writing for news media, editing for print media, advanced specialized reporting, digital audio production, and ethical issues confronting the media. Students enrolled in the program must also complete five separate practicums that will allow them to gain practical experience in the field. These practicums can range from working for the Gannon Knight and the campus radio station (WERG 90.5 FM) to off-campus internships with local print and broadcast outlets.

The University held its third annual Graduate Research Conference in April, allowing graduate students from all disciplines to share their work and be judged on their abilities to present academic material.

F o r L o v e o f L e ar n i n g Gannon’s strength in academics is evident across all curriculums, and the Gannon University Honors Program provides an even stronger sense of community for those who have the deepest love for learning.

The Honors Program provides an opportunity for highly motivated students to build a sense of community around the act of learning.

Those enrolled in the voluntary program receive an enhanced Gannon educational experience through this community, extended contact with involved faculty, and participation in a wide range of social, cultural, and educational events. Honors classes have a maximum size of 15 students and are structured as discussion seminars with lecturing kept to a minimum.

Participants of the Honors Program also benefit from the opportunities to travel to conferences hosted by the National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC), the Northeast Region of the NCHC, and the Mid-East Honors Association. Eight students traveled to St. Louis, Missouri, last October for a NCHC conference, and in April three students, Ian McGinnity, Ben Speggen, and Steve Srnka, presented a poster presentation titled “Gannon Discovers the Lost Authors” at a Northeast Region conference in Pittsburgh.

Participants also have a role in governing the Program through the 15-member Student Advisory Board. The Board makes recommendations on policy and is responsible for assisting the director in running the program, developing new courses, and overseeing committees responsible for providing a variety of social and cultural events for Program participants.

Since its inception in 1988, the Honors Program has steadily grown. Last year, it saw a record incoming class of 53 highly qualified students with an average GPA of 4.04. The Program had a total of 185 students and graduated a record class of 42 students during the same year. Those who choose to join the Program receive special recognition at graduation and on their academic transcripts.

Honors Program senior Meredith Milner tutors an elementary school student through a Hispanic-American Council after-school program.

Community service opportunities provide Honors Program participants an extra chance to build community outside of the classroom. Just like all Gannon students, those in the Honors Program dedicate much of their time to service hours and build friendships while doing so. The Honors Program students have the opportunity to tutor elementary and high school students at the Hispanic-American Council, participate in sponsoring Junior, a child in Haiti, and participate as a group in University-wide service activities such as GIVE Day and Habitat for Humanity.

Karinna Vernaza, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering, works with a student in an engineering lab. Mechanical Engineering along with Electrical Engineering were two of the multiple programs that were reaccredited by governing bodies this academic year. Others include all 13 programs in the School of Education, the Dahlkemper School of Business Administration’s Risk Management program, and the Physician Assistant program. Additionally, the Environmental Engineering program and the Computer Science and Information program were newly accredited through 2012.

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Believe in

DYNAMIC FACULTY. The world is as wide as it is complex. Gannon’s dynamic faculty represent a variety of people with experiences and knowledge from many walks of life who pass their perspective on to students, helping them not only to master professional skills but also by exposing them to diverse viewpoints in their community and in the world.

Mary Carol Gensheimer, Assistant Professor of CommunicationArts, sets an example of the importance of creativity in anything that is worth doing. Whether it be working with freshman students at 90.5 WERG FM, Gannon’s radio station, or baking pies to raise money for the Social Work Christmas Dinner, Gensheimer presents a dynamic atmosphere for her students to work in and encourages them to think outside of the box. She also cares for them a great deal and can often be found in extended office hours or handing out oranges to students, encouraging them to stay healthy and happy.

Gensheimer has advised and mentored hundreds of students for the past 25 years, and she has done quite a bit for the image of the University as well. Her creativity can be seen peeking out of corners all around campus. The compass that adorns the floor of the Palumbo Academic Center and the Victorian Leap Frog that peers over a balcony outside of the Yehl Room are two of her most noticeable works. Less noticeable, but incredibly useful, are the digital daises in classrooms that Gensheimer helped to originally design. Back in the 1980s, Gensheimer helped bring the Apple IIe onto campus, the first personal computer to enter the University doors. Today, she remains involved with the evolution of technology through workshops in the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning.

Mary Carol Gensheimer works with two freshman students in the 90.5 WERG FM studio.

While in the classroom, Gensheimer teaches the Fundamentals of Speech, Digital Graphics, Animation, Illustration, Mass Media and Popular Culture, and a Senior Seminar. While in her basement, though, she busies herself with welding, painting, woodworking, and finding ways to recycle materials by building art. She also serves on the University Marketing Task Force and is the Vice President of Faculty Senate. Her creative and caring spirit is only one among the more than 200 dynamic faculty members at Gannon University.

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A n I n t e r n at i o n a l P e r s p e c t i v e Mehmet Cultu, Ph.D., Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, came to the United States from Turkey in 1967 to pursue his doctoral degree as a Fulbright Scholar. He came to Gannon in 1978 and today he uses his knowledge of the world and his past experience as an international student himself to serve as Gannon’s International Student Advisor and Advisor for the International Student Association.

In the 2005-06 academic year, 134 international students were actively enrolled at Gannon, and the University supported the visas of 34 more who had recently graduated and were employed in the U.S. or continuing their education with postgraduate work.

As the international student body at Gannon continues to grow, Cultu’s work becomes even more important. In addition to advising students on academics and their classes, Cultu also mentors them as people who are experiencing the United States as foreigners, many of them for the first time. Cultu, along with Melanie Karsak, Director of the International Student Office, greets students at the airport when they first arrive in Erie and then transport them to where they will be living as Gannon students.

Cultu and Karsak also arrange trips for students to go shopping at grocery stores and Wal-Mart so they can purchase goods that they need but might not have been able to bring with them from home.

Cultu also attends a dinner for the International Student Association near Thanksgiving – a break that is too short for

Bernadette Hattjar, A.B.D., Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy, accepts her certificate from President Garibaldi, Ph.D., at the annual Faculty Scholarship and Research Awards.

More than 60 faculty members were recognized at the event in November 2005 for actively enhancing their scholarship through presenting and publishing research and engaging with colleagues throughout their discipline.

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Mehmet Cultu, Ph.D., interacts with first-year graduate student Naga Sireesha Dugginapeddi as she grocery shops in the United States for the first time.

international students to travel home – where the students can celebrate and recognize Ramadan, Diwali, and Thanksgiving.

Cultu’s warm smile and positive attitude help international and national students alike to feel welcome and comfortable with each other all year round.

Melanie Karsak, Director of International Student Affairs, (left) and Mehmet Cultu, Ph.D., International Student Advisor, (right) joined the Gannon Community for the 17th Annual International Night. With the assistance of several faculty members in 2005-06, the University established agreements with foreign institutions, primarily in India, to facilitate inter-institutional curriculum articulations and international student recruitment across several disciplines including engineering, computer and information science, and business administration.

T h e La n g u ag e o f Dr u m s David Tobin, Ph.D., ’76, ’78M, Associate Professor and Program Director of Community Counseling, celebrates diversity and tries out new, musical, methods of communicating through African Drumming. Although he believes he has always been a drummer – having constantly tapped on the steering wheel or kitchen sink his whole life – he’s been officially drumming with drum circles for five years.

Tobin originally started drumming as a form of stress relief, but he quickly found that it has enriched his life by giving him opportunities to appreciate diversity.

He has learned from a master drummer from West Africa, several jazz drummers, a Middle Eastern drummer, and several local drummers who share a similar passion. He has drummed for Erie’s Kwanza Celebration, Black History Month, CelebrateErie, several inner city school assemblies, and casual drum circles in the community and at Gannon.

Since Tobin began teaching full-time at Gannon in 2000, he has often had occasion to share this passion with his students.

Reverend Pascal Kabura ’02M, the first doctoral graduate of Counseling Psychology program, and Tobin had many conversations about the role of drumming in religious and social settings in Africa as Kabura was writing his dissertation. Kabura traveled to Uganda for research while working on his dissertation, and while he was there, he made sure to bring back a drum for Tobin to add to his collection.

The name of one particular drum, Djembe (an hourglass-shaped drum), means coming together, and Tobin often refers to this when he discusses his hobby with students and other members of the Gannon community. Drumming is a way of gathering people, and it was this social connection that really brought about Tobin’s love for the hobby.

Kenneth G. McCurdy, Assistant Professor of Psychology, (left) and Stephen T. Frezza, Chairperson of Computer and Information Science, (right) were two of the first faculty to participate in workshops offered by the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) and then integrate new instructional methods into their classroom. Fifty percent of Gannon’s faculty participated in more than 30 events offered by the CETL and Learning in the 2005-06 academic year.

David Tobin, Ph.D., (center) spends his lunch hour with a drum circle in the Perry Square Gazebo.

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Monsignor Addison Yehl, Professor Emeritus, Reverend Michael Kesicki ’83, Instructor of Theology, and two seminarian students, Jason Feigh, and Matias Quimno (from left to right) pray in Gannon’s Mary, Seat of Wisdom Chapel.

Believe in

CATHOLIC TRADITION. Archbishop John Mark Gannon, the Sisters of St. Joseph, and Monsignor Joseph J. “Doc” Wehrle founded Villa Maria College and “Cathedral College” in the early 1900s.

Today, as Gannon University, the Catholic Tradition on which the school was established runs throughout the fibers of this diocesan institution of higher education.

The University’s Catholic Identity is one of its essential features, reflecting the breadth of the Catholic Tradition, its vision of human life, and its benefits to higher education. The Catholic Identity strives to provide Gannon students with a path to genuine freedom, meaning, and joy as it provides a strong foundation of faith and value from which students can live, learn, and grow.

Gannon is one of only eight Catholic colleges and universities nationwide that are sponsored by a Roman Catholic diocese, and as such, the education that students receive at Gannon allows for a synergistic bond between the mind and the soul. As the University’s academics prepare students for leadership in their career, the foundation of faith prepares them for a life of service to God and leadership roles in their church and society as well.

Major accomplishments in the 2005-06 academic year that reflect the University’s commitment to promoting and strengthening the Catholic Tradition include arranging for a Catholic House to be added as a place for student living, enhancing the efforts of the Service Learning Department to effectively incorporate Catholic social teaching, hosting a Catholic speaker series in celebration of the Year of the Eucharist, and connecting with diocesan universities and the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities (A.C.C.U.).

While recognizing that not everyone at the University is Catholic, Gannon celebrates the Catholic Tradition with which it was founded and encourages discussion among faiths represented on campus. This diversity of faith in combination with the Catholic Tradition brings out the trueness of the Catholic Identity and its importance to the University.

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Statia Sullivan, Campus Minister, talks with junior Michael Mion on the steps of Gannon’s Mary, Seat of Wisdom Chapel.

from Penn State, University Park, and had not intended to return to school, but within days of being at the University, she knew Gannon was right for her. She started off as a Resident Campus Minister in Lubiak Apartments, during which time she also helped coordinate the 30hour fast, co-advised ICHTHI (a Catholic faithsharing group), and served as the staff leader for the Kentucky Mission Trip.

A F o u n d at i o n o f Fa i t h Statia Sullivan’s parents raised her within the Catholic Tradition, but Sullivan herself was the person who decided to maintain her faith as a devout Catholic. She said, “My parents never forced me to go to Mass, and when it came time for me to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation, I chose to do so.” During her senior year at Villa Maria High School, the Catholic faith became real to Sullivan, and she knew that she had made the right choice in being Catholic. As Gannon’s first full-time, professional Resident/ Associate Campus Minister (appointed in 2005-06), Sullivan carries her faith with her daily and lets it guide her as she helps others overcome obstacles and make positive decisions in life.

Sullivan came to Gannon unexpectedly in 2004 as a graduate assistant for the Office of Campus Ministry and a graduate student in the Community Counseling program. She had just graduated The Gannon Community welcomed Rev. J-Glenn Murray, S.J., (right), Director of the Office for Pastoral Liturgy for the Diocese of Cleveland; Sister Margaret Carney, O.S.F., S.T.D., President of St. Bonaventure University; and Rev. Scott Detisch, Ph.D., a faculty member at Christ the King Seminary, to campus as speakers in the Fall 2005 Lecture Series on the Eucharist.

Other Catholic speakers throughout the academic year included Rev. Paul Murray, O.P. and Mr. Kenneth Woodward.

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Today, as a full-time Campus Minister, Sullivan serves as the Campus Minister for Finegan Hall, a freshman residence hall, where she helps build community through forming relationships, provides programming for students, and provides support for residents and staff during times of crisis ranging from roommate conflicts to illness and death. She is also a Campus Minister for the Panhellenic Council, and she helps promote Chaplain Office events. She continues to co-advise ICHTHI with Deacon Steve Washek ’90, ’05M and Reverend Nicholas J. Rouch, S.T.D., ’83 and is also the advisor for Magnificat, the newly formed Catholic Women’s group on campus. In addition, Sullivan helps plan liturgies, train liturgical ministers, and serves as a teacher for Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA), a program designed to educate and guide those interested in joining the Catholic Faith.

In her involvement throughout campus, Sullivan is witness to the Catholic Tradition that permeates everyday happenings at the University, most importantly within the personal interactions of people across campus.

Attendance at the University’s Sunday Masses and Penance Services increased greatly throughout the 2005-06 academic year. Participation in student faith-sharing groups also rose by 71 percent.

T e ac h i n g t h e L i v i n g Tra d i t i o n Michael DeSanctis, Ph.D., Professor of Fine Arts and University Ombudsman, grew up connecting beauty and God through the Catholic Tradition of his family, whose patriarch was a religious artist. Today, he passes his knowledge and experience of this Tradition on to Gannon students in his Art and the Sacred, Erie Architecture, and Introduction to the Visual Arts classes.

Catholicism plays a major role in DeSanctis’ life and career, and has led him to where he is today as a Gannon professor and a liturgical design consultant recognized across the United States. He has been a member of the Gannon community since 1985, and to date, he has served almost 70 Catholic parish communities across the country involved in the difficult work of building or renovating places of worship. Most recently, he assisted St. Michael Church in Wheaton, Illinois, in constructing a $15 million parish complex to replace one destroyed in 2002 by an arson fire. In doing so, DeSanctis personally painted and gilded a charred statue of the Sacred Heart that survived the fire as a reminder of the trauma of the parish’s loss and a tribute to the parish’s resilience against the arson.

In the classrooms of Gannon University, DeSanctis strives to teach students the importance of art as a living tradition of faith. He

commented, “At our University, we have the courage to say that human life is complicated – we all make mistakes – and yet each of us can be transformed by our fleeting glimpses of Michael DeSanctis, Ph.D., guides his students on a Truth. Each of tour of St. Peter Cathedral in downtown Erie. us can achieve the ‘health, knowledge, and holiness’ announced by the Gannon seal if we assume the humility and wonder that marks true learners.”

Sister Michele Healy, S.S.J., Assistant Professor of Theology, also brings the Catholic Tradition into her classroom as she guides students through Sacred Scripture and Women in the Pilgrim Church classes. Healy focuses on the important contributions that women have made to the Catholic Church throughout the centuries – part of the Tradition that is often less recognized.

Healy has been a woman that has passed on the Catholic Tradition through her teaching at the University for the past 25 years, 13 of those years at Villa Maria College and 12 years at Gannon after the schools merged. Healy enjoys very much introducing her students to Christ through her teaching, as Sacred Scripture is a primary source of revelation and also the fundamental base for all theology classes at Gannon.

Sister Michele Healy, S.S.J., works with a group of her students in her Women in the Pilgrim Church class.

Thirteen seminarians attended the University in 2005-06. Five of them graduated and went onto major seminaries. This year, there is again a total of 13 seminarians attending Gannon, including sophomore Patrick Wiler (right), who helped initiate an opening prayer at men and women’s basketball games.

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Believe in

AN EMPOWERED COMMUNITY. A degree in higher education is meant to empower individuals to accomplish their dreams. In turn, those who have reached their goals give back by inspiring those around them through their leadership in their career, society, and church.

A Gannon education does more than prepare students to be life-long learners and leaders; it helps students to grow and become active citizens in their community and, in turn, empower those around them. The University’s more than 31,000 successful alumni nationwide live this truth by giving back to the University through monetary donations, involvement on campus, and by offering internship and mentoring opportunities to the Gannon students who follow in their footsteps.

In the 2005-06 academic year, total voluntary support of Board of Trustees members, alumni, and friends more than doubled, increasing by $1,672,501 for a total of $3,340,922. Additionally, the average alumni Annual Fund gift increased by 32 percent.

The generosity of Gannon alumni not only helps defray the operating costs of the University but also provides scholarships to students and increases the value of the endowment.

The value of the personal connections our alumni make with our students adds to the generosity that empowers the Gannon community. A current initiative by the National Alumni Board and the Student Government Association is developing ways to host events and provide opportunities for students and alumni to connect in social and networking relationships. The Executive on Campus program similarly provides students the opportunity to meet with high-profile alumni who have been successful in their career and can offer examples and advice to current students. Our alumni also offer connections that provide students with opportunities for internships and entry-level positions upon graduation.

Undergraduate software engineering major Jishnu Sasi takes notes while on a tour of GE Transportation where he is interning.

Much like Gannon academics transform the mind, the connections that students, alumni, and community leaders make both on and off campus work to empower the community in which we live and our nation at large.

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Experiencing their Futures The value of a Gannon education goes beyond the knowledge that students gain in the classroom to what they learn in their future field of employment through internships. As the majority of employers seek students beginning their sophomore year with the goal of retaining the intern until graduation, students have the ability to gain up to three years of experience before applying for jobs after graduation. Likewise, the employer gains the benefit of a worker whom they have mentored.

More than 120 Gannon students participated in internship and co-op placements at 46 locations throughout the 2005-06 academic year, and 85 percent of those placements were paid positions. Approximately 40 of the 46 placement sites required students to maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of

3.0 or higher, recruiting students of high academic quality across many disciplines. Fifty-five percent of Gannon interns last year were studying within business and humanities, with the remaining 45 percent coming from the College of Science, Engineering, and Health Sciences.

The major placement sites for Gannon students were GE Transportation, Hamot Medical Center, and Saint Vincent Health Systems, and these three locations recruited students to participate in engineering, management information science, computer science, software engineering, accounting, communications, marketing, risk management, and human resource projects. Other organizations employing Gannon students as interns include accounting firms such as Schaffner, Knight, Minnaugh, & Co.; DeMarco & Wachter; and McGill, Power, and Bell; government offices such as the Office of the Attorney General and the Office of Congressman Phil English; and community-oriented organizations such as the HispanicAmerican Council and Family First Sports Park.

The Center for Experiential Education secured these placements throughout the year by establishing and maintaining relationships with intern-seeking establishments throughout the county, state, and nation. The Center also provides students with resources to help them write great resumes and cover letters and establish the professional attitude and appearance they will need while interviewing and working at these companies and organizations.

The process that students go through in order to secure internships gives them a test run of what applying for employment after graduation will be like. The students who take advantage of internship opportunities while still enrolled in school are empowered to take their career into their own hands at an early stage.

Seniors Erin Brown (left) and Scott Leute (right) work on the inside of a newly constructed locomotive at GE Transportation.

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Ralph Pontillo ’85 speaks to students as an Executive on Campus. The Executive on Campus program invites prominent alumni to return to Gannon for a day, offering students the opportunity to network with and learn from them.

S u p p o r t f o r N o n t ra d i t i o n a l S t u d e n t s

In addition to her family and school, Stephanie worked at a female juvenile placement facility where she encouraged and helped young girls with troubled One 2005-06 REAP graduate has a story that truly stands out as an backgrounds. They example of becoming empowered through education. watched Stephanie study and saw her Stephanie Beaman ’06, had been working as a full-time receptionist nervousness before for 13 years when she decided to enroll at Gannon University as a exams, and because of returning adult student. She chose Gannon because the University her determination for had an aura of nostalgia for her. Her sister had graduated from Stephanie Beaman (left) walks through AJ’s Way her own education, Gannon and her mother had previously taken classes at Gannon. with her advisor and mentor Karen Weston ’82M, they learned what it Stephanie also remembered when the Palumbo Academic Center ’02M, (right) Director of Criminal Justice, who is meant to be a college an avid supporter of returning adult students and was Carlisle’s Department Store, and she had always been impressed student. When a donor to both the William Weston Scholarship by the way the University had transformed parts of downtown. As Stephanie graduated, and Charolette Newcombe Scholarship. a citizen of Erie, she had watched the University grow in size and many of the girls prominence over the past few decades. she worked with had tears in their eyes, knowing that they, too, Once enrolled, Stephanie quickly became active in REAP because it someday could graduate from college. helped her to be excited about being an adult student, celebrating Returning to education later in life takes more than determination her determination and love for challenge. REAP represented for most adults; it also requires funding. Gannon strives to keep comfort and camaraderie for Stephanie, as she was able to connect the cost of education as low as possible for a private university with other adult students experiencing the feelings of returning to and provides students with opportunities for financial aid and higher education later in life, which often meant a very scholarships. Stephanie was awarded both the William Weston busy schedule.

Scholarship through the criminal justice program and a Charlotte Newcombe Scholarship, both of which are designed to assist Stephanie currently has three children, ages 16, 11, and 6, all of whom kept her a busy mother while she was in school. In the midst returning adult students, particularly women. of finishing her senior year, Stephanie was also making sure that Stephanie continues her education at Gannon this year as a her son Nathan (16) made it to his football practices, coaching her graduate student in the Community Counseling program. daughter Abby’s (11) basketball team, and helping her son Zachary (6) through the early stages of his education.

Gannon’s Returning to Education Adult Program (REAP) offers support for students who attend college later in life — oftentimes after beginning careers and families — empowering them to change their lives and live out their dreams. Many of the REAP participants are determined women who are in the midst of raising a family while also working full- and part-time jobs.

Stanley J. Zagorski, Professor Emeritus, and James J. Duratz, Chairman of the Barco-Duratz Foundation, were presented the Archbishop Gannon Medal of Distinction at the18th Annual Scholarship Celebration. The medal is given annually to individuals who have been instrumental in promoting the cause of Catholic higher education.

More than 43 percent of the 2005-06 incoming freshman class were first-generation college students. Financial aid that the University awarded reached approximately $17.2 million for undergraduate students

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Students finish their snacks before boarding Gannon’s newly purchased SGA Bus at Tinseltown to ride back to campus.

Believe in

STUDENT-CENTERED EXPERIENCE. The students’ voice shapes the culture of Gannon’s campus every year, as student leaders learn to promote the goals of the constituency they represent.

This past year, the Student Government Association (SGA) led an effort to lease a bus that could transport students safely and conveniently around the Erie area. After the proper research and dedication of SGA members, the University and SGA collectively approved a five-year lease for the bus, which began regular operation on December 2, 2005. At the end of the lease, SGA will have paid more than $60,000 to keep the bus operational, making the project the largest purchase in the history of Gannon’s student government. The bus route includes two stops on campus and scheduled drop-off and pick-up times at the Millcreek Mall, Tinseltown (a movie theater), Wal-Mart, Target, and a Giant Eagle grocery store.

In addition to this landmark accomplishment, SGA continued its duties of supporting organizations across campus and serving as the voice for the student body. Other 2005-06 accomplishments include designing and producing a pilot program for a 24-hour study area at mid-semester and prior to and during finals week, hosting the Leadership Development Program for organization participants, and establishing additional funding for more clubs and organizations around campus.

The desire to develop leadership skills grows within students as the University presents them with opportunities to learn about leadership and to allow their voices to be heard.

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G l a d i at o r s o f T o d ay Men and women’s basketball take center stage as signature sports at Gannon, but the University athletic program stretches far beyond the basketball court. Sports and sport-related activities on campus create an energetic outlet for students to develop their skills outside the classroom, as the University helps the gladiators of today learn and grow.

As a member of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) with 18 NCAA Division II sports, including nine men’s and nine women’s teams, Gannon supported 345 student varsity athletes in the 2005-06 academic year, more than a third of whom were named to the Dean’s List.

The group of student athletes collectively earned a 3.11 GPA during the spring 2006 semester, and more than 60 student athletes individually earned a 4.0 GPA during 2005-06.

Additionally, Gannon’s most recent NCAA Division II graduation rate was 73 percent, 21 percent higher than the national average among all NCAA Division II athletic programs.

In the tradition of Gannon as a teaching University, the coaches who work with these athletes

The University offers more that 70 student organizations on campus along with 18 varsity sports teams and 23 intramural sports teams to encourage students to develop wholly while engaged in academic study.

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become a teacher of another form to them. Coaches offer athletes guidance not only in their sport, but in balancing different facets of life and managing their time wisely. The 23 members of the athletic staff and coaching team follow and support student athletes through wins and losses, growth and accomplishment across the fields, on the court, on the mat, in the pool, and most importantly, in the classroom.

In addition to varsity sports, Gannon offers a wide variety of intramural sports designed to meet our students’ athletic interests and provide a healthy, competitive social atmosphere. The Student Government Association also supports cheerleading, pep bands, and a variety of club sports in addition to intramurals.

On all levels, athletics plays a strong role in providing positive and fun activities for students that build a healthy competitive spirit and admiration for their school.

Senior catcher Rae Ann D’Aurora prepares to catch a ball during a softball game. The softball team finished the 2006 season with a 41-18 (wins-tolosses) record.

More than 50 percent of Gannon’s student athletes maintain a GPA of 3.0 or higher.

A Guiding Light The Advising Center support the academic component of the advising and $1.8 million Title III retention of Gannon grant awarded to the students. Additionally, University in 2004-05 the advising came alive in 2005responsibilities for 06, as Michelle Wiley, faculty were defined Gannon’s new full-time and the Advising Academic Advisor, Manual was revised became active on and published campus in working on Gannon’s web with faculty advisors site for faculty to and students. The role consult, and advising of advisors is crucial workshops were held to building a studentto encourage growth centered experience; in faculty advising. advisors assist students Eighty-eight percent in identifying their of the full-time faculty Michelle Wiley (center) advises sophomore students Melissa Herbstritt (left) and Percy Artis, strengths and needs served as student Jr. (right) in the University’s newly constructed Advising Center. so that they can work advisors in the 2005-06 towards achieving their academic goals. academic year, and 54.4 percent of full-time instructional faculty The new location of the Advising Center in the Palumbo Academic participated in on-going training sessions on Advising Policies Center combines student resources with the act of advising by and Procedures. Several faculty members also participated in a including the Writing Center and the Math Center with Academic successful pilot implementation of the College Student Inventory, a Advising all in one location. The group of offices allows students a program designed to assist with the early identification of students’ one-stop place to go for help with their academic work, promoting strengths and areas of need. scholarship and use of available resources.

At the heart of academic advising is helping students to find the In addition to combining these offices, the University made path in life that is right for them and then seeing that they receive campus-wide efforts to promote the importance of academic the education they need to meet that goal. With the retention rate advising. The Maroon and Gold Awards and the Excellence in for freshman students reaching 83.7 percent, Gannon is living the Undergraduate Advising Award were created to acknowledge truth that academic advising helps students reach their goals. faculty, staff, or administrators who went above and beyond to

Gannon University’s Career Services department continued its strong tradition of high placement rates, in the 2004-05 year placing more than 96 percent of graduates into employment or graduate/professional school. The 2005-06 reports will be compiled in February 2007.

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Believe in

VALUES-CENTERED FOCUS. A focus on values builds the sense of community across campus while students and faculty alike reach out with helping hands.

One of the most prominent ways in which the Gannon community reaches out is through the annual Christmas Dinner and Wellness Fair. For the 28th year, the Social Work Club hosted this event in the Hammermill Center and Yehl Room on the first Saturday in December to extend the Christmas spirit to those who otherwise might not have much to celebrate. All attendees were treated to a full Christmas dinner, presents, clothing, and a number of activities for young children including gifts of toys, an activities/crafts room, and a special visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus.

For the Wellness Fair part of the event, numerous local social service agencies and organizations allowed attendees to take advantage of free health-related screenings and information on housing, human services, and other related topics. Agencies such as Bayfront NATO, Inc. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Center, Booker T. Washington Center, Boys & Girls Club of Erie, Community Health Net, Erie City Mission, Erie Family Center for Child Development, Family Health Council, Gaudenzia Crossroads, GECAC Hispanic-American Council, Hospice of Metropolitan Erie, Ion Health, International Institute of Erie, John F. Kennedy Center, Mercy Center for Women, Multicultural Health Evaluation Delivery System (MHEDS), People for Life, and Hooked on Books! participated in the event.

The event was organized and overseen completely by the students in the Social Work Club and their faculty advisor, Parris Baker ’92, Assistant Professor of Social Work.

John Coleman, Gannon Security Officer, and Mary Anne Rivera, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Theologya, play the part of Mr. and Mrs. Claus during the annual Social Work Dinner.

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S e r v i c e t o t h e Larg e r C o mm u n i t y The mission of Gannon University promotes service to the community throughout one’s lifetime as students become leaders in their career, society, and church.

During the 2005-06 academic year, Gannon students volunteered nearly 46,000 hours of community service in efforts as diverse as collecting food and money for the needy, organizing a furniture drive, and helping underserved populations learn how to use the public library. These hours fell into four main categories: 13,182 in community service, 15,160 in service-learning, 16,000 in community service work-study, and 6,715 in other miscellaneous service activities.

The community service category included advocacy, alternative spring breaks, one-time service events, and tutoring through Hooked on Books!. Efforts to raise awareness of social justice issues included students raising money for the less fortunate during Hunger and Homelessness Week, and participating in marches for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Take Back the Night, and March for Life. During alternative break service trips, students built homes in hurricane-ravaged Florida for Habitat for Humanity, worked in a soup kitchen in New York City, and learned about the Lakota Sioux while spending a week at the Cheyenne reservation in White Horse, South Dakota. One-time service events included initiatives such as GIVE (Gannon’s Invitation to Volunteer Everywhere) Day, United Way Day of Caring, Golden Harvest Food Drive, Gannon’s Social Work Club Christmas Dinner, and a 30Hour Fast.

Service-learning hours were dedicated through class work that required students to involve themselves in the community. Students in an advanced accounting class prepared income tax returns through a program at Erie’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Center. Nursing students provided free health screenings to residents of the John E. Horan Garden Apartments. In addition, a Gannon biology major trapped and identified (for research on habitat and endangered species status) shrews living in the Erie Bluffs State Park in Girard, Pennsylvania.

Bundled-up students sit in a box in AJ’s Way during Hunger and Homelessness Week as part of Box City, an event designed to collect money for the homeless.

Students performed more than 46,000 service hours in the community both locally and nationally, continuing to transform Gannon’s mission into a reality.

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The federal government mandates that 7 percent of student earnings from the federal student employment program be directed toward community service initiatives. In 200506, Gannon placed 76 students in off-campus work-study positions at local agencies and organizations including the Erie Art Museum, Perseus House, the Erie Center on Health and Aging, Sarah Reed Retirement Center, and the Mercy Center for Women.

Gannon faculty, staff, and administrators also volunteered more than 5,100 hours during the past academic year, bringing the University’s total community service hours to more than 51,000.

A group of students represented Gannon in the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day March in January.

Students participated in events all year round that encouraged celebrating diversity and building respect for human life.

Fa i t h - B a s e d Va l u e s Although the Catholic Tradition provides a strong foundation for the University, Gannon recognizes that the community of students, staff, faculty and alumni is made up of a variety of religious backgrounds. In addition to Catholic Masses, the University hosts monthly Gathering in Praise services that encourage ecumenical worship and often include the participation of local Protestant clergy. With several denominations having churches very close to Gannon’s campus, students have a wide variety of places of worship from which to choose.

welcomes participants from all denominations, as does Truth-Seekers, a nondenominational faith-based group with an evangelical purpose.

The Zone, a group founded in 2004-05, was specifically designed to offer student-athletes an outlet for ecumenical worship but is open to all who wish to attend. In 2005-06, two new faith-based Bible study groups were founded: Magnificat, a women’s Catholic Bible study, and Atticus, a men’s ecumenical Bible study. New groups can be formed easily through students’ desire and motivation to learn and share their diverse perspectives on faith.

The First Presbyterian Church of the Covenant’s history in particular has been closely tied to Gannon because of the close proximity of their locations. Today, several Gannon students live in what is known as the Kirk House, a house owned by First Presbyterian but occupied by Gannon students from both Catholic and Protestant backgrounds. Approximately 12 undergraduate and graduate students live there each semester with one Gannon staff member. Residents participate in various community activities such as house retreats, community meals, and prayer, and the House provides an environment of spiritual growth and support to those who live there, as well as spiritual and social outreach to other students. The annual Kirk House cookout and weekly gathering of Ark, an ecumenical Bible study group, in the Parlor of First Presbyterian, serve to provide faith-sharing opportunities to the entire Gannon community.

Additionally, Gannon’s Campus Ministry designs services and programs meant to include all denominations, and the Department is staffed by both Protestant and Catholic Campus Ministers. The inclusiveness of multiple faiths encourages diversity and discussion across campus and maintains the University’s values-centered mission.

Six additional Bible study groups across campus provide faith-sharing opportunities for students, encouraging exploration and discovery of faith.

Adelphi, a nondenominational women’s bible study was developed by the women leaders of the Kirk House.

ICHTHI, although based in the Catholic Tradition, also Gannon students sing during a gathering of Ark, an ecumenical Bible-study group, in the Parlor at the First Presbyterian Church of the Covenant.

The Freshman Class, along with Resident Directors and many faculty and staff members, gathered at the entrance to the football field on the evening before classes started in August 2005 for the “PROMISE” photo, taken each year after participants promise to make healthy and safe choices as Gannon students.

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Believe in

THE POWER TO TRANSFORM. The University kicked off the public phase of The Power To Transform Comprehensive Campaign on May 11, 2006 with a tour of campus and a grand celebration in the Waldron Campus Center, followed by a concert in the Monsignor Addison Yehl Ballroom.

To date, the Campaign has raised $16.7 million or 56 percent of its $30 million goal, thanks to the generosity of Board of Trustees members, alumni, faculty, staff, and friends. Of the final planned Campaign Update total for the Campaign, $13 million will enhance Gannon’s endowment, $9.5 million will help renovate the Zurn Science Center, and $7.5 million will be added to the Annual Fund.

In addition to celebrating the halfway mark of the Campaign Goal on May 11, Gannon inducted 35 members into an elite group of donors, forming the Universitas Society. Made up of individuals and couples who have donated $100,000 or more to the University over the span of their lifetime, the Universitas Society honors those who have set an example of commitment and generosity.

On August 25, the University held the Tropical Transformation, a theme party in the Hammermill Center for faculty, staff and students to encourage 100 percent participation to the Campaign.

Campaign Update Trustees and their spouses celebrate in the Gitnik Manse at the Campaign Kickoff Event. From left to right: Thomas J. Loftus ’56, ’74M, Mary Ann Toohey, George J. Behringer III ’66, Chris Loftus, and James F. Toohey, Esq., ’56.

This year, President Garibaldi and members of the University’s Advancement staff will travel across the country to visit alumni and friends in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Arizona, Florida, Tennessee, Washington, D.C., California, Ohio, Colorado, New York, Massachusetts, Illinois, Connecticut, Missouri, Georgia, and Texas to encourage your support in The Power To Transform Comprehensive Campaign.

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A C y c l e o f Tra n s f o rmat i o n Rich Hudic ’91 works daily to transform Pennsylvania as the President and CEO of Team Pennsylvania Foundation, a statewide public/private not-for-profit partnership with a focus on economic development and overall quality of life in Pennsylvania.

The act of transformation for him ties in very closely with his experiences as a member of the Gannon community.

the late Mr. R. Benjamin Wiley ’67, ’77M shortly after graduation; Wiley reached out to Hudic and supported him at the beginning of his career.

When Hudic reflects back on his time at Gannon, he sees a time when he learned responsibility and began making his career connections. Hudic sat on the original design committee for the Waldron Campus Center as an SGA representative his freshman year, and throughout his time as a student, he recognized the many opportunities that Gannon offered him to develop his leadership and voice. He first met Tom Ridge, former Governor of Pennsylvania and Secretary of Homeland Security, at Gannon when Hudic served as a Student Ambassador at the 1987 Distinguished Pennsylvanian Awards that the University hosted. He also met

Today, Hudic continues his involvement with Gannon as a member of the National Alumni Board and the Regional Campaign Chair for Harrisburg, joining many other successful alumni who are leading the Campaign efforts through regional contacts across the nation.

GAnnon AluMni MAp 107

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Washington

25

Montana

42

Oregon

1

North Dakota

16

15

Nebraska

545

19

Hawaii

30 Alaska

30

Vermont

1,849

98

Wisconsin

New York

290

Michigan

17,332

Pennsylvania

37

Iowa

201

19 New Hampshire 58 Massachusetts 202 Rhode Island 27 Connecticut 151 New Jersey 401

1,815

Indiana Ohio

D.C. 36 Delaware 74 Maryland 608 Utah 200 Virginia 53 102 Colorado 77 Kansas = Recent and Upcoming Regional Campaign Kentucky Missouri Events for Fall 2006 and Winter 2007: 609 North Carolina • Harrisburg, PA, September 20, 2006 180 • Pittsburgh, PA, October 16, 2006 Tennessee 28 15 235 243 • Raleigh, NC, November 14, 2006 Oklahoma 41 Arkansas South Carolina Arizona • Erie, PA, December 6, 2006 New Mexico 82 • Scottsdale, AZ, January 7, 2007 320 Alabama 21 • Naples and Tampa, FL, February 5-6, 2007 Georgia Mississippi 440 Future Events: Texas • Tennessee, March, 2007 • Washington, D.C., Early April, 2007 40 1,058 Louisiana • California, Late April, 2007 Florida • Cleveland and Columbus, OH, May, 2007 • Denver, CO, June, 2007 Puerto Rico ....................5 • Buffalo and Rochester, NY, August, 2007 Virgin Islands .................3 • Boston, MA, September, 2007 Armed Services ..........36 • Philadelphia, PA, September, 2007 • Connecticut, September, 2007 Foreign Countries....267 in 51 Countries • Chicago, IL, October, 2007 • St. Louis, MO, October, 2007 Total Alumni represented on map: 29,460 • Atlanta, GA, November, 2007 Currently, Gannon is in contact with more than 31,000 alumni/ae.

• Texas, November, 2007

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California

77

Minnesota

South Dakota

Wyoming Nevada

Maine

4

28

Idaho

78

Rich Hudic ’91 served as the Regional Campaign Chair for Harrisburg, helping to plan an event at the Capital Rotunda on September 20, 2006.

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Illinois

90

West Virginia

767

Tra n s f o rm i N G THE F A C E OF PITTS B U R G H Pittsburgh, one of Pennsylvania’s most loved historic cities, is home to approximately 4,000 Gannon alumni, many of whom lead efforts to transform the city in which they live. Two in particular, Don Carlson ’73 and Rona Nesbit ’81, also work to transform Gannon as Regional Chairs for The Power To Transform Comprehensive Campaign.

for organizations and also serving on their boards. Additionally, she has experience in public accounting and in the private sector, as she was involved in the private enterprise of a family business for a time.

Now more than ever she appreciates the liberal studies background that she received at Gannon, as it helps her every day at the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust.

Carlson’s transformational efforts for Pittsburgh come through real estate and economic development. He became involved in the real estate business in the late 1970s when he was hired as Executive Director of the South Side Local Development Corporation (SSLDC). His time spent with SSLDC was one of the most rewarding periods of his professional life because he was involved in changing the whole complexion of the South Side. One accomplishment in which he takes pride is nominating and establishing East Carson Street as a National Register Historic District. In 1985, the area was also selected as one of seven urban demonstration projects by the National Main Street Center. Today, Carlson continues his career in real estate as the President of Carlson & McGinley Real Estate, and credits much of his career success to the personalized Gannon education that he experienced.

Both Carlson and Nesbit are transforming the face of Pittsburgh through economic development. Their transformational leadership is also benefiting the University, as Carlson and Nesbit lead Gannon’s transformation in their area. They’re engaged with The Power To Transform Comprehensive Campaign because they believe in the value of the education they received and are impressed with how Gannon has evolved into a nationally ranked, top-tier University.

Don Carlson ’73 and Rona Nesbit ’81 (left), two of Pittsburgh’s most influential citizens in regards to economic and cultural development, chaired the Regional Campaign Event in Pittsburgh on October 16, 2006.

Across the river, Nesbit has been helping to transform the downtown area of Pittsburgh, once a red-light district, into a center for the arts. Nesbit serves as the Senior Vice President of Finance and Administration for the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, an organization that develops Pittsburgh’s downtown arts and entertainment district, and in doing so, serves as a catalyst for economic development and cultural and civic pride. The 14-block area that is now Pittsburgh’s cultural district hosts more than 2,000 performances per year, attracting more than 1.3 million people.

Nesbit, a Certified Public Accountant by profession, has dedicated herself to the nonprofit world throughout her career by working

Members of the Universitas Society are presented with a plaque adorned by a shield that illustrates seven key disciplines in the Liberal Studies Core: Ethics, Theology, Philosophy, Literature, Justice, Poetry, and Languages.

Trustee Barry T. Drew, Esq., ’76 celebrated with other Gannon alumni and friends at the recent Regional Campaign Event in Harrisburg.

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FIN A N C I A LS Gannon completed the fiscal year with a strong financial performance and a balanced budget. Overall, revenues were positive with tuition and fees increasing by approximately $3 million and auxiliary enterprises increasing by an additional $600,000. Other revenue increased from last year, with the majority of this climb due to higher returns on the Endowment and higher interest rates on cash reserves. As of June 30, 2006, the Endowment totaled $29.1 million and the investment return on the Endowment was 10.7 percent for the fiscal year.

the University’s classrooms are equipped with digital daises and ceiling-mounted projectors to accommodate a variety of technologies, and the University is expanding the wireless network into all administrative buildings, classrooms, residence halls, and University-owned apartments. Seven computer work stations and four wireless laptops were added to the Nash Library’s Cyber Café. A professional Help Desk Supervisor and full-time Technician were hired to implement advanced software and to revise operating procedures.

Federal and state grants increased $300,000. Gannon’s Annual Fund reached almost $1 million, and $1.7 million in new endowment gifts were received.

Quality of life remains a priority at Gannon, and an integral part of that priority consists of enhancing programs, services, and facilities with our students’ needs and best interests in mind. Numerous campus improvements were made, such as the enhancement of food service options for our students including: an expanded Knight’s Cove in the Waldron Campus Center, the addition of a food court in the Palumbo Academic Center, and a food cart in the Zurn Science Center. Renovations and upgrades were also made to Finegan Hall, Lubiak, and University Apartments. A fire sprinkler system was installed in the Alpha Gamma Delta Sorority House. Police and safety services have been enhanced through the hiring of an additional female police officer, and the installation of two additional emergency call boxes, increasing the total to 12 across campus.

Expenses decreased by approximately $200,000, with increases in compensation ($2.2 million) and operating expenses ($1 million) offset by a $3.4 million decrease in depreciation. Over the last six years, the University has had an extraordinary depreciation expense on donated software that was gifted to the University in November 2000. The software is sophisticated engineering design software that is being used for teaching and research programs.

The value of the software was estimated at $29 million. In Fiscal Year 2005, the depreciation on the software was $5.8 million and in Fiscal Year 2006, which is the final year of depreciation, the total amount was $2.5 million.

Gannon continues to enhance the full range of technological capabilities to ensure that the learning process is more engaging, stimulating, and comprehensive. More than 60 percent of

The University will continue to exercise prudent fiscal management and allocate financial resources to ensure that students receive the best possible experience at Gannon both inside and outside of the classroom.

2005-2006 Revenue

2005-2006 Expenses

2005-2006 Expenses by Function

64% Compensation

64% Tuition and Fees, Net of Scholarships 8% Federal, State and Private Grants 6% Contributions 13% Auxiliary Enterprises 9% Other

Revenue Tuition and Fees, Net of Scholarships Federal, State and Private Grants Contributions Auxiliary Enterprises Other Total

2004-2005 2005-2006

$33.4

$36.4

4.0

4.3

1.7 6.7 3.8 $49.6

3.3 7.3 5.3 $56.6

Expenses Compensation Operating Expenses Interest Depreciation Auxiliary Enterprises Total

22% Operating Expenses 1% Interest 10% Depreciation 3% Auxiliary Enterprises

2004-2005 2005-2006

$32.3 10.7 0.8 8.9 1.4 $54.1

$34.5 11.7 0.7 5.5 1.5 $53.9

Expenses by Function 2004-2005 2005-2006 Instruction and Research $27.9 $26.7 Public Service 0.9 1.1 Student Services 8.0 8.4 Institutional Support 12.5 12.6 Auxiliary Enterprises 4.8 5.1 Total $54.1 $ 53.9

(All figures in millions of dollars)

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50% Instruction and Research 2% Public Service 16% Student Services 23% Institutional Support 9% Auxiliary Enterprises

Use of Funds 2004-2005 2005-2006 Student Scholarships $15.6 $17.5 Capital Spending 1.5 0.9 Debt Retirement 0.9 0.2 Endowment Additions 0.4 1.7 Total $18.4 $20.3

Value of Endowment $25.2 $29.1

G a n n o n U n i v e r s i t y B oar d o f t r u s t e e s 2 0 0 5 - 2 0 0 6 Most Rev. Donald W. Trautman, S.T.D., S.S.L. ♦ Chairperson Bishop of Erie

Joseph T. Messina, Esquire ’63 Vice Chairperson

Partner Elderkin, Martin, Kelly and Messina

Mr. Thomas L. Doolin ’61 Secretary Wagner & Doolin Acquisition Group

Antoine M. Garibaldi, Ph.D. ♦ President Gannon University

Mr. Mahesh Aggarwal, Ph.D. ♦ President Gannon University Faculty Senate

Mr. William I. Alford II ’65 Executive Director Head Start Akron, Ohio

Mr. Daniel C. Carneval, D.O. ’51

Orthopedic Surgeon/Team Physician Gannon University

Honorable Stephanie Domitrovich

Judge Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania

Ms. Tina M. Donikowski ’85 General Manager GE Transportation Systems

Barry T. Drew, Esquire ’76

Deputy Secretary for Administration Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania

Mr. James J. Duratz

Director Barco-Duratz Foundation Meadville, Pennsylvania

Mr. Russell J. Forquer ’71 ♦

Mr. James A. Baldauf ’62 Retired Business Executive

President Gannon University National Alumni Association

Mr. L. Scott Barnard ’65

Mr. James E. Gehrlein ’72

Managing Senior Partner Programmix, LLC Norwalk, Connecticut

Mr. George J. Behringer III ’66

Area President National City Bank of PA

Mr. Thomas C. Guelcher ’62, MBA ’76

Managing Partner Pricewaterhouse Coopers LLP Omaha, Nebraska

Treasurer Sisters of Mercy

Mr. Arnold E. Bergquist, CPA ’58

Retired Business Executive Barrington Hills, Illinois

Partner Malin, Bergquist and Company

Rev. Msgr. Robert L. Brugger Pastor St. Jude the Apostle Church

Mr. Brian J. Jackman ’63

Rev. Msgr. Andrew H. Karg Pastor St. Michael Church Greenville, Pennsylvania

Mr. James W. Keim, Jr.

Sr. Mary Rita Kuhn, SSJ ’60 VMC, MA ’68

Very Rev. John M. Schultz ’78

Mr. Urban J. LaRiccia ’59

Rev. Msgr. Robert J. Smith, JCL

Mr. Thomas J. Loftus MBA ’74

Rev. Msgr. Lawrence Speice ’55

Mr. Mark J. Minnaugh ’81

Mr. William C. Springer ’63

Mark L. Nelson, Ph.D. ’83

Rev. Msgr. Richard J. Sullivan

Vicar for Religious Diocese of Erie

President Datascript International Rancho Santa Fe, California Retired Business Executive Cary, North Carolina

CFO and Executive Vice President Giant Eagle, Inc. Allison Park, Pennsylvania Senior Director of Chemistry Paratek Pharmaceuticals Norfolk, Massachusetts

Mr. John E. Paganie ’69

President, Pennsylvania Operations First Energy Services Corporation

Mr. Thomas F. Power, Jr. ’63

Retired President and C.E.O. Wisconsin Central Transportation Libertyville, Illinois

Mr. James J. Rutkowski, Jr. ’83

General Manager/Treasurer Industrial Sales and Manufacturing, Inc.

Mr. James A. Schaffner ’68

Managing Principal Schaffner, Knight, Minnaugh & Co., P.C.

Vicar for Education Diocese of Erie

Vicar General Diocese of Erie

Pastor St. Anthony Church

Partner Dawar Associates Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pastor St. Andrew Church

James F. Toohey, Esquire ’56

Partner Quinn, Buseck, Leemhuis, Toohey & Kroto Inc.

Sr. Anastasia Valimont, SSJ ’50 VMC Consultant Saint Mary’s Home of Erie

Mr. Semaj Vanzant

President Gannon University Student Government Association

Sr. Ricarda Vincent, SSJ ’64 VMC ♦

President Sisters of Saint Joseph of Northwestern Pennsylvania

Mrs. Helen M. Schilling, M.D., D.D.S. ’77

Physician Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Houston, Texas

♦ Ex-officio Members

Senior Vice President Advest, Inc.

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Gannon University 109 University Square Erie, PA 16541