President's Insider Spring 2015

SPRING 2015

President’s

INSIDER

FROM THE DESK OF GREGORY G. DELL’OMO, PH.D., PRESIDENT OF ROBERT MORRIS UNIVERSITY

Being a university president is one of the most difficult, challenging, demanding, complex, timeconsuming, emotionally draining, and at times, one of the most frustrating jobs one can imagine. The job calls for an unbelievable and unrealistic set of skills for an individual to possess if he or she expects to have any success… not to mention even making it through a presidential search committee. But for me, being president of RMU has been the most exciting, enriching, energizing, personally fulfilling, rewarding, meaningful, and fun job I have ever held.

On one level, it is a true honor to hold the position of university president. Universities are one of the most unique and noble institutions left in our global society. American higher education is still widely respected and emulated throughout the world. And while there are numerous challenges to our current model of higher education, the fundamental principles underlying it still apply. There’s a reason why the modern university has been around for more than 900 years. A community of people observing, questioning, thinking, learning, sharing, debating, and challenging new ideas and the world around them serves as a powerful and effective way for humans to continue to evolve intellectually, socially, and economically.

As president, I’ve had the opportunity to meet interesting people, work with talented and dedicated colleagues, promote big ideas, and affect the lives of countless students. I’ve watched as students and families live dreams that are limited only by their imaginations. College remains that one special place where dreams still matter.

I’ve always tried to see myself as holding title to a tradition as well as a job. This means that I’ve

always tried to focus my actions on the vision, core values, and strategies of RMU and not just my personal interests and passions. This has allowed me to view the benefits of leading this wonderful university as always being much greater than the costs of doing so… though some days less so than others! Over the course of the past 10 years, I have gained valuable experiences and insights through the ups and downs of the job, grown both personally and professionally, and witnessed the growth and success of the university with the guidance, help, and support of many people and partners. I leave with the satisfaction of knowing there is a strong foundation upon which RMU will continue to be successful in the years ahead.

I also leave knowing that during these past 10 years we proudly enrolled approximately 15,000 new students at RMU, and that I have signed more than 12,000 diplomas for our graduates. And I’m extremely proud of every single student who has earned a degree at this fine institution. On behalf of my wife, Polly, and our family, we want to thank the entire university community for giving us this opportunity to be part of the RMU family. We’ll cherish forever the friends we’ve made, the lives we’ve changed — including ours — and the pleasure of being part of a very special university.

We wish you all the very best and we’ll always be proud to say: GO BOBBY MO!

Sincerely,

Gregory G. Dell’Omo, Ph.D.

President’s

INSIDER OUTPERFORMING THE NATIONAL AVERAGE: RESULTS FROM THE RMU GALLUP SURVEY Graduates of Robert Morris University are more likely to be working full time, engaged in their jobs, and thriving in measures of personal well-being than the average U.S. college graduate, according to the recent Gallup survey of 1,500 RMU alumni from 1970 to the present.

Survey results validate RMU’s focus on engaged learning, professional experiences, and % ROBERT MORRIS supportive personal relationships with faculty mentors. Combined with RMU’s emphasis on making college affordable, they demonstrate that RMU provides strong returns on an investment in higher education.

77

WORKPLACE ENGAGEMENT Gallup has found that college graduates are more likely to be engaged in their jobs than those without a college degree. And graduates of Robert Morris University are more likely to be engaged at work than the average college graduate.

44 %

38 % U.S. COLLEGE GRADS

ROBERT MORRIS

30 % ALL WORKERS

“Engaged” at work All workers: 30% U.S. college graduates: 38% RMU graduates: 44%

Gallup considers people engaged at work if they answer yes to questions about whether they feel supported in their jobs, have opportunities for growth and advancement, consider their work important, and get to do what they are best at.

FULL TIME EMPLOYMENT One of the most positive findings from the RMU Gallup Survey is that Robert Morris graduates are significantly more likely to be working full time for an employer than the average college graduate.

Working full time for an employer RMU graduates: 77% U.S. college graduates: 63%

63 %

There is no employment gender gap for Robert Morris alumni.

Men and women with RMU degrees are equally likely to be working full time, unlike the U.S. average.

NATIONALLY

Working full time for an employer RMU graduates Women: 77% Men: 77% U.S. college graduates Women: 56% Men: 71% WELL-BEING More than 9 in 10 RMU alumni say they are satisfied with their personal lives. And Robert Morris graduates are more likely than typical college graduates to be rated by Gallup as “thriving” in four % aspects of their personal ROBERT MORRIS GRADUATES life – socially, financially, in their communities, and in regard to their health.

91

“I’m satisfied with my personal life.”

RMU graduates: 91% U.S. college graduates: 86%

86 % U.S. COLLEGE GRADUATES

SPRING 2015

THE BIG 6 COLLEGE EXPERIENCES Gallup’s national research shows that people who have experienced the “Big Six” in college are more likely to be engaged at work – intellectually and emotionally connected and productive.

• My professors cared about me as a person.

• A professor made me excited about learning.

• I had a mentor who encouraged me to pursue my goals and dreams.

“Yes” to all three = 2.9x higher odds of work engagement • I worked on a project that took a semester or more to complete.

• I had an internship or job to apply what I learned in class.

• I was extremely active in extracurricular activities.

“Yes” to all three = 2.3x higher odds of work engagement With RMU’s strong focus on engaged learning, personal attention, and mentoring, graduates are more likely than ever to experience each of Gallup’s Big Six.

56 %

A professor made me excited about learning.

Classes of 2009-2014: 72% Classes of 1970-2001: 56%

CLASSES OF 1970-2001

21 % CLASSES OF 1970-2001

I was extremely active in extracurricular activities.

Classes of 2009-2014: 35% Classes of 1970-2001: 21%

COLLEGE AFFORDABILITY The worry caused by a heavy load of student debt can make it very difficult for graduates to enjoy their lives to the fullest extent.

Gallup found that alumni with no student debt are 10 times more likely to be thriving in all five areas of well-being (social, purpose, community, financial, physical) than students with more than $50,000 in debt.

Thriving in all five No debt: 19% Under $25,000: 13% $25,000-$50,000: 9% Over $50,000: 2% Helping to ensure that more graduates can thrive after graduation is why Robert Morris University has created the College Affordability Academy.

On the next page, Wendy Beckemeyer, vice president for enrollment management, explains the genesis of this new initiative.

A PROFESSOR MADE ME EXCITED ABOUT LEARNING.

I WAS EXTREMELY ACTIVE IN EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES.

72 % CLASSES OF 2009-2014

35 % CLASSES OF 2009-2014

SPRING 2015

President’s

INSIDER

INSIDE THE NEW COLLEGE AFFORDABILITY ACADEMY Wendy Beckemeyer, Vice President for Enrollment Management In the spring of 2014, when the administration was finalizing its next strategic plan, a central component included RMU’s value proposition.

As the chief promoters of RMU to prospective families, the enrollment team is on the beneficiary end of the value proposition. Great jobs and great lives, as noted by Gallup, is the outcome RMU students proudly accomplish each and every year.

The enrollment team tells and retells the journey of how students achieve such terrific outcomes to prospective families.

We were inspired by President Dell’Omo to stretch as we developed our divisional plans. This charge encouraged the enrollment team to develop the College Affordability Academy, a training opportunity for staff and faculty across the university on topics such as how families are challenged to finance higher education, how RMU’s investment in students is noted in the public, and how the benefits of an early connection with the career center can lead to lifetime employability.

After sharing this idea with industry leaders and receiving their feedback, we created eight training modules. Fifty colleagues from admissions, financial aid, student financial services, women’s leadership, online student services, the career center, academic services and many other departments met for 90 minutes every two weeks to discuss financial literacy and career planning in a higher education context. We discussed current articles, had lively discussions, and shared concerns about how

families are not armed with sufficient information to make informed decisions about net price, debt, and expected income after graduation.

Our goal of the program is to inform members of the university community who interact regularly with current and potential students and families, so we can all be a force for good decision-making.

Participants grouped into six cross-functional teams, and each developed a “deliverable” capstone project. We invited a panel of experts to hear the capstone presentations, including an RMU trustee, colleagues from Henderson Brothers, PNC, Noel-Levitz, and the College Board, as well as our associate dean of the School of Business, who had been instrumental in leading us to information used in the academy regarding 529 plans, IRA withdrawals, and 401(k) borrowing. The feedback from the panel was insightful and very helpful.

The capstones produced by the teams were impressive and we plan to act on all six. We already have a video from one of the capstones available for viewing. RMU’s College Affordability Academy was highlighted in the Chronicle of Higher Education.

We are partnering with the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency regarding college affordability and have been asked to speak at a PHEAA state meeting and to submit a proposal for the College Board Forum. We are also working to broaden our connections with PNC Bank and Pittsburgh Promise. We see a great future with this new initiative!

OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT 6001 UNIVERSITY BOULEVARD, MOON TOWNSHIP, PA 15108-1189 RMU.EDU/CHANGE A LIFE