purpose
and
promise
The President ’s Annual Report 2015
Dear Alumnae/i and Friends: As I review the significant events of the past year, it is clear and affirming to realize that our strategies continue to reflect a deep appreciation for our heritage and core values. In fact, the alignment of founding assumptions and new directions is quite powerful; and so, it seemed appropriate to organize this annual report around the theme of purpose, promise – and outcomes. When the Higher Learning Commission invited Dominican to be one of 60 institutions piloting a new model for accreditation, we took advantage of that opportunity to showcase the long history and increasing diversity of our international efforts. Our foray into the health sciences is another example of a mission-driven response to a current community need. And, the student response has been outstanding. I am especially proud of the thoughtful work that staff and faculty have done on the design of the new Student Commons. Not only is the construction student-centered, but the programmatic vision for the space integrates vocation, engagement, leadership and community. I often challenge colleagues with the question, “What defines a distinctively Dominican educational experience?” This building answers that question. Our upcoming celebration of the Dominican Jubilee also gives context to that question and focuses discussion on our responsibility for advancing mission. Let me acknowledge the leadership of the mission and ministry staff this past year in framing this celebration – So Proudly Dominican: 800 Years and Counting on You. After all, we are all stakeholders in the continuing promise of a Dominican education. This annual report highlights that point and the important contributions that alumnae/i and friends make to the health and direction of our university. We could not have accomplished all that we achieved this past year without your participation and enthusiasm. Thank you. In summary, sustaining purpose, in combination with a clear vision, leads to strong outcomes. That’s Dominican. Sincerely,
Donna M. Carroll President
p
purpose
and
promise
Grounded in mission p o s i t i o n e d f o r s t r at e g i c G r o w t h
Our Mission As a Sinsinawa Dominican-sponsored institution, Dominican University prepares students to pursue truth, to give compassionate service and to participate in the creation of a more just and humane world.
H L C r e a c c r e d i tat i o n : a f f i r m i n g d o m i n i c a n ’ s s ta b i l i t y a n d c a pa c i t y
This past spring, almost 100 years after the institution’s initial accreditation in 1919, Dominican University once again received the enthusiastic endorsement of the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). The reaccreditation, which assesses the university’s programs and systems against national standards, is effective for the next 10 years and assures students and donors alike that Dominican is an intellectually vibrant and well-run institution. Reaccreditation today is a comprehensive, data-driven process involving all departments of the university. Specifically, the selfand peer-assessments measured Dominican’s articulation of and adherence to mission; ethical and responsible conduct; quality of academic offerings; commitment to
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evaluation and improvement; and adequacy of resources, governance and planning. We got an A! “While assessment outcomes are reputation-enhancing to external constituents, the process also has tremendous internal value because it gives us the opportunity to identify accomplishments and ensure that future goals continue to align with mission,” said Cheryl Johnson-Odim, who led Dominican’s reaccreditation process, prior to her retirement as provost in June 2015. Because of Dominican’s maturity and strong reputation with the HLC, the university was one of only 60 regional schools invited to pilot a new self-study, quality improvement project called Open Pathways. Dominican’s project focused on expanding the global awareness of
students – a historic strength and one of the academic priorities of the current strategic plan. A universitywide initiative, known as the “Globally Positioned Student” project, examined Dominican’s curriculum to evaluate the content and teaching methods used to prepare students to become global stewards with an understanding and appreciation of different cultures, religions and ethnicities. What was particularly beneficial about the HLC accreditation process was the level and organization of institutional research required to complete the self-assessment. As a consequence, Dominican is much more disciplined and data-savvy in its approach to planning and the university now has a framework for collecting data that will build capacity for the future.
gl o b a lly p o s i t i o n e d s t u d e n t s Broadening students’ global awareness with real-world experiences has been a university priority since the early 1900s when Dominican offered one of the first study abroad programs in the country. Today, our students have the opportunity to do meaningful service in Haiti and Guatemala; study artistic masterpieces in Italy; explore European business practices; learn more about China’s burgeoning economy; and study the culture, history and politics of Cuba. Last year, students in the Graduate School of Library and Information Science attended the Guadalajara International Book Fair to discuss cultural diversity and expression in literature with international publishers and librarians. Graduate School of Social Work (GSSW) students went to Guatemala where they explored gender, race and human rights issues. GSSW also hosted faculty exchanges with universities in Ethiopia and Mexico and developed an agreement with Tangaza University in Kenya to explore mutual opportunities during the 2015-2016 academic year. This summer, the School of Education (SOE) hosted a cohort of Panamanian teachers who, through funding from the government of Panama, focused on enhancing their pedagogical skills and improving their English. The program benefited current SOE faculty as well as the Panamanian teachers.
scholarships: i n v e s t i n g i n t h e p r o m i s e of f u t u r e s t u d e n t s
Dominican University consistently ranks as a “Great School, Great Price” in U.S. World & News Report’s annual “Best Colleges” edition, and yet most Dominican University students still depend upon some form of financial aid to help cover the cost of their tuition. Fortunately, the university has many generous donors who realize that scholarships are a powerful investment in the promise of future generations. In 2014-2015, alumnae/i and friends of the university contributed more than $3 million in scholarship support. Dominican takes a comprehensive approach to financial assistance, with funding from individuals, agencies, corporations and foundations. The number and amount of scholarships increased dramatically this past year as a result of two challenge gifts of $1 million each. These challenges, which matched contributions over $25,000, inspired donors to maximize the impact of their own philanthropy 5
by establishing new, or contributing to existing, scholarships, effectively doubling the funds available for deserving students. By the end of the second challenge, 38 new scholarships had been created to benefit deserving students. “Supporting scholarships is critically important to our alumnae/i,” said Grace Cichomska, vice president for university advancement. “Scholarships express our donors’ gratitude for the quality of their education and for the financial assistance they received as students. Each scholarship endowment is a lasting legacy with its own distinct story.” Scholarships also are supported by contributions from many corporations and foundations. For instance, since 2012, MB Financial Bank has sponsored an innovative fellows program designed to cultivate a diverse workforce in the communities served by the financial institution. The Arthur J. Schmitt Foundation,
a donor to Dominican since the 1960s, created the Schmitt Scholars program in 2010 to develop students’ leadership skills and to encourage community service. The alignment of scholarships with internships and mentors, and, in some cases first jobs, is a powerful experience for students. In addition, many donors choose to support scholarships through the Annual Trustee Benefit Concert and Gala, an annual highlight since 1981. Last year’s concert raised a record $513,000, bolstered by more than $300,000 in corporate sponsorships. For over 35 years, the benefit concert has raised almost $15 million in scholarship funding. Altogether, scholarships have helped make the promise of a Dominican education a reality for generations of students. It is no surprise, therefore, that so many alumnae/i choose to give back to Dominican by endowing a scholarship. It is the gift that keeps on giving.
schmitt scholars program The Arthur J. Schmitt Foundation has contributed significantly to Dominican’s scholarship program for more than 50 years. Schmitt Scholars have opportunities for mentorships with Dominican faculty and staff and are responsible for designing and implementing a service project relevant to their personal interests. As part of his Schmitt scholarship last year, Quinn Porter, Class of 2018, developed “Hit, Run or Stand,” a campus workshop focusing on conflict resolution. The workshop helped students determine their typical reactions to conflict and offered strategies for helping them stand up for their beliefs without being confrontational. “The Schmitt scholarship has taken my Dominican experience to the next level,” said Porter, a student-athlete, resident advisor and a volunteer with the Dominican Buddies. “In addition to providing much-needed financial assistance, it gave me the opportunity to work with a faculty mentor to develop a program that was personally rewarding and, I hope, will make a lasting difference on campus.”
h e a lt h s c i e n c e s : b u i l d i n g on a s o l i d f o u n d at i o n i n s c i e n c e e d u c at i o n
Quality science education has been at the core of the Dominican curriculum throughout its history. The opening of the John C. and Carolyn J. Parmer Hall in 2007 made possible dramatic expansion in university science offerings supported by enhanced classrooms, model research spaces, state-of-theart laboratories and comfortable gathering spaces for faculty and student exchanges. In the past 10 years, the university has experienced a 147 percent increase in science majors and Dominican is poised for further expansion. The 2014-2015 academic year was a critical planning year for the sciences at Dominican – with a focus on health care. Building upon the successful launch of the new Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program (BSN) in the fall of 2014, the university directed its energy
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to the design of a new Master of Medical Sciences (MMS) degree with a concentration in physician assistant studies, with a first class expected to matriculate in May 2017. Advances in the health sciences at Dominican build upon wellestablished undergraduate programs in nutrition and dietetics, premedical studies, neuroscience and biology. It is not surprising, therefore, but still gratifying, to recognize that the BSN program has a waiting list in only its second year of operation. Dominican University could not have accomplished all that it has achieved in the health sciences without significant donor support. In the last 18 months, the university has received commitments of almost $3 million to support start-up costs, renovate facilities and provide scholarship support for students.
The state-of-the-art simulation laboratory on the fourth floor of Parmer Hall is one example of the transforming impact of philanthropy. In 2014-2015, 25 nursing students received scholarship funding from two, multiyear, $1 million grants. This philanthropy contributed significantly to the initial success of the program. The incredible success of undergraduate nursing, academically and financially, and the transparent demand for physician assistant studies affirm Dominican’s emerging vision for the health sciences. The fact that this vision aligns with and reinforces the founding vision of the institution makes university and donor investments all the more significant and powerful.
neuroscience research Robert Calin-Jageman PhD, associate professor of psychology, and Irina Calin-Jageman PhD, associate professor of biology, have received a coveted three-year grant from the prestigious National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH) to support their ongoing research on the mechanisms of memory and the process of forgetting. The $435,000 grant award is especially significant, as this year less than 10 percent of the more than 300 grant applications were selected for funding. The Calin-Jagemans received the maximum award amount, which includes funding for four undergraduate research positions. Since 2009 when the Calin-Jagemans received their first NIH grant, their team of student researchers have had the opportunity to contribute to scholarly articles and present at academic conferences. Using California sea slugs to study the mechanisms of memory, they have been tracking the distinct genes that are activated when memories first form. The research funded through the new grant will build on those findings, and will focus on the process of forgetting to help determine if memories are actively or passively forgotten. The results of the research could eventually contribute to important advances in the treatment of memory loss.
student commons: m a k i n g d o m i n i c a n a s m u c h l i k e h o m e as p o s s i b l e
While the Dominican campus footprint has grown significantly in the last decade with the addition of a new residence hall and an academic building, centralized gathering space and space for integrated student services have been lacking. The growth in the number of commuting students makes this need all the more urgent if Dominican is to continue to meet the promise of a relationship-centered educational experience. For that reason, in 2016, the university hopes to break ground on a new Student Commons building designed to embody founder Father Samuel Mazzuchelli’s entreaty to “make school as much like home as possible.” Planning for this facility was a key priority for 2014-2015.
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The commons will adjoin a renovated Mazzuchelli Hall, “at the heart of campus,” and provide essential community and dining spaces, in addition to offices for many of the university’s cocurricular programs. With a focus on academic enrichment, student involvement and ministry, the facility will serve as a modern-day expression of the four pillars of a Dominican education – study, prayer, community and service. This integrated co-curricular center will create – for the first time ever – a collaborative learning commons, easily accessible to all students, and dedicated to ensuring that each student has the opportunity for a robust, distinctively Dominican experience, with access to career development, internships,
tutoring and support services, clubs and organizations, study abroad, and service and leadership opportunities. The Student Commons does for the co-curriculum what the liberal arts seminars have accomplished within the curriculum; that is, to make learning intentional, individually tailored, but in the company of others. It is intended to be a place of “homecoming,” of support and challenge, of caritas and veritas. This $16.5 million facility is designed by Holabird & Root, with Pepper Construction as the general contractor. Fundraising is underway, with the dedication anticipated for September 2017.
st u d e n t l e a d e r s h i p & m i n i st ry Dominican’s Student Leadership and Ministry (SLAM) program has grown significantly since its founding in 2009. Last year, the SLAM team included a record 34 students working together with University Ministry and other partners across campus to build the university’s faith community. The program will move with University Ministry to the new Student Commons next year. SLAM is responsible for developing programs that help students deepen their understanding of the four pillars of a Dominican education – community, prayer, service and study. Last year, among many other programs, they sponsored a Hunger Banquet which examined the harsh realities of local poverty; initiated PAUSE, a Lenten week of contemplative practice; and engaged students in more than 20 outreach programs including fellowship breakfasts and the delivery of care packages to students experiencing periods of particular stress. Many students have credited their involvement in SLAM with helping them discover their life’s calling. Jamie Visser ’14 spent four years as a SLAM team member and is now the campus minister at Rosary High School in Aurora. “SLAM is not only responsible for equipping me with skills for my current career, but for helping me to fully realize my calling as a minister. The leadership training, spiritual guidance and mentorship I received through University Ministry continues to shape my understanding of God, community, the church and the world,” said Visser.
repositioning the priory campus: g at e w ay f or c o m m u n i t y- e n g a g e d g r a d u at e e d u c at i o n For more than a decade, the Priory Campus quietly has marked the eastern boundary of Dominican University. Housing a variety of academic programs, a residence hall and extracurricular activities, it has provided space for expansion, but has not had a clearly defined or compelling identity. This year, after an extensive re-visioning process, led by a campus-wide task force, the Priory Campus is poised to assume a vital new role in the future of communityengaged graduate education. Plans include housing a new, interdisciplinary college focused on applied sciences (e.g. social work and education) with support from a reconfigured School for Professional and Continuing Studies. This consolidation will foster collaborative learning, teaching and research while offering significant opportunities to focus on a full range of community-
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based models for service. By relocating the School of Education to the Priory Campus, the university also creates space for growth in undergraduate education and the health sciences at the main campus. As part of the Priory Campus redesign, classrooms and student spaces will be renovated and technologically equipped to facilitate high-quality professional practice leading to strong career outcomes. In addition, graduate support services – from admissions to assessment – will be relocated to the Priory Campus to support recruitment, retention and career placement efforts across all of Dominican’s graduate schools. The renovated Priory Campus will include a bistro, with an international theme, which will sustain the global focus of the Graduate School of Social Work while supporting students enrolled in the ELS (English
Language School) Language Centers, Dominican’s academic partner for nearly two decades. There also will be a new Center for Community Engagement located at the Priory Campus, responsible for coordinating and extending Dominican’s local and global outreach efforts at the undergraduate and graduate levels. In the same vein, the campus will remain home to the St. Catherine of Siena Center, established more than a decade ago to examine critical issues of church and society in the context of faith and scholarship. With a renewed purpose and repositioning, the “new” Priory Campus is expected to serve as an integral part of a growing, more strategically integrated Dominican University. This $6 million project will be addressed in phases with the first phase expected to be completed in 2015–16.
W e s t s i d e c o ll a b o r at i o n Dominican has a long history of engagement with Chicago’s economically challenged west side. Over the past decade, in particular, faculty, staff and students have spent significant time and energy in civic engagement and service-learning activities with residents and social service agencies in this neighborhood, as well as other nearby communities. Recently, Dominican convened an interdisciplinary team to develop a strategic plan for integrating and strengthening these efforts. This year-long planning effort, which was supported by a grant from Illinois Campus Compact, involved a series of targeted focus group meetings with internal and external constituents and represented the first step in what will be a new Center for Community Engagement (CCE) at the Priory Campus. “The CCE will be designed to better meet the short-term needs and long-terms goals of community partners in a coordinated, intentional way and allow the university to strategically increase its collective impact. In addition, it will help us develop students’ civic action skills and prepare them to be civically engaged citizens after graduation,” said Jack Lesniewski, assistant professor, Graduate School of Social Work.
one Process: c r e at i n g a s u p p o r t i v e e n v i r o n m e n t for a l l
Just as Dominican is committed to educating the globally sensitive student, the university also is concerned with helping faculty, staff and students respect and appreciate differences among people here at home. To that end, this past year the university launched an intensive, institution-wide effort to address issues of discrimination and genderbased misconduct on campus. This initiative would not have been possible without the appointment and active stewardship of the university’s first chief diversity officer. “Our efforts put us ahead of the curve and resulted in best practices for transparently resolving incidents of discrimination and gender-based misconduct,” said President Donna Carroll. “I am proud of the work of our community to ensure that we not
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only comply with federal law but that we respond in a way that embodies the values inherent in our mission.” In the spring of 2014, Dominican appointed a team of faculty and staff to work on an ideological framework adhering to federal Title IX guidelines and affirming the university’s Catholic values, which include a profound respect for the integrity and inherent dignity of each human person. The university’s Climate, Equity and Inclusion Committee then focused on developing a comprehensive infrastructure for handling all reported incidents of discrimination, called One Process. The adjudication policy for One Process provided a communitybased system for sensitively and confidentially investigating allegations of civil rights violations. Several
professional development workshops were designed to familiarize all campus constituents with the One Process reporting system. In addition, a series of four internal “town hall” meetings were presented to build capacity for the university’s diversity initiatives. “It was incredibly brave for the university to take on, in such an open and proactive way, such a challenging and difficult process of self-evaluation,” said Christina Perez, associate professor of sociology and chief architect of One Process. “We are committed to fostering on campus a welcoming environment where people from all backgrounds can benefit and thrive. I believe that, because of the work we did last year, we have one of the best systems of any school in the country for dealing with incidents that threaten that environment.”
A diverse campus communit y Since its inception, Dominican University has had a rich history of enrolling immigrant and first-generation college students. Over the past decade, the number of our Latino students has grown significantly and, in 2011 the university was designated a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI). The Dominican student body is currently 43 percent Latino. While Dominican has an institution-wide commitment to the success of all students, the university has made a concerted effort to improve the retention and college completion rate of our Hispanic students, which was acknowledged in a 2012 report by The Education Trust. The trust ranked Dominican sixth among the country’s private universities for closing the graduation gap between Hispanic and white students. To better serve our Hispanic students and their families, last year the university launched a Spanish-language program during Accepted Student Day and a Spanish-language parent session during student orientation. In addition, Spanish-speaking staff have been intentionally hired for key offices such as University Ministry, academic advising and admissions. University Ministry inaugurated Ministry de lo Cotidiano an internship program that places Latino students with Catholic churches and faith-based nonprofit organizations serving Chicago’s Latino population. The program helps students develop leadership skills while addressing challenges specifically facing the Latino community.
f i na n c i a l ov e rv i e w
2014 - 2015
I n s t ru ct i o n a l
Tuition and Fees
A ca d e m i c S u pp o rt
Gifts and Grants
St u d e n t S e rv i c e s
Government Grants
I n s t i t u t i o n a l S u pp o rt
Endowment Income
St u d e n t A i d
Income from Other Investments
Au x i l i a ry E n t e r p r i s e s
Other Sources Auxiliary Enterprises
Revenues
2014 - 2015
2013 - 2014
Expenses
2014 - 2015
2013 - 2014
Tuition and Fees Private Gifts, Grants and Bequests Government Grants and Contracts Endowment Income Income from Other Investments Other Sources Total Educational and General Auxiliary Enterprises
$77,047,554 7,017,329 6,176,664 850,000 126,467 1,024,080 $92,242,094 6,377,766
$71,839,432 9,277,148 6,801,954 740,000 194,132 924,062 $89,776,728 6,420,922
Total Revenues
$98,619,860
$96,197,650
Instructional Academic Support Student Services Institutional Support Student Aid Total Educational and General Auxiliary Enterprises Total Revenues Total Expenses Net Operating Surplus
$30,857,362 9,163,667 7,566,465 9,582,748 29,894,622 $87,064,864 5,260,176 $98,619,860 $92,325,040 $6,294,820
$30,010,907 9,000,430 7,066,074 9,528,354 27,662,032 $83,267,797 5,148,634 $96,197,650 $88,416,431 $7,781,219
Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Financial Instruments
(1,359,042) (836,446)
3,142,149 (129,860)
Increase/Decrease in Net Assets
$4,099,332
$10,793,508
d ominican by the numbers Alumnae/i
Total Enrollment (Fall 2014)
3,498
Pa r e n t s
Undergraduate Enrollment
2,180
F o u n d at i o n s
Freshman Class
473
C o r p o r at i o n s
Full-time Faculty
161
G ov e r n m e n t
Tuition (Undergraduate)
$29,400
Religious
Average Scholarship/Grant Award
$20,468
Freshmen Receiving Financial Aid
100%
Fall-to-Fall Retention Rate
80.7%
Degrees Awarded (2015)
894
Friends
A s s o c i at i o n s Bequests
Summar y of Total Giving Alumnae/i Friends Parents Foundations Corporations Government Religious Associations Bequests Education Total
2014 - 2015
2013 - 2014
$1,392,731 2,038,927 33,806 1,182,750 784,643 765,916 123,775 461,464 1,529,918 0
$1,335,948 947,572 308,224 2,064,877 355,276 1,548,695 23,301 236,325 744,526 1,100
$8,313,930
$7,565,844
2014 - 2015
b oa r d o f t ru st e e s
Kevin M. Killips ’79, Chair Daniel C. Hill, Vice Chair Donna M. Carroll, Ex Officio Thomas D. Abrahamson Patricia O’Neill Baker ’78, MBA ’90 Laurie Brink, OP Mary E. Callow ’67 Gregory W. Cappelli MBA ’92 Mark Carroll Robert F. Coleman* Daniel J. Cronin Mary Ann Cronin Thomas R. Dee ’83, MBA ’93 Manuel Flores ’96 Nancy Guzman, Student Trustee Marcella Hermesdorf, OP, Faculty Trustee Judith A. Jewison, OP ’76 Anne M. Kohler ’81 Lily Elizabeth Li Patricia A. Mulcahey, OP ’63 Kevin McCoyd MD Antonio Ortiz Raymond C. Parmer J. David Pepper Nancy C. Rodriguez ’67 Gail L. Rosseau MD Mary Jo Schuler Cheryl Skender ’80 James Winikates MBA ’06 17
O f f i c e r s o f t h e Un i v e r s i t y
2014 - 2015 Tr u s t e e s E m e r i t i Lois L. Brennan ’55* Richard M. King MBA ’83 Carolyn J. Parmer ’52 M. Catherine Crowley Ryan ’61
C o r p o r at e Me m b e r s Mary Ellen Gevelinger, OP ’65 Mary Howard Johnstone, OP Pamela Mitchell, OP Kathleen Phelan, OP Mary Rathert, OP ’65, Corporate Liaison Julie Schwab, OP Kathleen Theis, OP ’65
* deceased
Donna M. Carroll President Cheryl Johnson-Odim Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Amy McCormack MBA ’95 Senior Vice President for Finance and Administration Grace Cichomska Vice President for University Advancement Jill Albin-Hill MBA ’06 Vice President for Information Technology Chief Information Officer Claire Noonan Vice President for Mission and Ministry Karl Stumo Vice President for Enrollment Management and Marketing
“It is an extraordinary time for higher education. The shifts in landscape are seismic, driven by economics, technology and changing demographics. Dominican University has been amazingly resilient amidst all this change, in part because we have a dynamic academic community, animated by the constancy of our mission.� Donna M. Carroll President Academic Convocation 2014
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Download the President’s Honor Roll of Donors Visit dom.edu/honorroll to view the list of donors who generously supported Dominican University from July 1, 2014, through June 30, 2015. You may print the document from the website or request a printed copy by contacting Laura Hool, director of stewardship and donor relations, at (708) 524-6317 or lhool@dom.edu. We are grateful for your philanthropy and are committed to being good stewards of your gifts. Thank you for your investment in the university and your belief in the power of a distinctly Dominican education.