impact Advancing
Southern New Hampshire University
In this Issue
Advancements in 2012 SNHU in the Community Building the Right Team Finding Higher Education Volume 4 | 2012-2013
Left: SGA Senator Shane Bertrand and alumnus Robert A. Freese ’89 present President Paul LeBlanc with matching checks for the Student Center renovation. Above: New entrance to the Robert A. Freese Student Center.
Letter from a...
Scholarship Recipient
From the second that I first visited SNHU, I knew this was the
President: Dr. Paul J. LeBlanc
school for me. In every corner of the campus I saw myself creating
Managing Editor: Audrey Bourque
a future. I loved everything – the people, the classrooms, the
Editor: Jerri Clayton ’10, ’12
dedicated faculty and staff. I knew SNHU was my school.
Contributors: K risti Durette Susan Kennedy ’06 Meredith LaPierre
However, without the support of financial aid and scholarships,
Graphic Design: Karen Mayeu
I would not be where I am today. As an independent student that was exactly what the generosity of donors like
Photography: J eremy Earl Mayhew Audrey Bourque Kristi Durette Tom Helm ’00
you provided for me.
Printing: Printers Square
paying for college on my own, I needed financial help, and
Proofreader: Susan Morgan
I am so fortunate to be a part of this community. SNHU has impacted my life in a variety of ways. There are so many people who contribute daily to my
Impact is published yearly by the
Office of Institutional Advancement Don Brezinski, Vice President
SNHU experience, from the professors
Changes of address may be sent to alumni@snhu.edu or to the
who push me to work harder and test my
Office of Institutional Advancement
limits to the amazing staff and students I meet through my on-campus job at the Telefund. I have learned that all of us have the potential to do something great if we just make the effort and have the support to do so. THANK YOU to those who support student scholarships. I can tell you first-hand that every dollar truly does make a difference. I am appreciative of those who help mold the future by contributing today to students’ education. Thank you for making a difference! Sincerely,
Mary Kate Mogan Class of 2015
Southern New Hampshire University 2500 North River Road Manchester, NH 03106 Visit us online at snhu.edu for more university news and information about upcoming events. Alumni, tell us your story alumni@snhu.edu or visit us online at alumni.snhu.edu facebook.com/SNHUalumni bit.ly/SNHUcommunity twitter.com/SNHUalumni
inside
impact Advancing
Impact on Students Family Traditions: Sam Boghigian ’14 . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Bridging the Gap: Bob Grier ’13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Impact on Alumni Classmates Helping Classmates: John Trant ’09 and Jonathan Barker ’09. . . . . . . . . . . 15
The New Green Standard: Mike Turcotte ’09. . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Empowering Future Leaders: Toyna Chin ’92. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Southern New Hampshire University
2
Advancements in 2012 An overview of the transformations at SNHU in the past year.
8-9
In the Community Turning personal experiences into something worth celebrating and benefiting the community.
Select photos from throughout the year . . . . . . . . . . . 24
12
Impact on the University
Building the right team.
Engaging Alumni:
SNHU Connections
Words to Live By: Susan Kennedy ’06 . . . . . . . . . . . 19
President’s Circle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Annual Report Letter from the President. . . . . . . 29 Money Matters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 How It All Adds Up. . . . . . . . . . . 32
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Finding Higher Education Adult Learners at SNHU
Feature Story
Advancements in
2012 by Jerri Clayton ’10, ’12
nus Rob d and alum an tr er B e lanc with or Shan SGA Senat ent Paul LeB novation. d si re P t n r re prese tudent Cente Freese ’89 ks for the S ec ch g in ch mat
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Two-thousand-and-twelve has been a year of transformation and advancement for Southern New Hampshire University, both physically and academically. As SNHU celebrated its 80th commencement in May, it also marked the advent of new programs, renovations to the Robert A. Freese Student Center, plans for a new library, residence hall, and parking garage, and recognition on a national scale.
Feature Story
Constr uc July 2 tion in the R 012. obert A .F
reese S
tudent
Center
,
ature
b will fe Chapter Pu t as L ed at The renov past. from years memorabilia
Awards and Recognition Fast Company named Southern New Hampshire University the 12th most innovative organization in its World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies. The only university to make the list, SNHU was acknowledged for “relentlessly reinventing higher education online and off.” Also mentioned was the university’s core mission of providing access to education, citing SNHU’s 3Year Honors Program in Business, the Advantage Program, and other new delivery models meant to provide access to students who might otherwise not enroll in college.
Scott Ti Rober erno, direc tor of t A. F S re plann ing & ese Studen tudent Life renov t Cen a ter, ov nd the ations . ersaw the
2012-2013
Impact
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Feature Story
Fast Company lauded the university’s Center for Online and Continuing Education, now the largest online-degree provider in New England with 18,000 students enrolled in 180 graduate and undergraduate programs and specialties. SNHU ranked with such heavy-hitters as Apple, Google, and HBO, and is listed ahead of such companies as the National Football League, Starbucks, and LinkedIn. SNHU’s online bachelor’s degrees are rated in the top 20 in the nation, according to a new national survey of accredited colleges and universities conducted by SuperScholar.org. The criteria include regional accreditation, credibility, prestige, academic quality, and support for students and student satisfaction. SNHU offers more than 60 online bachelor’s programs in such areas as accounting, creative writing, finance, game design, Map that acknowledges justice studies, marketing, The goal of College for America is educational Knowledge what students already know, reflects psychology, social entrepreopportunity for all. We’ll get there by making what employers need, and aligns with neurship, sport management and more, and is one of the the degree offerings lower cost than even students’ goals. College for America is built for underserved learners, who most affordable regionally most community colleges. likely come with challenges in their accredited, U.S. News & World academic past, who may be unsure Report Tier 1 schools to make of their abilities and feel out of place the Smart Choice ranking. on a traditional campus. The program will bring education to SNHU was also named to the list of Top 20 Best Colleges for where they live and work; focus on identifying their social and Socially Conscious Students, according to BestCollegesOnline. intellectual capital; provide strong advising and innovative com. SNHU’s MBA in Corporate Social Responsibility community involvement; and work with business partners “inspires future entrepreneurs and executives to draw up to design the virtual learning environment. It relies heavily initiatives benefiting workers and the environment alike. For on theories of social capital and social networking to provide the eco-friendly, the college also holds the distinction of being students with the support they need to be successful. the state’s very first carbon neutral campus,” according to the “The goal of College for America is educational opportunity ranking. for all. We’ll get there by making the degree offerings lower In July 2012, the Gates Foundation-funded Next Generation cost than even most community colleges, by partnering with Learning Challenges Program awarded SNHU’s Innovation employers and community-based organizations for delivery, and Lab’s College for America a $1 million grant to begin developing by being unequivocally clear about the competencies mastered online and blended programs designed to significantly improve and the ways we know,” said SNHU President Paul LeBlanc. student access and college completion without compromising outcomes. The target population includes low-income and New Programs minority students who have been increasingly shut out from postsecondary education. College for America is especially relevant The School of Education added a new doctoral program designed at a time when 68 percent of new jobs require at least two years specifically for scholar-practitioners, degree candidates who to use their research to support their work as leaders in of college study or its equivalency, and unemployment rates are intend st 21 century educational institutions. twice as high for those having only a high school degree. The College for America will initially offer an associate’s degree with content and assessment delivered online in a self-paced, low-cost model. Learning will be organized by an individualized 4
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Dr. Margaret Ford from Duquesne University was hired specifically to launch the program, and she has served as the chief architect for designing the course of study. The program
Feature Story
SNHU wa Compan s the only univ y’s pres ersity n a tigious list of in med to Fast novative compan ie
emphasizes practical research skills, operating at the rapid pace required to manage schools in innovative online environments. Delivered through a blend of online and inperson meetings, the program provides support from cohorts, faculty, and expert advisors and culminates in a dissertation. s.
Fourteen doctoral candidates in the inaugural class began work in August of 2012, and will complete more than 15 workshops and training modules throughout three summer intensives and six terms of instruction. Their focus will be educational research and relevant leadership issues, engaging the work of full-time faculty and external adjunct professors (such as superintendents, non-profit CEO’s, and independent consultants). The Center for Women’s Business Advancement (CWBA) provides services to a growing community of women entrepreneurs and small business owners. The university received a multi-year federal grant through the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of Women’s Business Ownership. As part of the SBA’s Women’s Business Center program, the CWBA joins a network of 110 women’s business
centers throughout the country. The CWBA had its grand opening on February 3, with U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen in attendance. “The success of our small businesses is vital to our state’s economic strength,” said Senator Shaheen, adding “I am pleased that Southern New Hampshire University has placed such an emphasis on business growth and job creation. By hosting the Center for Women’s Business Advancement, Southern New Hampshire University will provide women business owners access to critical services statewide.”
Facility Upgrades The growth and successes seen in the past year are also reflected in the ongoing and planned facility upgrades on campus. These plans include a Learning Commons to replace the current library, a new residence hall, and a parking garage, with hopes for all to be completed by 2014. The 50,000-square-foot Learning Commons will include a working collection of about 100,000 books, a café, and group study rooms. “Students will have a variety of study spaces from reasonably quiet to whisper quiet,” said LeBlanc.
2012-2013
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Feature Story
Developing additional parking structures will also be part of upcoming improvements. “Students have asked for more green space on campus,” LeBlanc added, “and parking is already very tight.” Thus, the university is exploring options to build a parking garage, with plans to remove some of the parking between Robert Frost Hall and the Hospitality Center and create more green space on campus.
to the facility and a concierge desk, with updates to the mail room, convenience store, and coffee shop. The second phase includes a new pub, a new studio for Radio SNHU, offices for student governing groups, the Robert and Patricia DeColfmacker Veterans Lounge, the Diversity Initiative Office, and an interfaith prayer room. After graduating in 1989, Freese focused his energy on the family business. He is the fourth-generation owner of Globe Manufacturing, a Pittsfield, N.H.-based manufacturer of protective fire gear. He reconnected with SNHU in the last few years. “When the University reached out, showed an interest,
Architect’s designs of the reconstructed Last Chapter Pub.
LeBlanc said a continued increase in enrollment in recent years has made the construction of new residence halls necessary. “We’ve seen a record number of applications over these last few years. We have built four new dorms [on campus] over the last nine years,” he explained. Plans are still in the design process, but the university intends for the new dormitory to be a twowinged building, featuring suites with individual bathrooms so that outside groups could rent the rooms when school is not in session. “If we want to host a summer conference, it will work well,” LeBlanc said. One of the major highlights evolving on campus is the renovation of the student center, made possible by the generous donations of the Student Government Association and Robert Freese ’89, senior vice president of Sales & Marketing at Globe Manufacturing and a member of the SNHU Board of Trustees. The transformation began in the summer of 2011, with planning for a two-phase project. The first phase includes a new entrance
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I couldn’t help but feel the connection. I had stayed in touch with my roommates, and developed lifetime experiences and relationships at the University. It felt natural to want to go back, to give back.” For Freese, it was the perfect time to reconnect with SNHU. “While the university is working on strengthening its endowment, at the same time we’re on this huge growth curve. The whole campus is in transition. I learned the students had this huge gift for the student center improvements, and had higher than expected expenses attached to that, and it felt like
Feature Story
the right time. Like a Lego set, all the pieces fell into place, and matching the students’ gift seemed only appropriate.” On seeing his name prominently displayed on the building, Freese said, “It feels eerie driving by the building and seeing my name. But at the same time I think it is important to establish with our alumni that there is a philanthropic expectation. We go on with our lives and careers moving to a different plane than when we were students, but it is important to remember how we got there, and to give back.” Scott Tierno, director of Student Life and Student Center, was the director of Student Organizations and Leadership and the advisor for SGA when talks centering on the student center began in 2003. According to Tierno, “the students were looking for larger services, program, and meeting spaces. A vote was sent to the student body and approved for a $25 student fee on a semester basis for current and future renovations.” Tierno is now co-advisor of the SGA with Gavin Telfer, the associate director of Student Life and Student Center. Five-hundredthousand dollars was not set as a specific goal. “It was about timing. When the University approached SGA, it was as though all the stars aligned at the right time,” says Tierno. “The Association of College Unions has said that the student center represents the living room of the campus. We now have the kitchen, living, and family rooms,” continues Tierno, comparing the new layout of the building to a Main Street. “When you walk in, you have all the amenities of a downtown Main Street, including Copies Plus, the coffee shop, pub, and post office.” Comfortable seating and lighting will also add to the ambience. Jeff Penta ’05, ’08, Alumni Association President, was Executive Officer and Board of Trustees Student Representative when the decision was made to increase the student activity fee to fund future improvements to the student center. “The senate decided
(through a student body referendum vote) that this fee would demonstrate to administration the students’ commitment to updating and building a central location, adding to the overall student experience for years to come. We knew that changes would be incremental and that many of these updates would be completed after we had graduated.” Penta continues to see the transformation first-hand in his role as communications manager for the campus’ One Stop. “It is my hope that this renovation will add value to the total university experience as it serves as the central hub to gather, debate, and connect. In a broader sense, I also hope the student center leads into the next generation of student engagement.” Freese feels the buildings are an important part of advancing the University. “We need to portray the image that SNHU is a real place, where a student can have a full university experience, and it is more important than ever as the online institution grows—to have buildings on the campus itself as a base for those who want the whole experience,” Freese said. “There are many universities that don’t have a physical campus and don’t feel real. It’s about setting the course to the future—building our endowment, attracting the best faculty and staff. And the physical campus helps reflect that.” ◆
Want to see more photos of the renovations and new buildings on campus? Scan this QR code! alumni.snhu.edu/ Impact/2012/ StudentCenter
T here are many universities that don’t have a physical campus and don’t feel real. It’s about setting the course to the future—building our endowment, attracting the best faculty and staff. And the physical campus helps reflect that. 2012-2013
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impact on the COMMUNITY
SurvivingTragedy GivingBack by Audrey Bourque
Holleigh Tlapa ’09
Holleigh Tlapa ’09 is the rare sort of person who has turned tragic circumstances into something worth celebrating. When she faced the death of her eight-year-old daughter Jaiden in 2008, she knew she had a choice: curl up and surrender to the grief, or move forward, make sense of the pain, and keep Jaiden’s spirit alive. “Yes,” she says, sitting at the farmer’s table in the kitchen she shares with her husband, Paul, and their five living children. “Every day, even today, it would be very easy for me to lay in bed and cry all day and feel sorry for myself. But that’s not going to accomplish anything.” Instead, she and Paul created Jaiden’s Angel Foundation, a charity inspired by Jaiden’s spirit and the generosity of the community, and dedicated to providing support and services to local families with critically injured and terminally ill children. Jaiden was injured in an accident at home just before Christmas of 2007. At the time, Tlapa had just one class left to finish her master’s degree in business education. She was balancing her role as a stay-at-home mom and her work writing for the local paper with SNHU’s hybrid and online classes. During the 25 days Tlapa and her husband spent at Jaiden’s bedside at Boston Children’s Hospital, they received a steady stream of support from their community – meals from neighbors, gas cards from friends, prayers and cards from family, drawings and art projects from Jaiden’s classmates. But on some level, even in the midst of their pain, they understood that some of the other families camped out with a sick or injured child did not have the same level of support.
When Jaiden died, Tlapa put her education aside to focus on her family. But eventually, she heard a little voice saying, ‘you need to finish.’ When the voice grew too loud to ignore, Tlapa took her final class, a course on running a non-profit. She graduated with a 4.0 grade point average and was recognized as an outstanding graduate in her major. “I wasn’t sure what the future held, but I knew I would have felt like even more of a failure if I had left [my degree] unfinished. Jaiden gave me the motivation to finish.” Tlapa and her team now focus on non-traditional outreach through Jaiden’s Angel Foundation, covering dayto-day expenses and “to-do’s” that are often overlooked when a person’s sole concern is the well-being of his or her child. “We provide gas cards, gift certificates to hospital-based hotels and restaurants, and to grocery stores. We cover mortgage payments, rent, utilities,” she says. “We try to determine what the need is and how we can alleviate the parent or the family’s stress level so they can really just focus on getting the child better.” In the worst cases, the Foundation will also attend to funeral services, create video memorials for families, and advocate on their behalf to funeral homes. “In the last four years, we’ve helped 36 families and 38 children,” says Tlapa. “Our goal is to assist 10-20 families per calendar year.” The Foundation was started with donations that were originally intended for Jaiden’s long-term care. But when she died, Tlapa and her husband started the foundation, Continued on page 26
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impact on the COMMUNITY
Connecting
with a
Mission
by Kristi Durette
&
Rich Lowney, Jr.’74 Susan Taylor ’92 “Great futures start here” – tagline for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. No doubt this is the case for alumnus Rich Lowney, Jr. ’74. Lowney was raised in Charlestown and Malden, Mass., and the Boys Club was a hub for this urban neighborhood bordering Boston, a place of activity and safety that parents sought for their children outside of school. Nearly forty years later, with his family raised and a successful career as an entrepreneur in technology under his belt, Lowney has continued his connection with the mission of the Boys & Girls Club as director on the board of the Souhegan Valley Club in Milford, N.H., and as president of the N.H. Alliance for all clubs in the state. He was formerly a board member for the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Nashua. Lowney speaks passionately about his experiences growing up in greater Boston, enlisting and serving in the Army during the Vietnam War, completing his Management Information Systems Degree at SNHU (then New Hampshire College), and ultimately moving on to develop the infrastructure of information systems for higher education, health care and retail industries. Throughout his journey, he’s carried the core value of giving back to the community you work and live in, as well as in the communities of the employees who work for you. His belief that the Club plays a pivotal role in anchoring the youth in the community and his keen ability to apply savvy business practices in helping drive success and growth of non-profit organizations like the Boys & Girls Club have served New Hampshire well. His pride is evident as he speaks of the history and future of Boys & Girls Club in the Granite State. Grounded in his entrepreneurial approach to business, Lowney believes
the continued success and growth of the Boys & Girls Club organizations will require innovative visioning, collaboration, and a commitment to being change agents for the future of our communities. Lowney has found a kindred spirit in Susan Taylor ’92, executive director for the Souhegan Boys & Girls Club. Taylor listens, smiling and nodding as Lowney shares his story. He has one of the many stories of impact that the Clubs have shared in the lives of members and volunteers. It’s what drives Taylor in her work and in the delivery of the mission to serve the community. In fact, in the brief time she has been on board, both as resource development director and as executive director, the Souhegan Club has received national recognition as one of only two clubs in the country with a theatre. She has helped to increase the Club’s membership, financial support, and overall role in the Souhegan Valley area, which represents eight local communities in southern New Hampshire. Taylor came to the Club having worked in sales and marketing for computer sales companies, such as PC Connection and Amherst Technologies. Longing to find a better balance of work and family life, she stepped away from the industry and began consulting with non-profits on marketing, resource development, and grant-writing. Lowney was instrumental in bringing Taylor on board parttime in resource development and was a part of the selection committee who hired her. There isn’t a day that goes by that she doesn’t witness the Club’s mission firsthand, whether Continued on page 26 2012-2013
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impact on STUDENTS
Family Traditions
by Audrey Bourque
Education Entrepreneurship in
and
Sam Boghigian
CLASS OF 2014
Sam Boghigian ’14 was already a seasoned entrepreneur when he entered the 3Year Honors Program in Business Administration in the fall of 2011. He started his company, Lawns by Sam, when he was just 11 years old, and he’s guided the business through nearly a decade of growth. He’s now honing his business sense through his education at SNHU, complementing his real world experience. “I started small,” says Boghigian. “I wanted a laptop, and I wanted to earn the money myself, so I started mowing a few lawns in the neighborhood.” Tending to that handful of properties in Nashua, N.H., was the first step in a long journey. Today, Boghigian serves about 40 regular customers across southern New Hampshire, hires additional crew members when necessary, and works with local suppliers to provide the best landscaping materials at the best prices for his clients. For Boghigian, owning a company is not about making his own schedule and working when he wants. “It’s not a cake walk like people might think. I have 40 different bosses, not just one. Sure, I can adjust my schedule if I need to, but the buck always stops with me. The head guy is the one coming back after hours, coming in early to make sure things are done, and done right,” he says. Boghigian is modest about his accomplishments, but proud of his entrepreneurial spirit. “I don’t need someone to tell me something needs to be done. I just do it. If you wait for someone to tell you what to do, you’re going to be waiting a
long time.” This same determination and self-motivation has helped Boghigian excel in his studies, even under the demands of the 3Year Honors Program. The 3Year Honors Program is an intensive course of study that develops leadership and business skills through hands-on, experiential learning modules. For students like Boghigian, this laser-focused approach is invaluable in setting them apart from the competition. “I don’t learn facts in my classes so much as I’m gaining the tools to adjust and teach myself: problem solving, using software, adapting. SNHU is definitely helping students to become innovative and think on their own,” says Boghigian. The Manchester campus is big enough to offer Boghigian the traditional undergraduate college experience he always wanted, but it was important to him that his school was not like a factory. “At SNHU, I love that, especially in the 3Year Program, you get to know your professors and go ask questions.” While his friends at other schools tell him about their large lectures with hundreds of students, Boghigian is benefiting from hands-on experience and world-class instruction. The 3Year Honors Program and the atmosphere of the campus are what sealed the deal for Boghigian in choosing SNHU, but the university has always been on his radar. His parents are both alumni: mom Heidi Boghigian ’76 graduated with a degree in Fashion Merchandising, and dad Kevin Boghigian ’83 studied Business Administration. While his whole family has always Continued on page 26
I don’t learn facts in my classes so much as I’m gaining the tools to adjust and teach myself: problem solving, using software, adapting. SNHU is definitely helping students to become innovative and think on their own. 10
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impact impact ononSTUDENTS ALUMNI Bob Grier ’13 might not be exactly what you picture when you think of a college student: he is a retired veteran in his mid-seventies, whose foray into volunteering in the N.H. state prison system led him to pursue a degree through SNHU Online. “A lot of people think that when you retire, you get to sit and relax and do nothing,” Bob Grier says. “But to me, that’s what Heaven is for. I need to continue contributing and trying to make a difference.” Grier grew up in Boston and earned an associate’s degree in architectural engineering from Wentworth Institute of Technology in 1958 before serving in the U.S. Army. “I don’t know what exactly I was expecting, but I learned pretty quickly the difference between putting up steel bridges in civilian life and erecting pontoons under enemy fire,” he says. After completing his service, Grier operated a series of Massachusetts-based steel fabrication
says, which inspired him to pursue a degree in psychology.
Bridging
A friend recommended that Grier look into SNHU Online, and he was immediately taken with the authenticity of the university. “Having the campus accessible to me was a huge bonus,” he says. “It came down to reputation, proximity, and curriculum, so I chose SNHU.”
Gap with Lifelong
Grier is now well into his studies, and plans to graduate after the fall 2012 semester. One of the aspects of his SNHU education that he most appreciates is the different perspectives from the breadth of instructors and student populations
Bob Grier
the
Learning CLASS OF 2013 by Audrey Bourque
Continuing my education makes me feel empowered. Older folks sometimes lose their self-worth as they retire and age. But education gives back that autonomy. firms and opened his own business in 1976. Superior Steel Fabrication Company in Lynn, Mass., specialized in the fabrication and erection of steel structures for more than 30 years. When he retired, Grier was ready for something completely different. He enlisted as a volunteer teacher with the New Hampshire Department of Corrections to tutor inmates pursuing their GED certificate in English and math, and was struck by the psychological distress of many of his students. “There was a lot of depression, lack of confidence, not being secure in who they were,” he
in each of his classes. He says he brings a completely different voice to the discussion with his age and experience and relationships. “There are nuances in communicating and building relationships that you lose in the modern world, with emailing and texting,” he explains. Perhaps counter-intuitively, he says the online student community forums foster honest, incredibly candid discussion. “People are connecting on a much more personal level online than they might face-to-face,” he adds. “It’s interesting to see how people air Continued on page 27 2012-2013
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impact on BUSINESS
SNHU Connections: Building the
by Audrey Bourque
Right Team
The Vision “Not everyone is made to be an entrepreneur,” says Peter Chase ’85, ’92, executive vice president of Business Development at Scribe Software in Manchester, N.H. “You need to be someone who thrives on chaos, interruption, and change.” And if anyone understands change, it’s Chase. He founded Scribe in 1996, and has guided the company through several major re-orgs and in every capacity, from sales, marketing, and engineering, to operations and new business development. “The irony of starting your own company is that you have to remove your self and your ego from the whole process. It’s going to be ugly, messy. And you have to focus only on the challenge of bringing the idea to life,” he says.
The company’s 16-year history defies the tech industry norm of ‘get in, get big, get out,’ and Chase’s constant presence – albeit in an ever-evolving capacity – is practically unheard of. “I haven’t had your normal experience in a tech start-up,” says Chase. “I stuck with this thing beyond what a rational person might have. Maybe I’m too stubborn. But this market is enormous, and we have a rock solid idea.” According to Scribe’s white paper entitled The State of Customer Data Integration for 2012, “only 15% of companies reported full integration among various customer-facing systems.” With 12,000 customers in countries around the world and a new cloud-based product that rivals Google’s – yes, Google’s – Scribe is enjoying a 30% sales increase year over year, which, for a 16-year-old software product, is astonishing.
S NHU students have often fought for their education. The people in my classes were spending time away from their families. They were driven and focused. And that’s the kind of employee I want. Scribe is based on a simple idea: companies should have access to a complete customer profile that marries sales, marketing, finance, and support data. With all this data coalesced into a single, comprehensive record, the company can then tailor a customer’s experience according to history, preferences, and probable future behavior. Scribe’s innovative customer relationship management (CRM) tools allow different applications within a business to communicate with each other. 12
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The Company Because Scribe works exclusively with reseller partners, the crux of the company’s success lies in its commitment to building long-term relationships. In 2008, resellers on the road were hindered by a lack of resources. They were calling for self-service tools to solve most problems, and a capable, accessible support team to assist with larger issues. Scribe saw opportunity. They built a custom green screen room and now offer a toolkit of distance training sessions that are
impact on BUSINESS
From Left: Peter Chase ’85, ’92; Scott Cloutier ’11, ’12; Nathan Keefe ’11; Tim Thyne ’13 (expected); Jen Higgenson ’03; Becky Manners ’12; and Rich Noel ’05. Not pictured: Robin Dupre ’87.
produced in-house and distributed to mobile tech consultants; and the company is home to a world-class customer service and support center. “The idea is to cater to the modern sales force,” says Chase. “These training and support modules come in live sessions as well as an archive of indexed and searchable videos.” Customer service, tech support, and the product itself – disciplined, program-oriented, and replicable – all help to set Scribe apart from its competition. But even more important is the team. The company hires highly capable and highly flexible people who rally around a shared passion of providing topnotch service and building long-term partnerships. In the past five years, the company has grown from 30 to approximately 70 employees worldwide, and Peter often turns to his alma mater for a reliable source of new hires. The university’s reputation for providing innovative, flexible learning models has historically attracted a diverse student population with a considerable representation of adult learners. Chase trusts this kind of candidate. “I like scrappy,” he says, “and SNHU students have often fought for their education. The people in my classes were spending time away from their
families. They were driven and focused. And that’s the kind of employee I want.” Scribe currently employs seven SNHU alumni and one current student (who is interning in the marketing department), and the team showcases the full spectrum of SNHU student populations. From recent grads of the traditional undergraduate day programs to veteran workers who are pursuing additional degrees as adult learners, this diverse team shares a set of traits that Chase and the management team at Scribe value in their employees: patience, persistence, empathy, creativity, and relentless drive.
The SNHU Team Tim Thyne ’13 is a marketing and social media intern at Scribe; he is scheduled to graduate from the 3Year Honors Program in Business Administration in 2013. He earned his spot on the Scribe team with a little bit of luck and a little bit of that scrappiness Chase values, after receiving an email announcing the internship to a list of second- and third-year students. “Somehow, I was the only first-year student who received the notice,” he says, “and it was just too good of a learning experience to not apply.” 2012-2013
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impact on BUSINESS Since he started working for Scribe in March of 2011, he has led the company through a Microsoft certification process, managed lead generation campaigns, and planned the company’s involvement in numerous trade shows. “I’m getting a boatload of on-the-job training here that really complements what I’m learning in class,” says Thyne. This exposure to reallife marketing experience led him to invite his former classmate Scott Cloutier ’11, ’12 to join him at Scribe. Cloutier graduated from the 3Year Honors Program and received his Master of Science in Marketing while working as a Partner Development Coordinator during the day. Cloutier stated he is leveraging the presentation, sales, communications, and project management skills he learned in the 3Year Program to bring together success stories, training modules, and a new system of support and analysis for partners. “Our success,” he says of Scribe, “is measured by the success of our partners. It’s my job to make sure we’re providing them with the right tools to be successful.”
I stuck with this thing beyond what a rational person might have. Maybe I’m too stubborn. But this market is enormous, and we have a rock solid idea.
Cloutier works closely with the Partner Development Manager Robin Dupre ’87, who has been with Scribe for seven years in a variety of sales capacities. She says her education at SNHU was invaluable to her career. “The broad business education that I received at SNHU prepared me to better understand and propose software solutions to a variety of industries. Perhaps most importantly, I think, my time at SNHU taught me to ask questions and carefully consider the answers before asking even more questions. I think that this tendency toward inquisitiveness coupled with the critical thinking skills I developed in SNHU, has been a major factor in my continued success.” SNHU alumni have also taken over the finance department. Rich Noel ’05, director of finance and administration, received his Master of Science in Accounting from SNHU. When he hired SNHU alumna Jen Higgenson ’03 to manage the entire spectrum of day-to-day accounting processes, it freed him up to concentrate on business analysis. “I knew I could be completely confident in Jen’s abilities,” he says, and she’s proved it.
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Becky Manners ’12 graduated with her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, also from the 3Year Honors Program, and now splits her time between accounting and marketing at Scribe. While accounts receivable and marketing analytics may not usually go hand in hand, Manners credits the 3Year Program with preparing her with a well-rounded, practical skill set. And Noel says the company created this unique arrangement of her time because she was too valuable to lose. Chase emphasizes that hiring the right people – even developing unconventional arrangements to take advantage of a certain situation or skill set – allows the management team to trust its employees and avoid micromanaging: “We set goals, give clear definition of what’s expected, and then we expect our team to go do it.”
Nathan Keefe ’11 is the newest member of the Scribe team to benefit from the company ideal of rewarding the self-motivated. Keefe studied business and IT, and started at Scribe as a tech support representative. He was quickly promoted to a new position developed specifically for his skill set that addresses business improvements he identified. As a customer success engineer for Scribe Online, Keefe is ushering in trial users, onboarding new users, and taking a deeper look at persisting problems. Chase says that a company is only as good as its team, which is why he hires the best and encourages them to grow and explore and educate. He recently read a statistic comparing the flow of information today against what our human ancestors experienced, stating that “the amount of data that humans had to process from the time of the caveman through about 2003 is now what we process in about 45 minutes of today’s modern, communications-driven world.” Luckily for the rest of us, Chase and his team at Scribe Software are working to process all that data into a useful, intuitive, actionable distillation. ◆
impact on ALUMNI by Meredith LaPierre
Classmates Helping Classmates When John Trant ’09 graduated with a degree in hospitality management, he knew he wanted to move to a major destination to launch his career. “I thought a food capital would suit me best. Then I thought about wine,” he says. “I didn’t feel comfortable moving to France, so I decided on Napa.” Trant worked two full-time jobs, saved his money and, at the end of the summer, drove to California. Several months later, he was working at Grgich Hills Estate, a $30 million-a-year, family-owned winery in Napa Valley, where he is now the tasting room manager. Trant is responsible for daily retail sales and experiences with guests. He checks off a list of duties, including opening and closing the winery, scheduling, organizing promotions, hiring and training staff, ordering supplies, and building relationships with guests and vendors. He is also on a fiveyear professional development plan with the company. “It’s a constant pace of always learning, always being a student, trying to learn more,” he explains.
Following in Trant’s footsteps, Barker made a similar trek out west in hopes of landing a job at a vineyard on their sales/ hospitality team.
Trant loves this work, given his appreciation for food and wine and the chance to make a name for himself in a field where only 5 percent of tasting room managers are under 30 years old. Looking back, Trant credits his professors and advisors for pointing him in the right direction. “They really helped me out, challenged me,” he says. “They said, if you want it, go get it!”
Originally from West Hartford, C.T., Barker had been working at Barcelona, a restaurant geared towards small plates and wine varieties in the West Hartford area. He also spent a summer in Spain, where he worked for a vineyard and learned about the growth of the wine in the field. He used this experience, coupled with his SNHU education, to help build his résumé for his position with Darioush Winery in Napa.
Jonathan Barker ’09, a fellow graduate of the hospitality program, read about Trant’s experience through SNHU Alumni Stories. Barker was inspired to reach out to his classmate and learn about what he did and how to have similar success.
These two classmates are proud to credit SNHU and the hospitality program with their success. They both felt well prepared for their current roles. Barker describes some of the benefits of his SNHU education as “talented faculty and practical courses within the program.”
John Trant ’09, President Paul LeBlanc, his wife Pat Findlen, and Jonathan Barker ’09 in San Francisco.
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impact on ALUMNI Both men have taken their hands-on experience and brought it back to SNHU by joining Professor Susan Torrey in her course Managing/Merchandising/Service of Wines. Trant brought a selection of wines from his vineyard and conducted a wine and food pairing at The Quill Restaurant on the Manchester campus.
Jonathan Barker ’09 and John Trant ’09
I ’m always willing to share my story with future alumni. I understand the value in counsel and peer-to-peer relationships. I wish I had a recent graduate to lead me; I might have listened more.
This form of philanthropy has proven beneficial to students in the Hospitality program who may be interested in pursuing a similar path. “We spoke about post-graduate life and how to maximize on the resources at SNHU,” Trant explains. “I’m always willing to share my story with future alumni. I understand the value in counsel and peer-to-peer relationships. I wish I had a recent graduate to lead me; I might have listened more.” Trant’s main message to current students is to take advantage of the many opportunities through SNHU. During his study abroad program, for example, he matured and gained the confidence he needed to be successful. Plus, he says, “the life skills I gained – and especially the look on my parents’ faces when I returned – are still priceless.” Trant also encourages students to maintain a mentality of lifelong learning. “I still refer to my college textbooks to answer questions about business at the winery,” he says. “I can add value on business matters, customer service, sales strategies, and marketing tools.”
By cultivating the skills they learned at SNHU, Trant and Barker have each carved out a place in California wine country. They developed relationships through the SNHU alumni network and chased their dreams. What sweet success! ◆
When Tony Calls,
Will
You Answer?
Tony Cerasi ’15 is one of 18 student callers who connect with SNHU’s alumni, parents and friends as part of our Telefund program.
“ I love the opportunity to work in the Telefund. Every donation has a direct impact on students and it’s nice to know I play a part in that. I enjoy hearing stories from the constituents, especially about their time at SNHU and the chance to tell them about all the changes that have happened since they graduated. So the next time I call, please answer—I’d love the chance to talk to you!” 16
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impact on ALUMNI
Greenstandard
the new by Meredith LaPierre
Mike Turcotte ’09
Mike Turcotte ’09 researched trending industries while studying at SNHU and found a niche trade that meshed his construction background with his environmentally conscious upbringing. With recommendations from his environmental studies and business professors, he participated in an energy efficiency conference, where he learned about energy auditing. Turcotte built on the idea of going green to save green. With just $364 in the bank, he started Turn Cycle Solutions, a design and building company that focuses on creating energy-efficient homes and businesses throughout New England. His original idea grew into the company motto, “Go Green, Save Green.” It took six months to get his first client, and two years to warrant a staff. Turcotte now employs six people (including an SNHU intern, Kyle Coumas ’13), that manages residential and commercial building audits and helps owners design plans to make their buildings more energy efficient. His team also installs energy-saving measures such as insulation, windows, and heating systems. Turcotte credits SNHU Professor Keith Moon, who taught his entrepreneurship/social innovation classes, for motivating him to be persistent in order to be successful. “Keith facilitated
getting me to where I wanted to go,” he says, and his hard work and determination have led him to self-sufficiency. “I’m proud of the fact that I can support my lifestyle from a business I started with little to nothing,” he says. Turcotte was selected as the 2012 Small Business Administration Young Entrepreneur of the Year for New Hampshire, an award that recognizes entrepreneurs younger than 30 who have shown three-year evidence of success in the form of sales and profits, increased jobs, innovative products, and potential for long-term success. Turcotte says that receiving the award was unexpected but much appreciated. “I am extremely grateful to have received the award, and I’m looking forward to what I can build from this acknowledgement.” Turcotte believes in philanthropy, and is committed to paying forward his growing notoriety and success. In addition to his work with Habitat for Humanity’s Energy Reduction Program for the Greater Nashua area, he also started the David Bundy and Michael Turcotte Entrepreneurial Development Scholarship at SNHU. The scholarship aims to help students with an entrepreneurial mindset reach their goals by providing funding to support ways of growth. Continued on page 27
Mike Turcotte ’09 (center) received the 2012 Small Business Association Young Entrepreneur of the Year award on May 17.
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Empowering
Future Leaders by Meredith LaPierre
Toyna J. Chin ’92 founded Hygeia Personal Care Products, Inc. in 2003, after learning about the disturbing trend of precocious puberty in young women. She also realized there was a lot of room for improvement in the feminine care products market. Her interest in the category began as an undergraduate student at SNHU where she developed her first idea in a marketing class and pitched it to some of America’s top brands. After realizing that she had a talent for these types of products, she decided to start her own company, capitalizing on the sales and marketing experience she garnered at SNHU and while working with Fortune 500 companies. As the Founder and Chief Marketing Officer at Hygeia, Chin created an aspirational brand experience, reaching out to parents and health educators to provide advice and informational resources, and empowering girls with the right products at the appropriate pubertal stage. The genius of Chin’s marketing plan was in developing not only the first line of products geared to young women, but also a community that blends expert advice and user-generated wisdom. Chin has decided to take a broader approach to dealing with women’s health issues, and is now consulting on various projects in both the profit and non-profit sectors. She has focused considerable energy back onto her alma mater in the past year, volunteering to help plan her 20th Reunion at Homecoming in October 2012, and donating her time to both the School of Business Entrepreneur Network Student Mentoring Initiative and the Center for Women’s Business Advancement.
Toyna J. Chin ’92
“I can provide value to both of these programs by helping to propel women and students to achieve greater success,” Chin says. With her practical experience in entrepreneurship and her acute interest in empowering women, she is an enthusiastic mentor. “I want to give back to my school and the community,” she adds. Small businesses comprise 99.7% of all employer firms in the United States, according to the Small Business Administration. “When I help student entrepreneurs and women,” says Chin, “I’m contributing to employment and economic growth in general.” In her work as a mentor, she assists students and entrepreneurs in developing and exploring plans and ideas for the creation of new businesses. Chin has continued to build upon the skills she learned at the university. Among the most valuable of her assets is the network of friends and partners she built in the international student community at SNHU. “Even today, whenever I travel, I make an effort to connect with alumni in whatever country I’m visiting,” she explains. Chin is making connections around the globe and locally, combining the power of the SNHU alumni network, the skill set she developed at the university, and her driving passion of empowering women and entrepreneurs. ◆
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impact impact on the UNIVERSITY on ALUMNI
by Susan Kennedy ’06
On June 16, 2012, seven new alumni celebrated at the Master of Fine Arts in Fiction and Nonfiction graduation ceremony, held in Robert Frost Hall on the Manchester campus. Susan E. Kennedy, ’06 & ’08 MFA presented the Lynn H. Safford Memorial Scholarship during the ceremony. These are her words. MFA Program Director Diane Les Becquets, Susan Kenney ’06, award winner Jennifer Boissonneault, Libby Safford, John Safford, & Robert Greene.
The Lynn H. Safford Memorial Scholarship is an award given to a current MFA student in memory of Lynn Safford, a member of the first class of students to graduate from this program. I had the privilege of being one of Lynn’s classmates and friends. I met Lynn on a hot August morning when she walked into the lobby of this building to check in for the first summer residency. With a ready smile and kind words for everyone, Lynn’s warm personality and enthusiasm drew to her our twelve classmates, some of whom are here in the audience today. Lynn was smart, stylish, yet wonderfully down to earth; she was quick to laugh and quick to give of herself and her time. She became our leader without seeking the job, and we voted her class president. Her dorm room became our gathering place during residencies; her home during semesters. Her love of the written word inspired us: she was a member of two book clubs and a writers’ group, and she volunteered with an adult literacy project. She was always thinking of others, of us—her friends. She listened as we talked out the problems in our books, and her words of encouragement were just a phone call or e-mail away. She planned post-deadline parties and kept our class together, even across the long distances that sometimes separated us. Her MFA thesis was a novel she titled From There to Here. It was her masterpiece, and none of us were prouder of our books than Lynn was of hers on graduation day. Then, about a year later, she was diagnosed with cancer; and about a year after that, she passed way. Through it all, she never lost her essence, all that which made her who she was—her spirit, her class, or her kindness. She loved this program and everyone in it, so when the idea of an MFA scholarship in her memory was proposed, she loved that too. She would be glad to know that it will be helping a current MFA student achieve the dream of writing a book, and she would be glad to know that her husband and daughter are in the audience today to help us celebrate. The Lynn H. Safford Memorial Scholarship is a $1,000 award given to a second-year student who best represents Lynn’s leadership and spirit. This year, that student is Jennifer Boissoneault. 2012-2013
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Higher Finding Education Adult Learners at SNHU
by Audrey Bourque
In 1932, the New Hampshire School of Accounting and Secretarial Science opened its doors with a singular mission: to educate students and professionals on the ‘why’ in addition to the ‘how’ of accounting. The school offered night classes, a feature that most other institutions of the time could not accommodate. Today, Southern New Hampshire University continues to provide adults and ‘non-traditional’ students with quality educational opportunities that flex around family, work, and community responsibilities. In the following pages, you will meet three adult learners who have each found their way to SNHU through circuitous, colorful paths. Learn how these extraordinary students have used SNHU’s flexible learning programs to springboard their careers and expand their horizons. Susan Adams ’91 Senior Vice President, Engineering & Technical Operations, NorthCentral Division, Comcast Cable Susan Adams has spent her career building networks to bring high-speed Internet to residents of the east coast, from Maine to Florida. In the past 15 years, she has assembled a brilliant team at Comcast Cable that is committed to developing and delivering the most innovative technologies at the best prices. Adams received her bachelor of science in Business Administration from SNHU (then New Hampshire College) in 1991, where her professors challenged her to deliver quality results under pressure and inspired her to dream big. Rick Drumm ’05 President, D’Addario & Co., Inc. Rick Drumm is the president of D’Addario & Company, which manufactures guitar strings, reeds, drumheads, and drumsticks. A lifelong musician, Drumm took private lessons throughout high school with drummers from the Johnny 20
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Carson Show before touring the country with the US Air Force band and later with the Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus. He graduated from SNHU in 2005 with a bachelor of science in Business Administration. He has since battled cancer, earned his MBA, released a record, and continued to develop his extraordinary career.
Paul T. Collins ’08, ’09 CW2 Paul Collins enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1994. In his role as a Chief Warrant Officer Two, Mobility Officer, he is the key staff officer for planning and managing the development and execution of organizational movements and distribution operations with multi-national, joint, governmental and commercial agencies. Collins is currently deployed to Afghanistan, and has previously served in Bosnia & Herzegovina, Hungary, Israel, and Iraq; he has also been stationed on bases both stateside and abroad. Collins earned his bachelor’s degree in Business Studies and his master’s degree in Organizational Leadership through SNHU Online in 2008 and 2009.
impact on the ALUMNI Tell us a little bit about your background. SA: I grew up in Lawrence, Mass. I went to parochial schools, but I did my last year at Lawrence High School so I could get into a work study program. I actually graduated from Lawrence High, and then I did not go immediately to college. I decided to work. I was living on my own early, starting at age 17. I worked two jobs for quite a long time, as a dental assistant and a waitress. RD: Throughout my high school career, I’d take a day off
Rick Drumm ’05
Paul Collins ’08, ’09
Susan Adams ’91
attending college. Looking back, I may not have been ready for college. After high school, I enlisted in the U.S. Army as a Chemical Operations Specialist. This was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
What influenced you to go back to school as an adult? SA: When I was about 19, I went to Northern Essex and got my associate’s [degree]. I probably would’ve gone immediately to Bentley, which was originally my plan, but I met my husband and instead we did a lot of traveling. But again, the school bug hit me about five years later. By then I was working for a company called Dynamics Research in Andover, MA. I looked at all the different college opportunities for me to get my undergraduate degree, and SNHU just seemed like the very best choice for me. RD: When I’d been on the road for seven years, I’d had enough. I had a good taste of being a road musician. I moved to L.A. with my first wife and our newborn baby. I took a starting level position in the customer service department of a company called Remo [which makes drumheads]. I worked my way up to director of Global Marketing and Sales over a four-year period. So in all, I spent about a 13-year period after high school with no college education. I learned everything I knew on the job, but I wasn’t sure I had the whole story. I was beginning to realize that I had some pretty good holes in my knowledge base. I felt I needed additional knowledge to go further, and to really manage at a higher level. PC: There were several things that influenced me to go back to school as an adult. One, I’m a huge proponent of continued personal and professional development and I am considering becoming a military education advisor after military service. Two, I wanted to set the example for my family. Three, I wanted to increase my chances of professional advancement in the military and become more marketable in the civilian sector after I retire.
every other week to go to New York City to study drums. My goal in life was to be a studio drummer. The month of my graduation, I took a job playing with a band that was travelling to all different parts of the country. I intended to go to college the following September, but then decided not to. I was already doing what I’d trained to do, so I thought, ‘what’s the point?’ Later, I went into the Air Force and played in the band. And then I got a job playing with the Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus, traveling around and doing 1,100 shows in two years. PC: I grew up in Princess Anne, a small town on the eastern shore of Maryland. While I was always a good student throughout my time in school, I never put much stock into
Why did you choose SNHU? SA: I was living in Methuen and I was working in Andover, so the Salem Center was really convenient and easy. I loved the fact that I could go two nights a week, five hours each night. I did some quick math for how long it was going to take me to get my bachelor’s degree: every eight weeks you’re through two courses. And I got through my degree pretty quickly. RD: I actually started with the University of Phoenix, but I wasn’t happy with the quality of instruction. I asked a professor I knew who worked for Phoenix, SNHU, and the University of Maryland. She said that SNHU has the best quality education and the best customer service. And that was absolutely the case. You have all these apprehensions as an adult learner: 2012-2013
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impact on the ALUMNI
I f you’re lucky, you’re gonna get older, so you might as well do something productive. am I thinking the right things? Where do I start, where do I go? My advisor continually encouraged me. Also, we had lots of troops taking classes from their stations, and international students brought different perspectives, as well. PC: Before SNHU, I attended the University of Maryland University College (classroom and distance) and Utah State University (classroom). I chose SNHU because I wanted a degree from a school with a solid reputation, which had a strong, respected campus program and an online schedule conducive to my military lifestyle. I graduated with a BS in Business Studies in 2008 and a MS in Organizational Leadership with a Graduate Certificate in HRM in 2009.
Describe a relationship or a course that stands out in your SNHU experience. SA: I took a programming class. I wasn’t great at it, but was really intrigued by it. That class set the stage for my wanting to get into a technology-based career. Financially, I needed to be self-sufficient at a very young age, and so I knew that I needed to outfit myself with the skills that would give me career opportunities. I looked at the incredible power that computers were going to bring to the business world and to humanity. And this was an area where I wanted to make a difference.
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RD: There were two courses, as dissimilar as can be. My operations course gave me my first introduction to Lean Manufacturing, which had a huge impact on my career. And the other was an English course on transcendental writers – Emerson, Thoreau – that never in a million years would I have thought I’d have any interest in. But these authors opened me up to other things down the road. And when I started reading them in earnest, I found out I really enjoyed learning. This course helped me realize that I’m a lifelong learner. PC: While I thoroughly enjoyed the pursuit of my degree, the most significant relationships that I developed were the ones with my classmates. I’ve had the honor to interact with great people from multiple backgrounds and experiences.
How did you balance work, school, and life in general? SA: I often say to folks, it is just like getting on the treadmill. It’s always hard getting started, but once you’re on, you think ‘well this isn’t so bad. I can do this.’ If you wait until your kids are in high school, what could you have accomplished differently in your own life during those twenty years? RD: The most important thing was the support of my wife. I was managing an international company, had two children at home still growing up. My wife Betsy was very supportive. She knew how important this was to me. I explained that if I wanted to be at a higher level down the road, this education was important
impact on the ALUMNI for all of us. I was very focused from an early age as to what I wanted to do. But my children didn’t have that kind of idea yet, and I felt it was important for me to set an example. PC: SNHU’s distance education schedule allowed me to plan my educational needs around my life. I used what most would consider down time to complete school requirements. I would get up early in the morning to complete class work. I would eat lunch at my desk while responding to discussion board topics. On the weekends, I would dedicate several hours to completing assignments. However, family time was always priority.
How has your SNHU education helped you throughout your career? SA: My communications professor was one of the best professors I’ve ever had. Communication skills – written as well as verbal – are so important, especially as you move up the ladder in your field. To be well respected, you really need to write and speak as professionally as possible. I also had a class where you had to read a case study every week and create a paper. It was a tremendous amount of work, but it taught me how to deliver quality under pressure. And that’s a skill that you can’t learn unless you experience it. RD: I had achieved a higher level of management in the companies I worked for. I didn’t need the piece of paper, the diploma. I didn’t really care about it. I wanted the information, and the piece of paper came with it. My priorities were straight. It was about the learning. My experience at SNHU gave me the confidence to know it doesn’t matter what the challenge is. I can do it.
RD: I led D’Addario through a Lean Manufacturing transformation in 2007, and the timing couldn’t have been better ahead of the economic crash in 2008. Because of the advances we had made, we weathered that storm and we were in great position to maximize on the investment when things turned around. We reduced costs to be globally competitive, and we brought about 80 jobs back to the US through this effort. And the genesis for my exposure to Lean started at SNHU. PC: While I’ve met several important milestones, I don’t believe I’ve reached my greatest professional accomplishment yet. If you believe you’ve reached your greatest accomplishment, you will stop trying.
What advice would you give to adult learners who are considering returning to school? SA: Do it sooner rather than later… but it’s never too late. I do a fair amount of interviewing and hiring, and that’s one of the first things I’ll say to someone who doesn’t have that degree. You need to get on that treadmill and get going on your degree. It will happen. It’s a big commitment, but there’s nothing more valuable than investing in yourself. You’re creating an annuity in your education. I can honestly say that every single class I took, with my associate’s, my bachelor’s, and my graduate degree, every single class has been put to use. RD: I didn’t start until I was 47. Some people said I was too old. But I felt like I was missing things in my knowledge base. And if you’re lucky, you’re gonna get older, so you might as well do something productive. What about the money? Do I go out and buy myself a Mercedes that will devalue as soon as I drive it off the lot, or do I invest in myself, which will only appreciate in value? And I found as I was going through the courses that everything I learned I could apply to the job the next day in some way or form.
Y ou have all these apprehensions as an adult learner: am I thinking the right things? Where do I start, where do I go?
PC: By attaining my master’s degree from SNHU, I have vaulted ahead of peers in terms of promotion potential. I absolutely do use the skills gained from completing my MS in Organizational Leadership on a daily basis as I interact with other military professionals at all levels of command.
What do you consider to be your greatest professional accomplishment? SA: I think my proudest accomplishment is what I’ve done here at Comcast: building the network, building fabulous teams. Many of the people I worked with at the very beginning are still here with me today. I joined Comcast in order to launch high-speed Internet service back in ’96. Just 15 years ago, the only Internet was dial-up, and the content was not really very rich.
PC: First, understand your strengths and weaknesses… are you a quick learner? Good writer? Math challenged? Second, develop a rhythm to balance life, family, school, and work…in the Army, we call this finding your “battle rhythm.” Third, dedicate at least two hours daily to school, whether reading, responding to discussion board topics, or completing assignments. Don’t wait until the last minute to be engaged in your school work…the results will show the effort. Finally, always find time for your family and friends. ◆
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Engaging Alumni
1.
4. 5. 2.
3.
6.
1. A panel of international alumni returned to campus in April 2012 to help advise current students. 2. The 22nd Annual DeBlasi Cup Golf Tournament raised scholarship funds for SNHU students, and provided a great excuse to get out on the links of Sky Meadow Country Club in Nashua, NH, in June 2012. 3. More than 1,600 new graduates joined the SNHU Alumni Association in 2012. Commencement was held at the Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester in May 2012. 4. 2011 Alumni Association Award winners Jared Gabrey ’06 (Young Alumni Award), Mark Ouellette ’77 (Alumni Hall of Fame Award), and Dr. Burton Kaliski (Distinguished Service Award). 5. Alumna Stacey Megalaitis ’92 and retired accounting professor George Teloian at the Legends Reception. 6. Men’s soccer alumni reunited at Alumni Weekend in October 2011.
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impact on the UNIVERSITY Surviving Tragedy | Giving Back Continued from page 8 and now replenish funds with their annual golf tournament, held each year on Jaiden’s birthday on September 22. Tlapa is sometimes asked if her work with the foundation is depressing, if she relives her pain with each family she helps. But she is quick to dispel that idea. “If I hadn’t started the foundation, I don’t think I’d be here today. It’s really important for me to convey to people that you can heal. You can move forward. I think that I’m not afraid to tell people what it’s like, because I’ve lived it, and I want to make it easier for the next person that’s going through it.” Tlapa says the foundation aims to mirror Jaiden’s generosity of spirit. “She was such a positive force, such a bright spot in the universe. You couldn’t help but smile when you were in her presence.” An exquisite example of humanity, Jaiden was the kind of child who befriended the underdog, reached out to lonely classmates, defended those who were picked on. She wasn’t at peace with herself, Tlapa says, unless there was peace around her. And in every way she knows how, Tlapa now works to bring some measure of peace to families struggling through tragic circumstances. “I’m educating people that you can survive after tragedy. That one person can make a difference. That reaching out to help other people just makes the world such a better place.” ◆
Family Traditions: Sam Boghigian ’76 Continued from page 10 supported him in everything he undertakes, Boghigian names his father as the most influential person in his life: “We’re very similar, and I go to him with everything, when I have issues or when things are going well.” Kevin also fostered an entrepreneurial spirit from the time he was young, and in fact, now owns a successful pet product manufacturing company. “I wouldn’t be anywhere near where I am today without my family’s inspiration and support,” says Boghigian. Professor Maria Painchaud says that Boghigian is able to translate the nuances of a class discussion to the situation at hand. “Sam has demonstrated time and again his capacity to see the big picture, the strategic piece, and clearly understand the importance of the tactical implementation. He values diversity in thought and experience, which serves him well when working in teams. He has the ability to positively exploit the strengths of each team member to have an exceptional result.” After he graduates, Boghigian hopes to continue developing his entrepreneurial endeavors, and he plans to give back to SNHU by participating in panels and advising students. In the meantime, his main message to his peers is one of balance: “Definitely enjoy the college experience. Have a good time. But focus on the classes, the schoolwork. Get involved, stay busy, but don’t burn out. Take things one step at a time to know what you’re capable of.” ◆
Connecting with a Mission Continued from page 9 within the initiatives in creativity, the arts, and leadership development, or in the more traditional offerings of sports, after school activities, and tutoring. As Taylor prepares to gather her committed board of directors for their strategic planning retreat, the future is painted with many possibilities. By the end of our conversation, it’s clear that Lowney and Taylor share views on the impact of their New Hampshire College experience in their development – caring faculty committed to student success; access and convenience for the working student; and challenges to explore how business models and practices can be applied both in work and their communities. Now, they find themselves united in a successful effort to be the standard for serving youth in communities through their collective efforts with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, helping young people to build great futures like theirs! ◆ Taylor and Lowney pose at The Climbing Wall in the Souhegan Valley Boys and Girls Club.
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2012-2013
impact on the UNIVERSITY Bridging the Gap: Bob Grier ’13 Continued from page 11 their problems – in fact, it shows what a great need we have for mental health faculties nowadays.” Grier isn’t only connecting with his classmates online; he’s finding ways to pull his education into his real life. He met a woman in church whose 17-year-old son was undergoing psychological analysis after displaying signs of savant syndrome, a rare condition in which people with autism spectrum symptoms also demonstrate profound and prodigious abilities. Grier introduced her case to the discussion board for one of his classes, and “within hours was able to connect this woman with a classmate who works with the exact same kinds of cases.” For Grier, these kinds of connections are what education is all about. “Continuing my education makes me feel empowered,” he said. “Older folks sometimes lose their self-worth as they retire and age. But education gives back that autonomy.” ◆ The New Green Standard Continued from page 17 Attending the energy efficiency conference as a student inspired Turcotte to explore entrepreneurship, and he credits this experience with his desire to create similar opportunities for future SNHU students. “Becoming an SNHU educational donor is a very fulfilling feeling. I was given such an amazing opportunity while at the university, and I would like to pass that ability on to future SNHU students,” he says. ◆
2012-2013
Impact
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Why I Give ...
impact on the UNIVERSITY
“Donating to your alma mater is one of the most meaningful ways of giving back. The education my husband and I received at SNHU helped form our careers and our lives. The university was way ahead of other institutions in the 1980s by providing classes to working adults at times and locations that were convenient to the students. The same kind of forward thinking is happening today with the expansion of SNHU’s online presence – what a great institution!” - Eeva Deshon ’89 President & CEO, Heald College San Francisco, CA
“I arrived at SNHU (then New Hampshire College) in 1993 as a transfer from another university under very difficult circumstances. The SNHU staff, from International Student Services to the dean of the Graduate School, really cared and listened to my story. They showed empathy, embraced me during that stressful time, and ensured that my first two quarters were worry-free. I was quickly on my feet, involved with Academic Computing, the Learning Center, Residence Life and various student associations. Toward the end of the graduate program, the Career Development Center helped me find an internship, which lead to a successful consulting career at a Big Six consulting firm. I happily enjoy my work-life balance now with my wife and two wonderful children. I’m still growing professionally with my team, with four locations across the globe. I honestly believe the compassion and flexibility that SNHU showed during my first few days is why I am where I am today. My 18 months at SNHU were priceless.” - Sam Deva ’95 Senior Project Manager, Fidelity Investments Merrimack, N.H
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Impact
2012-2013
President’s Circle Mission
To honor and recognize those alumni, parents, and friends who have demonstrated exceptional interest and tangible support for Southern New Hampshire University and a desire to become more closely associated with its mission.
Privileges of Membership • Recognition: President’s Circle members are individually acknowledged as leading supporters of the university in the Honor Roll of Donors and in mailings during the year. • Invitations: President’s Circle members receive exclusive invitations to special receptions throughout the year. • Involvement: President’s Circle members receive a special newsletter that includes fundraising accomplishments and articles designed to foster a better understanding of today’s Southern New Hampshire University experience.
We invite you to grow with the President’s Circle Your annual gift of $1,000 or more brings you into a community of like-minded donors. Note: Graduates of the last decade are invited to join the President’s Circle with a donation of $500.
President’s Circle
L eadership Levels Q uill Society -
$50,000 and above
R ichard Gustafson Associates $10,000 to $49,999
J ohn Miles Patrons -
$5,000 to $9,999
W illiam Green Partners $2,500 to $4,999
S hapiro Society -
$1,000 to $2,499
Feature Story
Letter from the President
Transforming Students Changing Lives In my letter in the last issue of Impact, I focused on the traditional campus and the host of improvements underway. There is a lot of excitement over on North River Road as the Robert A. Freese Student Center renovation races to completion, the design of our new Library/ Learning Commons takes shape, and our new General Education program rolls out. High school students are applying to SNHU in record numbers, and we had to move to a wait list for this coming September’s class earlier than ever before. To accommodate these increased enrollments, we hope to complete a new 300-bed dorm for fall of 2013. But I want to shift your attention to another part of SNHU’s long-standing mission: serving adult and non-traditional learners (people still debate the most appropriate term for those post-21 years of age students). Going all the way back to our Hanover Street days, this institution has always served adults. During the Vietnam War and afterwards, we served large numbers of veterans. When we created continuing education centers, before most other colleges and universities, we focused on students juggling work, family, and studying. While we mostly see recent high school graduates when we walk across the main campus, they have long been outnumbered by the number of adults studying on the campus in the evening, at our satellite sites, or online. Serving those students is part of our institutional DNA. Much of this issue of Impact focuses on our adult learners. One example, is Rick Drumm, CEO of D’Addario, the largest manufacturer of guitar strings in the world (as well as other musical products). I had an opportunity to visit his offices and plants in Farmingdale, NY, earlier this year, where I marveled at the innovations I observed and Rick’s implementation of “lean” systems thinking. Rick was already a successful musician and businessman before enrolling in our online MBA program, but, like many of our students, he wanted the theoretical framework for what he knew how to do in practical terms, and a degree was also a matter of personal pride. You will also meet students driven by a sense of mission, like Bob Grier, a retired veteran who tutored prison inmates. I could fill pages with their stories and the stories of amazing adults who somehow hold down full-time jobs (often in the military), take care of families, and yet excel in our classrooms and go on to do meaningful things and important work.
2012-2013
Impact
29
impact on the on UNIVERSITY CAMPUS
We need those students more than ever. America faces a looming skills gap. Somewhere close to 70% of all jobs will now require at least two years of education after high school. Advancement and promotion will increasingly require a four-year degree and more. Yet somewhere close to 40 million Americans have some credits and no degree, and millions of jobs go unfilled even as we continue to suffer high unemployment rates. SNHU’s long history in educating adults has never been more relevant, and that’s part of the reason our online programs have experienced such phenomenal growth. With 14,000 students now enrolled online, SNHU is the largest non-profit provider of online education in New England and has gained national prominence. More importantly, we have gained a reputation for offering an online education with quality. Some of that reputation comes from being a nonprofit and some of it from our history. Untethered from quarterly reports and demanding shareholders, we have been able to invest more than $2 million in revising our online courses, to hire experts in areas such as assessment, to build systems that help us better monitor student progress, and to keep our focus on student success. Our bottom line is not about profits (though of course we want to be financially healthy) – it’s about the transformations we make possible in student lives when we help them earn a degree, improve their lives, and better provide for their families. We were doing that back in 1932 when we were the NH School of Accounting and Secretarial Science. We are doing it 80 years later as Southern New Hampshire University.
30
Impact
2012-2013
impact on the UNIVERSITY
Money Matters Statements of Financial Position | Fiscal years ending on June 30, 2012, 2011, 2010 and 2009. Assets Cash and cash equivalents Short-term investments, at fair value Student accounts and other receivable, net Other assets, net Contributions receivable, net Student loans receivable, net Deposits with trustees Long-term investments, at fair value Property and equipment, net
2012 $2,523,621 $25,456,883 $2,368,137 $3,001,582 $410,128 $5,575,904 $60,866,907 $50,740,787 $82,249,980
2011 $245,422 $27,179,521 $3,656,104 $3,142,032 $41,932 $5,424,148 $5,787,795 $47,703,147 $75,933,860
2010 $609,835 $26,051,892 $3,695,636 $2,778,854 $176,841 $3,785,064 $9,175,538 $28,506,852 $71,041,639
2009 $1,531,658 $23,508,072 $3,345,938 $3,048,017 $210,552 $3,834,613 $17,189,042 $18,449,087 $66,320,959
$233,193,929
$169,113,961
$145,822,151
$137,437,938
Liabilities and Net Assets Liabilities Accounts payable and accrued expenses $13,432,770 Student deposits and advance payments $16,856,999 Interest Rate Swap $942,035 Notes and bonds payable $121,539,747 Refundable advances – U.S. Government grants $3,085,592
$12,092,960 $21,804,918 $1,238,463 $63,569,192 $3,086,771
$12,501,767 $12,758,852 $1,142,867 $66,611,597 $3,141,449
$9,841,940 $10,947,800 $81,447 $68,339,002 $3,205,177
$155,857,143
$101,792,304
$96,156,532
$92,415,366
$60,576,490 $5,075,745 $11,684,551
$50,862,683 $5,334,879 $11,124,095
$35,671,283 $4,114,362 $9,879,974
$34,354,435 $2,145,694 $8,522,443
Total assets
Net Assets Unrestricted Temporarily restricted Permanently restricted
Total liabilities
Total net assets
$77,336,786
$67,321,657
$49,665,619
$45,022,572
Total liabilities and net assets
$233,193,929
$169,113,961
$145,822,151
$137,437,938
Financial Position (in millions)
$240
233.1
$220 $200 $180 $160
169.1 155.8
$140 $120 $100 $80 $60 $40 $0
145.8
101.7 77.3
137.4
96.1
92.4
67.3 49.7
2012
2011
2010
45.0
2009
2012-2013
Impact
31
impact on the UNIVERSITY
How It All Adds Up 足足Statements of Unrestricted Revenues and Expenses | Fiscal years ending on June 30, 2012, 2011, 2010 and 2009. Operating Revenues Tuition and fees Residence and dining Less student aid
2012 2011 2010 2009 $149,461,808 $12,659,752 ($30,590,540)
$117,863,504 $11,661,763 ($26,092,188)
$98,674,871 $10,264,500 ($20,832,213)
$89,890,935 $10,684,078 ($18,211,471)
$131,531,020 $1,526,722 $1,720,322 $928,139 $579,708 $473,758 $0 $1,886,865
$103,433,079 $1,438,734 $795,961 $1,374,295 $1,178,521 $438,637 $0 $1,656,660
$88,107,158 $1,359,314 $833,413 $1,748,218 $581,892 $379,298 $0 $1,474,850
$82,363,542 $1,440,428 $653,788 $4,201,190 $392,728 $575,740 ($1,044,053) $2,849,973
Total operating revenues
$138,646,534
$110,315,887
$94,484,143
$91,433,336
Net assets released from restrictions Endowment Spending Total operating revenues and net assets released from restrictions Expenses Instruction Academic support Student services General institutional Auxiliary enterprises
$0 $587,052
$0 $587,052
$0 $587,052
($11,541) $587,052
$139,233,586
$110,902,939
$95,071,195
$92,008,847
$40,136,200 $15,421,545 $23,783,590 $36,491,353 $10,028,956
$37,808,383 $6,920,793 $16,237,087 $27,001,309 $10,361,210
$36,441,155 $6,907,939 $14,556,771 $21,697,352 $10,358,445
$35,697,651 $6,754,045 $12,951,819 $17,748,855 $11,758,338
$125,861,644 $13,371,942
$98,328,782 $12,574,157
$89,961,662 $5,109,533
$84,910,708 $7,098,139
$552,622 $323,665 $296,428 ($3,439,572) $0 $0 ($1,089,956) $0
$1,234,421
$1,273,778
$1,846,299
($95,596) $4,993,553 ($135,719) $0 ($49,266) $0
($1,061,420) $687,116 ($231,472) $0 $0 $0
($81,447) ($1,529,743) ($50,702) $4,594,579 ($923,802) $11,541
$0
($865,512)
($1,134,488)
$0
($3,356,813)
$5,947,393
($466,486)
$3,866,725
$10,015,129
$18,521,550
$4,643,047
$10,964,864
Tuition and fees, net Other auxiliary enterprises Contributions Grants and contracts Long-term investment income Other interest income Gain (loss) on sale of investments Other income and released assets
Total operating expenses Increase in unrestricted net assets from operations Nonoperating Contributions for long-term investment Investment income and gains Net unrealized loss on interest rate swaps Unrealized gains (losses) on investments (Loss) gain on sale of assets Gain on redemption of bonds Extinguishment of debt Net assets released from restrictions Board Designated Expense Increase (decrease) in unrestricted net assets from nonoperating revenue (expense)
32
Increase in unrestricted net assets
Impact
2012-2013
impact on the UNIVERSITY
.67% .65% .65% .42% .67%.34% .34%
2012 Revenues 2012 Revenues $139,233,586 $139,233,586
29% 29%
29%
and tion Tu i 1 3 1 , 5 3 1 $
Student s
Studen e t s $23,78 , rvices 3 59 Stud0ent se $23,783, rvices 590
29%
0
19$%23,783,ervices 59
nstitut $36,491,35 ional 3
Aca de $15 m ,
2009
Aca de $15 m ,
2012 Expenses $125,861,644
Aca de $15 m ,
Net Tuition 2011 and Fees (in2010 millions)
2012
n ctio tru 200 Ins 0,136, $4
32%
$0
n ctiioon truuct 2000 IInnsstr0,113366,,20 $$440,
88%%
19%
To t a a l u To$t axli lai a r y 1 , 5 2 6u,x i l ieanrtye $ 1 ,752 2 repn r 2 6 , 7 2 2 ties r p r is
es
fees and 20 es ,0 fe tion Tu i 1 , 5 3 1 n a n d 0 $ 1 3 Tu i t i o 1 , 5 3 1 , 0 2 $13
g
EE nn dd o w o w mm e n t
2012 Expenses $125,861,644 2012 Expenses $125,861,644
19%
s
es
% 4.24
General institut $36,491,35 ional General institut 3 i o $36,491,35 nal 3 General institut $36,491,35 ional 3
8% 2012 Expenses $125,861,644
12%
To t a l a ux li i $1,5 ary en 2 6 , 722 terpr i
9 4% 9a4n.d2 f e e s ,020 tion Tu i 1 3 1 , 5 3 1 $
8%
32%
Endow men $587 t Spen ,052 di n
$100 $140 131.5 88.1 $140 Increaseininrevenues revenuesfrom fromnetnet Increase 82.4 131.5 tuition and fees2011 2011toto2012 2012 tuition and fees $120 $80 $120 103.4 $60 $100 103.4 88.1 82.4 $100 88.1 $80 $40 82.4 rises $80 iliary enterp $60 Aux 0,028,956 $20 $1 $60 $40 $0 2012 2011 8% 2009 2010 $40 $20 s s teterprprirsiese aliaryryeenn,9,95566 8 2 28 $$1010,0,0 $0 $20 2012 2011 2009 2010
n ctio tru 200 Ins 0,136, $4n ctio tru 200 Ins 0,136, $4
27.2
% prises y en8ter 6 r a i l i Aux 10,028,95ry enterprises $ uxilia A 10,028,956 $
ort % upp 12 ic s 1,545 42
s ribution C o nitb u2t0i o, 3n2s2 r 7 C o n t$ 12, 0e s, 3 2 2 $1,7
4% 94.2
27.2
Increase in revenues from net tuition and fees 2011 to 2012
$2,648,462 32%
m ee i n cc oo m t h ee rr i n
103.4
Government Grants and Contracts
n ctio tru 200 Ins 0,136, $4
$120
Increaseinintotal totaloperating operating Increase revenues2011 2011toto2012 2012 revenues
Increase in revenues from net Increase revenues from net tuition and fees 2011 toin2012 tuition and fees 2011 to 2012
32%
Increase totaloperating operating Increase inintotal 131.5 expenses2011 2011toto2012 2012 expenses
nt liary e Auxi 10,028,956 $
Increase in total operating revenues 2011 to 2012
28.0 25.5 come er in Oth 86,865 $1,8
$140
27.227.2
$301,138
2011-2012 Constituent Giving and Government Contributions Total: erprises
28.0 25.5
Increase in total operating expenses 2011 to 2012
Increase in Increase total operating Increase in total operating in total operating Increase total operating in revenues frominnet expenses 2011 to 20122011 to 2012 Increase revenues 2011revenues to 2012 expenses 2011 to 2012 tuition and fees 2011 to 2012
12%
s Gran ribution ts a Cont 20,322 n 7 , $92 d con $1 Gra 8,1 tr nts 39 ac Gran $ and c t t s9a2 o n8 d, 1 3 n t r a $ 9 2 c9o n c t 8,1 tr 39 ac t
2012 Revenues $139,233,586 .42%
%
s
$2,347,324
69
.65% .67% 1.10% 1.10%.34% 1.23% 1.21.35% 3% 1.35%
Increase 20% in total operating revenues 2011 to 2012
25.525.5 28.0 28.0 27.2
Inte Inte r r $ 4 7 e$s 4t 7i n e s t i 3 , 7 3c, o7 n c o 5 8 m5 8e m e
Endow come men er in $587 t Spen Oth 86,865 , E n d owme 052 ding $ 1e,r8 i nEcno m e nt S $ O t h 8 6 , 8 6d5o w m e n t 5 8 7 ,052 pendi Sp $5 ng 8 $1,8 7 , 052 endin g
Inte r $47 est in 3,7 co 58 me
t i n c to mi nec o m e s t m esnt m e n I n v e I n 5v e7 9 , 750789 , 7 0 8 $ $ .42%
Increase in total operating 8% 3% expenses 2011 to 2012
come er in Oth 86,865 $1,8
s
28.0 25.5
Inte r $47 est in 3,7 co 58 me
1.10% 1.23% 1.35%
s
$465,235 $1,623,790 $179,261 $79,038
ort upp ic s 45 5 , ort 421 upp ic s 1,545 42
t income stmen 8 e v n I 70 $579,
Alumni Corporations and Organizations Faculty, Staff, Parents and Friends Foundations
2012-2013
Impact
33
33
NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID MANCHESTER, NH PERMIT NO. 6025
Office of Institutional Advancement 2500 North River Road Manchester, NH 03106-1045 Address Service Requested
snhu.edu on campus. on location. online.
R eflecting on the path that led me to Southern New Hampshire University, I am grateful that I grew up at a time and in a place where education was virtually free all the way through graduate school. Today, such a generous education is rarely available. The fact that my parents’ generation gave forward to enable its children to prosper in ways it otherwise could not, reminds me that I always have something to give in return. My commitment to the development program at SNHU is a way of showing my gratitude; yet, in addition, I get to see the results directly as I watch the students we serve grow before my eyes. hile higher education becomes ever more expensive, it is increasingly important for us to help W students who are dependent on financial support. SNHU faculty, staff, students, families, and alumni all contribute to the mission that the university serves—the education that prepares us to foresee and meet future challenges; that preparation will most certainly benefit us all. — Chris Toy President’s Circle Member Retired Professor of Mathematics
Become involved in Planned Giving!
For more information contact the Office of Institutional Advancement at 603.645.9799 or by email at alumni@snhu.edu.