2023 Annual Report by Troy University

Greetings from the Chancellor

The landscape of higher education across the country is changing and evolving at a rapid pace. We have seen programs and initiatives begin and flourish, and we have seen whole institutions close their doors for good. One thing is for certain, though: TROY is on the right side of development.

Our year was cemented with one of the greatest victories we have achieved. On September 8, the Alabama Commission on Higher Education officially reclassified TROY as a doctoral institution. What started as a twoyear teachers’ college is making strides to becoming a full-fledged research university. Coinciding with this news is the great progress made on our new research facility, which will study manufacturing and materials sciences, and our new Jones Hall, which will house the College of Health Sciences.

First Lady Janice Hawkins was the driving force behind another new project — an updated welcome sign on Highway 231 that greets visitors to campus and welcomes Trojans home. The sign makes for a dynamic entrance to our campus and reflects Mrs. Hawkins’ commitment to keeping TROY “Alabama’s Most Beautiful Campus.”

Our successes this past year weren’t limited to the classroom and to new projects. Our athletic teams proved once again why TROY is one of the premiere programs in the Sun Belt Conference. Most notably, our football team won its second straight conference championship game, clinching the victory against Appalachian State with a final score of 49-23. The only thing better than winning the conference is winning it at home in Veterans Memorial Stadium.

In closing, the report covers the full gamut of TROY in 2023, from academic achievement, to athletic victories, to alumni success, and to our role as Alabama’s International University. Our staff has prepared an extensive and interesting look at your University, and I recommend this report for your reading. Once you’re done, I believe you will be as proud of TROY and its people as I am.

Jack Hawkins Jr., Ph.D. Chancellor Troy University

Office

the

Chancellor at Troy University

TROY UNIVERSITY

FINANCIAL REPORT

COMMUNITY OUTREACH

2023 Financial Highlights

During the fiscal year, TROY continued to face operational challenges driven primarily by inflationary cost across all expense categories, which was compounded by the loss of one-time federal relief funds received in prior years to offset the pandemic impact. A crucial element affecting TROY’s future continues to be our funding relationship with the State of Alabama as supplemented by tuition revenue. The State has increased funding for operations and critical deferred maintenance needs in recent years allowing TROY to provide critical upgrades to ensure academic quality, campus safety and cutting-edge technology while keeping the cost of attendance among the lowest in the State.

TROY leadership, faculty and staff worked collectively to maximize cost reduction through good stewardship by effective prioritization of expenses and the purposeful use of vacant position savings to ensure TROY remained within its approved budget. Simultaneously, TROY continued to make strategic investments in its people and physical capital which are critical to increased enrollment and retention. Many of our colleges and programs rank among the best in the nation – an external validation of our academic rigor, commitment to quality and outstanding students.

In spite of the challenges faced, the University will “cut the ribbon,” opening the Center for Materials and Manufacturing Sciences and Jones Hall (College of Health Sciences) and will begin the design of a new indoor football practice facility. I am pleased to confirm TROY’s financial position remains strong with an increase in net position for fiscal year 2023, the fifth consecutive year, as well as its strong credit rating as cited by Standard & Poor’s affirmation of an A1 credit rating with a stable outlook. Strong reserve balances replenished by these surpluses will provide protection against future funding reductions or adverse economic conditions. These impressive results are a direct result of the extraordinary commitment and dedication of our Board of Trustees, Chancellor Hawkins, our academic and administration leadership and the entire University community.

Dr. Jim Bookout, CPA, CGM, CITP Senior Vice Chancellor for Financial Affairs and Online Education

TROY UNIVERSITY ALUMNI AND GIVING

On the biggest Giving Day to date, family, friends and alumni of Troy University banded together to raise $414,206 from 508 donors across 30 states and 2 countries, exceeding the $275K goal.

Giving to TROY doesn’t just happen on one day, though. Throughout the year, the Alumni Association, alumni chapters, organizations and individuals offer continuous support to TROY and its students.

Alumni Association

In 2023, the Alumni Association named Rosemary Elebash (’76) Board President, Jack Weaver (’85) Vice President and Steve Sanders (’88) Treasurer. Terry L. Butts (’79) serves as the Board’s Legal Counsel.

Three new Alumni Chapters were added, and a fourth has been initiated. In total, TROY has 67 chartered alumni chapters.

Alumni of the Year

The 2023 Alumni of the Year award recipients featured: Randy Mauldin (’86); Gwen Mosley (’76, ’78); Bill Wasden (’78); and Andrew Olivastro (‘96).

Giving and Scholarships

There are more than 350 active named scholarship funds for the TROY Foundation. At the 2023 Fred B. Davis Scholarship Brunch, it was revealed that nearly 1,200 individual scholarships were awarded, and TROY was able to award more than $1 million in Foundation scholarships for the first time annually. The alumni chapters also raised $50,000 in support of academic initiatives.

TROY UNIVERSITY

ACADEMICS AND RESEARCH

The hallmark moment of 2023 occurred on Sept. 8 when the Alabama Commission on Higher Education approved an instructional role change, allowing the University to offer more doctoral degrees, advancing TROY’s growth as a research institution

TROY launched its first doctoral program, the DNP, in 2010, followed by the Ph.D. in Sport Management in 2017 and the Ph.D. in Global Leadership in 2020. The University has graduated more than 230 doctoral students and admitted more than 500.

Leading up to the role change, faculty and staff increased grant writing and research efforts, securing more than $32 million during the 20222023 academic year.

Keynote projects and grants include:

College of Arts and Sciences:

• $114,843, Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance, Northwest Florida State College

• $95,000, Elsa U. Pardee Foundation

• $54,769, State of Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

• $10,000 total, Wiregrass Resource, Conservation and Development Council, the Alabama Audubon Society, Walmart

• Allowed a new species of mud dragon to be formally recognized and named, Echinoderes zacharyi

College of Education

• $1.132 million, U.S. Department of Education

• Global Leadership Ph.D. second annual Immersion Weekend

College of Health and Human Services

• $3 million, Health Resources and Services Administration

• 28 Bachelor of Science in Nursing students placed in the inaugural, two-year Nursing Student Apprenticeship Program

Sorrell College of Business

• More than $20,000, International Center for Gaming Regulation

• $7,500, National Collegiate Athletics Association Student Research

• Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in Music Industry program announced

• Master of Business Administration in Music Industry program launched

Rosa Parks Museum

• $150,000, Daniel Foundation of Alabama

TROY UNIVERSITY

INTERNATIONAL

TROY continued to build on its reputation as Alabama’s International University in 2023 through international partnerships, graduations and study abroad opportunities for students.

More than 300 TROY students took advantage of study abroad opportunities during the 2022-2023 academic year, thanks in large part to the Chancellor’s Award for Global Competitiveness. In 2023, students traveled to locations such as Cuba, Costa Rica, Spain, South Africa, England, France, the Dominican Republic, Italy, Greece, Canada, Ireland, Scotland and Germany, among others.

In addition, Chancellor Dr. Jack Hawkins, Jr. presided over commencement at three universities in Vietnam, where the strength of the graduating classes at Duy Tan University (Danang), Hanoi University of Science and Technology and Vietnam National University’s University of Economics and Business (Hanoi) make the

southeastern Asian nation TROY’s leading edge of expansion.

In all, more than 1,000 students participate in TROY’s program at the partner institutions, where they take classes in English from TROY professors in computer science, business administration and hospitality event management.

The year also saw the production of a documentary focusing on the relationship between Dr. Hawkins and Dr. Lê Công Co, leader of Vietnam’s Duy Tan University, and the partnership that has grown between the two universities. Fifty years earlier, the two leaders were on opposite sides of the Vietnam War, but today are working together to educate the next generation of Vietnam students. The documentary is scheduled to premiere in the United States during the fall of 2024.

TROY UNIVERSITY

CONSTRUCTION UPDATES

Work on the Troy Campus continued on three new buildings: the Center for Materials and Manufacturing Sciences, Riddle-Pace Field and Jones Hall. The CMMS, the first building in the University’s history to be solely dedicated to research, houses laboratories and workspaces for research in the field of polymer science and will be completed in summer 2024. Healthrelated professions will find a new home in Jones Hall, expected to be completed during fall 2024. Riddle-Pace Field was augmented with new suites, a club level, and player and coach support facilities, along with expanded seating in the baseball stadium. Together, the three projects add nearly 130,000 square feet to campus facilities and represent an investment of nearly $67 million in the campus’ physical plant.

TROY

For TROY Athletics, 2023 saw Conference titles, postseason appearances and record-breaking performances.

• TROY football continued its winning ways in the 2023 season, finishing the year with a 11-3 season and wrapping up its second consecutive Sun Belt Conference championship. The Trojans became only the second SBC team to win consecutive league championship games. TROY also became the first Sun Belt Conference school to play a Power Five opponent in a bowl game with its matchup against Duke in Birmingham.

• The fall season also brought along record-breaking performances on the volleyball court with Josh Lauer’s club winning a program-record of 12 Sun Belt matches in 2023 after starting league play with 10 straight wins.

• Men’s basketball, under Coach Scott Cross, topped the 20-win mark for the second consecutive year and advanced to the quarterfinals of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament.

• The women’s basketball team, under Coach Chanda Rigby, won 12 conference games and entered the conference tournament as the No. 4 seed.

• On the diamond, TROY baseball, under coach Skylar Meade, ended the 2023 season with 40 wins and made an appearance in NCAA regional play.

• In softball, coach Eric Newell’s squad posted 33 wins on the season before falling in the quarterfinals of the Sun Belt Tournament.

TROY UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY OUTREACH

Many TROY organizations make the world a better place.

Greek organizations proved that TROY students want to make a difference.

At the Phenix City Campus, a partnership was formed with Mother Mary Mission to open a new Women Veterans Transitional Living Facility and the ParentAchievement = Student Success (PASS) program was implemented.

• FarmHouse Fraternity was recognized as the top chapter in the nation and garnered the national Community Service Achievement Award.

• Alpha Tau Omega walked 128.3 miles from Troy University to Panama City Beach and raised $125,000 for Jeep Sullivan’s non-profit, which supports wounded veterans.

• Kappa Alpha Psi awarded six $1,000 scholarships to students from Troy and Pike County with its third-annual Scholarship Breakfast.

The Montgomery Campus transferred Building 136 to Valiant Cross Academy and awarded four Lamar P. Higgins Scholarships to academy students.

On the Dothan Campus, the Coleman Center continued to offer quality early learning and childcare in the Wiregrass.

TROY also dedicated the National PanHellenic Council Plaza, recognizing and honoring the historically African American Greek-letter organizations.

Nearly 1,000 rising high school seniors attended Boys State and Girls State on the Troy Campus, and the IDEA Bank began inviting the community to “unlock their ideas” at the IDEA Vault studio, a podcasting and recording studio.

TROY UNIVERSITY ACCOLADES

Troy University continued to receive external recognition for quality academics, value and service to traditional, military and adult students in 2023, both for its inclass and online degree programs.

• The Princeton Review named TROY among its best colleges and universities in the southern U.S. for the 19th consecutive year.

• U.S. News & World Report recognized TROY among its best regional universities in the South in its 2024 Best Colleges rankings, and TROY was ranked 23rd among public regional universities in the South.

• Money ranked TROY among its 2023 Best Colleges, examining the areas of quality, affordability and future earnings potential.

• Abound, a college guidance system for degree-seeking adults, recognized TROY as one of its Top 100 Online Colleges nationally. The University was also recognized as a part of Abound’s Best Colleges for Adults 2023 listing.

• TROY was the highest ranked university in Alabama and among the top in the Southeast in Military Times’ 2023 “Best for Vets” rankings. TROY ranked 16th in the Southeast when it comes to service to veterans.

• G.I. Jobs magazine recognized TROY as a Military Friendly School, awarding the University the organization’s highest gold ranking.

• TROY also earned the 20th spot in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges for Veterans rankings.