August 28, 2007

Given the activity on the mall and across the campus, it is evident that the new school year has begun. And what a year it is going to be!  Creighton begins its 129th year from a position of strength: solid enrollment, fiscal stability, national recognition, generous faculty and staff, and successful fund raising. All of these vital indicators, enhanced by the successful North Central Accreditation, increased external funding for research, and campus construction and renovations, contribute to a sense of wellness as we begin the 2007-08 academic year. What follows are some specifics that I judge to be useful as you tell the Creighton story in the greater Omaha community:

Thank You: Thanks to all of you from across the University for your assistance in a most successful move-in weekend. The freshmen and their parents were overwhelmed by the welcome they received from all divisions around the campus. Our Freshman Welcome Week has become a signature program at Creighton and gives us national recognition. None of it would be possible without the support of so many divisions across the University. Student Services, of course, is out front in this effort and I thank them, as I thank all of you in the many support divisions. It was a great weekend. I have testimonial letters from happy parents to validate this observation!

Thanks also to all of you who made the first week run smoothly in all of our professional and health science programs. A special word of thanks to DoIT’s student technology team which set up and installed more than 600 notebook computers for our first-year undergraduate students and first-year law students.

Enrollment:  All enrollment budgets have been met. With slightly fewer first-time students, our retention has assured a solid undergraduate enrollment. All professional programs—Health Sciences, Law, University College, and Graduate School—have met or surpassed targeted enrollments. We anticipate a historically high enrollment this first semester, just short of 7,000 students!

The freshman class of 2011 hails from 36 states; 21.5% are students of color or from underrepresented groups; 21% are first generation college students; 21% are legacy students—having some previous family connection with Creighton; and 21.7% come from households earning less than $60,000. Kudos and congratulations to the Admissions and Financial Aid teams that made this year such a positive experience. This is the fourth consecutive year that we have enrolled 950-plus freshmen. May this trend continue!

Rankings:  As you know, Creighton was again ranked #1 in the Midwest in the Universities-Master’s category by U.S. News & World Report. This is the fifth consecutive year and the ninth of ten years that we have held the top position. The Princeton Review had highly laudatory commentary about us in its 366 most selective institutions. And we were ranked #1 in the Midwest for “Best Value,” by U.S. News.

I believe it is the outstanding quality of the Creighton faculty that helps to continually keep us ranked as the #1 school in our category. We have a very talented faculty, and the new influx of energetic professional scholars will be a perfect complement to our highly regarded and outstanding community of teachers, researchers, scholars and care givers. The faculty’s efforts are supported and enhanced by the skill, care and generous service of our support staff.

Construction: The buzz of the summer construction projects is the renovation of St. John’s Church. If you have not seen it, stop by for a look. An already stately and elegant worship space has been beautifully renovated and restored. Future generations will be blessed with this wonderful revitalized sacred space.

The Harper Center continues to draw attention and rave reviews for its sheer size and elegant proportions. On target and on budget for an August 2008 opening, the center grows larger every day. Did you know that 410,000 bricks will be used in the façade of the building?

Also on the east campus, the Venteicher Mall, which runs from Morrison Stadium to 20th Street, is near completion. Now that Billy Bluejay has decamped from the stadium to his new perch in front of Morrison, we await the completion of the fountain and the installation of the lights. All of this should be completed within the next month. I encourage all of you to walk down the Mall to Opus Hall and see the impact that a unified walkway will have on the quality of life on campus.

I wanted to pass along my congratulations to the School of Dentistry and to the Division of Information Technology for their efforts in implementing our new dental software package, Axium. This new software will provide Dentistry with new capabilities in teaching, research, and business functions utilizing the latest technology software tools.

As many of you know, I am focused on enhancing the student-centered environment that we have at Creighton. To that end, I have breakfast every Wednesday with a randomly selected group of students—I have been doing this for 18 years. I learn a tremendous amount about what we do well and how we can improve. Over the years, these breakfasts have been a great learning experience for me. Last semester I began a similar event with faculty. With the help of Dr. Neil Norton, I had lunch with four representative groups of faculty members. It is my intention to continue these lunches across the academic year. There is always something new to learn about Creighton and how we respond to the needs of students, faculty and staff.

So let the year begin!

Thank you for listening. Thank you for being part of Creighton. My prayers are for all of you—students, faculty and staff—as the new school year begins. May God bless this enterprise and all who are a part of it. Enjoy the year!

John P. Schlegel, S.J.
President