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Antioch University McGregor
Board Update
May 23, 2001
Student Services
p. Complete re-organization in place to turn our focus to recruitment The
current Director of Admissions leaves after June 30 to care for her young
children full time. It is a loss and an opportunity. Registrar Darlene
Robertson and Director of Development Sean Creighton will co-chair the
new “Enrollment Management” department. They will look at “cradle to
after fife” – in other words, they will treat every caller as a potential student
and future donor. They have physically combined office areas for a one-
stop “shopping” atmosphere.
a Competition and lack of marketing dollars continues to hamper enrollment
An adjustment of the budget and hopes for some additional resources
( through University initiatives allows McGregor to bring on two full time
recruiters in July. This is a merge of current positions and dollars. We
have several good candidates at this time.
Development
a Sean is doing a fabulous job. We have exceeded our Annual Fund Goal,
in part due to many generous donations by board members and a $10,000
donation from Lillian Lovelace. The goal for fundraising next year is high.
with plans for special events and new initiatives,
a We had a very successful event recently honoring McGregor Society
($1000 or more) members. Alum attending touted the many ways
McGregor’s educational programs changed their lives.
o In August, we will have a fundraising recognition event at the President’s
home,
a In the fall (perhaps around Board time), we wffl have another event
featuring the lead author of the 2000 book, “McGregor Revisited.”
o We are featuring several alumni benefits (see www.mcQreaor.edu).
including courses, book club readings, etc.
Program Development
a We are pleased to be awarded a University Innovations Grant (@$33,000)
to continue work on the community college management program. Dr. Iris
Weisman is heading up this initiative and had a very successful trip to the
American Association of Community Colleges national conference. It is
likely we will have several partners an this program Including the Chairs
Academy and Cornell University’s Institute for Community College
Development.
a Teacher Education continues to work on its transition to licensors,.
implementation of the Special Education program (approved in the Spring)
and refining the M.Ed,
o The undergraduate program is working very hard to establish new student
audiences through collaboration with two-year institutions and offering an
eight-week career development program at our new downtown location
(The Entrepreneurs Center). We can lease their training room for very little
cost as a “new” tenant while we await the build of the Classroom of the
Future.
a We are phasing out our partnership with the Intercultural Communications
institute and studying potential future avenues for Intercultural Relations,
o Conflict Resolution is beginning a potentially very productive partnership
with an organization called the Bartos Institute for continuing professional
development in that field,
a We are in discussion with the national Corrections Education Association
about offering staff development nationally. “~~~
o We have spoken with the Western Governor’s University about offering
our education courses online. They keep 30% of the revenue, but do all
the marketing. This is a very interesting possibility once we begin
developing courses for that program online,
a At this time, faculty has expressed an interest in offering upwards of 50
courses online next year, including almost all programs.
Awards and Public Relations
a Each year teacher education programs are offered the chance to compete
for prestigious state awards. This year McGregor won two of six such
awards, thereby taking in 1/3 of the recognition. We won for best
cooperating teacher and best field program. This is quite a validation of
the quality of our small program competing in a field of over eighty
education programs statewide (including Ohio State and Ohio University).
New Initiatives
• The Classroom of the Future could not be going any better! Our donor (my
hero and good friend) Mitch Jones of Arel Learning Solutions is donating
equipment/software and personal funds in the range of $300,000. He is
working to help find other funds to assure a 3-4 operating budget. A
colleague who is vice president of Mead Corporation has volunteered to
help us raise funds; he is personally known for his success in raising
millions for a new performing Arts Center In Dayton. Together, we should
be quite successful.
A local architectural firm, Lorenz and Williams agreed to lend their
services free of charge to the project (a very good Mitch-Barbara “sell)!
?
This room will be remarkable. The Air Force Museum, Wright Ratterson
Air Force Bases and several education software providers who want to
participate have already contacted us. When discussing how to display the
world without using an outdated globe, the team came up with a hologram
as the response. We are working with one of our team’s family members
who develops holograms for the Chicago Art Institute; he has agreed to do
this for us. Use your imagination and know ~ this will be special.
Graduation
I am pleased to announce that Dr. Charles Clements was selected to speak at this
year’s commencement and he accepted Dr. Clements was President of Physicians
for Human Rights when they won the Nobel Peace Prize for their work with land
mines in Bosnia in 1997. He is the author of the book Witness to War, about his
work in Nicaragua in the 80’s, which was later made into a documentary film that
won an Academy Award. Dr. Clements is currently the Executive Director of
Border Waterworks, an initiative of the Pew Charitable Trusts and the El Paso
Community Foundation to assist small US communities along the border to
resolve the water and wastewater problems. Most recently, Antioch University
McGregor entered a partnership with me Bartos Institute in New Mexico where
Dr. Clements is the Co-Director to offer a specialized certificate in Conflict
Resolution.
External Relations
o I traveled to Washington, D.C. with business leaders early May to meet
with our local delegation. At that time, I presented a project from the
community we call “Bridging the Digital Divide” which includes funds for
classrooms of the future for five area schools. We may receive some
funds, or none, but the leadership on this junket made my travel very, very
valuable (heads of banks, government, businesses, etc.)
a Arthur Porter, Publisher of the Dayton Business Journal, agreed to serve
on our Board of Visitors. He will also help sponsor and co-host our spring
fundraiser, Executive Trivial Pursuit.
Personal Note
a And if that is not enough, I have planned my son’s Bar Mitzvah (May 26)
right in the middle of all of this!
Respectfully submitted,
President Barbara Gellman-Danley
