I L L I N O I S
TRANSFORMING LIVES
A N N UA L G I V I N G
TRANSFORMING LIVES, ONE STUDENT AT A TIME.
Dear Friends of the Robert Morris University Community: Evolution is central to the core mission of Robert Morris University – and it has been since our very inception. It is not a casual undertaking, but a force that drives the institution to improve, adapt and succeed, with each and every student in mind. Each student – those words are important. Addressing the needs of each student and developing a unique and effective plan for success demands the expertise and dedication of a strong corps. Faculty, advisers, coaches, tutors, mentors, and administrators all focus on individual student success: all for one. In the past few years, that corps has expanded. Alumni are giving back as advisory board members, employers, mentors and volunteers. Donors from all of our communities are supporting our scholarship funds. Corporations have joined Robert Morris by providing internship and career opportunities. Our emphasis on experiential education has never been as important as it is today. The word is spreading. In August of this year, Money Magazine named ROBERT MORRIS UNIVERSITY THE #1 VALUE in the country. We have been recognized for our completion rate for bachelor’s degree students, our low student loan default rate and the diversity of our student population. We have also been profiled by dozens of major media outlets around the world for the expansion of our athletic program with an eSports team. While these distinctions affirm our position as a leader in higher education in the Midwest, many challenges and opportunities lie ahead. At RMU, we’ve proven that experience-based teaching and learning is at the core of each student’s success. This includes co-curricular, cultural and entertainment involvement. Making such a focused college experience a priority for our students is an expensive proposition – but one that Robert Morris University is committed to provide. With your help, our mission will remain strong and attainable. We invite you to learn more about our students and alumni from their stories and of the prospects for achieving even more on their behalf. And, we ask for your financial support and participation so that we may expand that corps even more, empowering Robert Morris University to set the path to success, one student at a time. Sincerely, Mablene Krueger, President
Michael P. Viollt, Chancellor
#1 VALUE ALL-STAR 2015 According to
Money Magazine
DESIGNED TO IMPACT LIVES.
F
or over 100 years, RMU has remained focused on our vision to deliver a quality education that meets the demands of our local communities and the evolving global
society. Still, so many people remain marginalized with low
#
resources and diminishing opportunities. For the past five years, U.S. News & World Report has named Robert Morris as the most diverse university in the Midwest. With a student body representative of 50% first-generation and 70% low-resource, RMU remains committed to the cause of making a college education accessible to ALL. To prepare students to meet the world’s changing demands, RMU provides programming in professional career-focused fields, expanding offerings in critical-need areas such as healthcare and STEM programs. Through our focus on experience-based learning, along with a unique, innovative approach to advising and guiding students, RMU is better positioned than most American universities to respond to the needs of the nation.
RMU’S
TUITION RATE
IS ONE OF THE
LOWEST OF ALL PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES
“At the best of tomorrow’s universities you will not be able to tell where the walls of the University end and those of the cultural institutions and employers begin.” — Chancellor Viollt
IN ILLINOIS
CENTERED IN A WORLD-CLASS CITY
CHICAGO ETHNIC EXPERIENCES
ENTERTAINMENT
CAREER DEVELOPMENT
100
%
OF OUR GRADUATE AND UNDERGRADUATE DEGREES ARE CAREER- OR PRE-PROFESSIONALFOCUSED
OUR FORMULA FOR SUCCESS:
EXPERIENCE-BASED LEARNING =
INCREASED CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
STUDENT LOAN DEFAULT RATE Percentage of borrowers entering repayment and defaulting on their loan.
GRADUATING
STUDENTS
5.8
%
RMU
Washington Monthly recognized RMU as a national leader in
13.7
%
NATIONAL
According to Washington Monthly, a low student loan default rate is a strong example of a university’s commitment to debtload management and alumni success.
RMU’S GRADUATION RATE IS
52
%
ABOVE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT’S EXPECTED RATE
AT ROBERT MORRIS UNIVERSITY, 70% OF OUR STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN A UNIVERSITY SPORT OR ORGANIZATION. RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THAT AN INVOLVED STUDENT IS A STUDENT WHO WILL GRADUATE!
B
alancing school, work and extra-curricular activities is more the rule
than the exception for Robert Morris students. But those in the nursing program find that the ability to manage their time efficiently takes an extra set of skills – after all, learning to provide quality patient care has to be the top priority. Cheering for the RMU Eagles has provided balance to the rigor of the nursing program, and Danielle is on her way to completing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Working toward her RN certification, she participated in clinicals at Chicago-area hospitals, including Northwestern University Hospital. Danielle found the clinical work of nursing enabled her to apply concepts she learned in the classroom. The urban environment gave her the opportunity to work with and learn from many different doctors, nurses and patients. And the city itself added to her experience: “Chicago offered networking opportunities, all the great hospitals, and the chance to start a career right out of college. It’s one of the best cities in the world!” Danielle credits the relationships she built with faculty, staff and peers for providing the support and encouragement to excel. After graduating, she hopes to pursue a master’s degree.
Cheer Team
Bachelor of Science in Nursing 2016
DANIELLE’S EXPERIENTIAL JOURNEY
Clinicals at Northwestern University Hospital
Captain of the Dance Team
Clinicals at Mercy Hospital
LARGEST SPORTS, MUSIC RMU OFFERS
ONE OF THE
EXTRA-CURRICULAR PROGRAMS OF
Internship teaching assistant for the EKG technician class
Clinicals at Ingalls Hospital
“Through the clinical experience I quickly learned that a career in the healthcare field was not easy. It has its
& PERFORMING ARTS
ups and downs, but the ups
WITH OVER
every day.”
AND
55 ATHLETIC TEAMS 9 PERFORMING ARTS GROUPS
were what brought me back
SALVADOR
S
alvador Jimenez was a familiar face in the RMU art department and State Street Gallery. His works were never subtle – Sal believed in big, broad, attention-grabbing art, and it wasn’t limited to class projects. As an artist who found blank canvases
all around him, he created color and images in playful murals at local schools, and the Pilsen neighborhood. There, he engaged local children to help paint his bold creations. Eventually, he expanded his efforts from prints to sculpture to multimedia works. After graduating from RMU, Salvador completed a Master of Fine Arts. Today he is the artist-in-residence at the Office of the Arts at Harvard. Salvador’s artwork goes far beyond the canvas through the community. He has participated in seminars and workshops for RMU alumni, the annual RMU art and design symposium, worked on a mural in the lobby of Lurie Children’s Hospital at Northwestern, and created dozens of art pieces that depict his life’s journey and inspire social consciousness in all who view them. As a graduate of Chicago Public Schools, it has always been Salvador’s mission to give back to the communities where he lives and works, and his passion for art has been the perfect channel. A first-generation college student, Salvador credits his two-year Artist in Residence experience at Robert Morris for providing him the opportunity and mentorship to push beyond his creative ability – ultimately leading him to where he is today.
Harvard Resident Artist
Lead Artist for Dream Big, Community Foundation
Diversity and Inclusion Committee, AIGA West Michigan, Outreach Chair
Master of Fine Arts
SALVADOR’S EXPERIENTIAL JOURNEY
Eagle Newspaper Full Bleed Magazine
“My internships gave me a realworld experience and helped me find the path I wanted to take as a graphic designer.”
4 5
Study Abroad: School of Art Centers, Florence, Italy
Para los niños/For the Kids: commission for Lurie Children’s Hospital
RMU Artist-In-Residence for two years
For five years running, RMU has been named
MOST DIVERSE
UNIVERSITY
IN THE MIDWEST by U.S. News & World Report.
CURRICULUM BEYOND THE CLASSROOM WALLS:
NATIONAL LEADER IN TIME TO DEGREE:
91
%
of RMU bachelor degree graduates
FINISHED in 4 years or less
“I took advantage of everything RMU had to offer in order to prepare myself for what was to come. Some people go through life without any direction, but if you stay focused, you can achieve anything.”
75
%
of first-time freshmen complete at least two
INTERNSHIPS before they graduate
NICK’S EXPERIENTIAL JOURNEY
Capstone Classes and Internship at Black More Partners
Study abroad in London
Internship at Houlihan Smith investment banking
Internship at Sony Music Group
Selected to work on I-Center project in investment banking
NICK L
ike many high school graduates, Nick was unsure as to what he wanted to do with his life. Going to college wasn’t totally out of the question, but getting a good paying job seemed to take precedence. After a number of years working
for Pepsi, Nick realized that while the pay was good, he wanted to pursue a degree. A program that would allow him to work and attend school at the same time was imperative and RMU’s flexible schedule made all the difference. Still, it wasn’t easy, Nick recalls. “I would wake up at 4 in the morning, go to work, then school, and I wouldn’t get home until 11 at night, then start all over again. I just took it one quarter at a time.” Nick found the value of relationships with both peers and faculty to be major contributors to his education and to the growing confidence he discovered in himself. During one internship, Nick met and competed with students from all over the country, including Michigan State, Harvard, and Penn State. He found that, “I not only held my own, but I surpassed many of them.” Recent research has shown that future success has more to do with the college experience you have than with the name of the institution.
OUR GOAL:
TO BECOME THE #1 EXPERIENCE-BASED LEARNING INSTITUTION MAKING A DIFFERENCE.
W
e have already been named the #1 Best Value in Higher Education by Money Magazine. Others
have named us a leader in career-focused education. In planning for tomorrow, measurable outcomes have been strategically designed that will maintain our high level of service to students and anticipate the changing demands of quality higher education.
MEETING THE COSTS OF A PROGRESSIVE, STRATEGIC PLAN
1 2 3 4 5 6
RMU aims to take diversity to another level by providing scholarships for more first-generation, low-income students. Health-related careers will be in greater demand over the next several decades. RMU will expand its College of Nursing and Health Studies with graduate-level programs and the corresponding construction of science labs. To accommodate an additional 300 students in the Performing Arts program, RMU needs to expand its current facilities for music, drama, and art. As the demand for additional Science, Technology, Engineering and Math programs increases, RMU will create new lab space for innovative projects and learning. Partnerships with corporations in our campus communities are essential to providing students with internships and, ultimately, careers. RMU plans to expand these experience-based learning opportunities by forging additional partnerships with civic and business leaders. With more women finding their place on the athletic fields or courts, RMU will expand opportunities for women through additional scholarships and new athletic facilities.
OUR STRATEGIC PLAN Graduate
OUR FUNDRAISING NEEDS Expand economic, need-based
ADDITIONAL 1 SCHOLARSHIPS
1st-generation, low-income students Open a
Create new
Expand
Expand
2 CLINICAL SITES GRADUATEof health SCHOOL sciences PERFORMING ARTS 3 FACILITIES
opportunities to an additional 300 students Build a menu of
Create
STEM NEW LAB SPACE 4 programs Expand
Forge new
Expand
Build athletic facilities and offer
EXPERIENCE-BASED PARTNERSHIPS 5 learning opportunities with civic and business leaders ATHLETIC SCHOLARSHIPS 6 opportunities for women
STAND WITH US. HELP MORE STUDENTS WRITE THEIR STORIES, ONE AT A TIME.
M
any colleges work to strengthen one program or another at their institutions. At Robert Morris, our aim is straightforward: we want to be the national leader in experienced-based education.
Our history of dynamic instruction that extends beyond the walls of the classroom gives us a strong foundation upon which to build. We ask you to stand with us as we continue our commitment of providing a world-class experience-based education. This annual appeal is a direct request to you. Become involved with an institution that follows through with its promise to create opportunity in America. Your financial support will make the difference in writing our next success story.
WE NEED YOUR HELP.
Our goal is $1 million, and with alumni, faculty, staff,
supporters, friends and members of our extended communities, we can reach it. Your contribution is a way to give back, to pay it forward, and to be a part of the future of higher education.
Transform a life today by sending in the enclosed card, or give online at: www.robertmorris.edu/give Thank you. Robert Morris University 401 S. State Street Chicago, IL 60605 robertmorris.edu
Robert Morris University 401 S. State Street Chicago, IL 60605