Clarke University At A Glance

WE ARE

CLARKE UNIVERSIT Y LEARNING • LIVING • LEADING • GIVING

GREETINGS

From Your Communities’ University As we reflect on 2021 so far, we recognize how those in the Clarke community brought our core values of education, charity, justice, and freedom to life. From redesigning our educational, counseling, and wellness experiences, to creating safe spaces for all students to be their true and authentic selves, the faculty, staff, and students at Clarke have demonstrated a resiliency that would make our foundress proud. Yet, the Clarke experience is so much more than what happens on campus. It means going “into the streets” to complete service projects for our neighbors, advancing local businesses, and creating unique partnerships in Dubuque and throughout the region. Beyond our borders, Clarke students, faculty, staff, and alumni are making an impact as far as Florida and California, and even around the globe as they learn, live, lead, and give in their workplaces and communities.

While this piece can only capture some of the highlights, it serves as a reminder that Clarke is truly dedicated to the idea of One Clarke, One Community — no matter where you may live. We are sincerely grateful for the role your advocacy and support have played in each of these accomplishments.

Thank you,

Thom D. Chesney, Ph.D. President

thom.chesney@clarke.edu @thomchesney

888

GROWING OUR

CLARKE COMMUNITY

TOTAL ENROLLMENT

29.6%

We welcomed one of the largest and most diverse incoming classes in the institution’s history this fall as 264 new students made their way to campus, including 81 transfer students and 22 international students. Only two other incoming classes, 1993 and 2000, have ever topped the 270-mark.

student racial and ethnic diversity

TOP 5 MAJORS Business Administration Sport Management Nursing Psychology Health, Wellness, and Behavioral Science Admissions hosted

254 visits, including

0

1-5

STUDENTS FROM 41

6-10

10-20

66 virtually

>20

STATES & 16 COUNTRIES

Belize • Brazil • Canada • Czech Republic • El Salvador Germany • Honduras • Ireland • Italy • Japan • Netherlands Scotland • Spain • United Kingdom • Venezuela • Vietnam

Beyond Traditional Students The introduction of CareerPLUS has helped Clarke expand its influence with a series of micro courses, badges, and even degree-seeking options. With over 400 registrations across a variety of trending topics, we are leading the way for affordable, accessible professional development.

Clarke also offers six graduate degree programs, including Master of Social Work, Education, Business Administration, and Athletic Training, as well as Doctor of Nursing Practice and Physical Therapy.

20 Clarke Alumni

Referral & Engagement (CARE) Society $1,000 Scholarship Recipients

“The more I am here, the more I realize how I made the right decision to attend Clarke. It really was a perfect fit for me because it’s just like home.”

Graciela Perez ’23 Accounting

STUDENT EXPERIENCE To foster the sense of community that Clarke is known for, we invest in initiatives that support the whole student, such as: Expanding Counseling Services to include weekly virtual sessions for students, as well as accessible self-care spaces on campus for prayer, meditation, and wellness.

The Student Emergency Relief Fund, which gives micro grants to students in times of need. In 2020-2021, the alumni and donor-supported fund awarded over $3,000 to 17 students to help them stay in school, secure housing, and relieve food insecurity.

A Peer Mentor Program sponsored by the Clarke Engagement & Intercultural Office, Margaret Mann Academic Resource Center, and Social Work Department to support first-generation and underrepresented students.

Clarke students, employees, and alumni have a positive impact in all the communities they call home, thanks to events like the biannual “Into the Streets” day of volunteering, the Dubuque Youth and Family Resilience Project, and other internship, volunteering, service trips, student teaching, and clinical partnerships.

CLARKE

BY THE NUMBERS

8:1 100%

Student to Faculty Ratio

of students receive financial aid

99%

of students report feeling safe on campus

”Each of us has the opportunity to meet with a specific student and help them through the challenges of being a first-year college student.

I was able to help my mentee enhance his time management, bring his grades up, and more.”

Darius Hernandez ’23 Accounting

INVESTING IN SUCCESS While students bring our campus to life, it is the support of grants, donors, and alumni that make these incredible experiences possible. Clarke is proud to offer a variety of scholarships for academic, artistic, and athletic achievement, as well as legacy and CARE awards. In the fall 2021 semester, Clarke awarded over $235,000 in endowed scholarships.

“Olivia Ruesga, BSN ’21 was a senior at Clarke when I worked with her at a local nursing home. Olivia helped me start my journey, and her recommendation for the CARE Society Scholarship will allow me to continue my passion for helping others and reach my long-term goal of becoming a nurse.”

Cloe Rule ’25, Nursing

Clarke is also striving to fund new scholarship opportunities, like the one being championed

by Kevin Hartzog ’13. The 2021 Rising Star Distinguished Alumni Award winner and Clarke nursing graduate is leading fundraising for a scholarship that supports students of color who are pursuing careers in health care.

Additional donations and investments provide roughly $12 million in scholarship support along with funds for employee professional development, library resources, and more.

We also prioritize socially responsible investing, meaning of the $33.5 million endowment that Clarke manages, over 99% of the portfolio aligns with the University’s value-driven policy.

Alumni support is also helping our dollars go farther than ever before, thanks to the Westphal Challenge. For every 100 alumni who give during the 2021-22 academic year, Clarke Trustee Jenifer (Collins) Westphal ’84 will make a $5,000 bonus gift! Join the challenge by making a gift at clarke.edu/give.

Remembering THERESE ANN MACKIN, BVM ’50

A reflection on 2021 would not be complete without a mention of those who laid the groundwork for success, such as Therese Mackin, BVM ’50.

Therese served Clarke for over 70 years as a student, educator, alumna, and Vice President for Institutional Advancement. In recognition of her dedication, we named The Therese Ann Mackin, BVM ’50 Office of Institutional Advancement in her honor.

STATE &

NATIONAL RECOGNITION

1

BEST FAITH-BASED UNIVERSITY IN IOWA FROM PLEXUSS

BEST MIDWESTERN COLLEGES PRINCETON REVIEW

62

RANKED NATIONALLY IN SOCIAL MOBILITY FROM U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT

ONE CLARKE, ONE COMMUNITY Clarke University is proud to partner with individuals and organizations throughout the tri-states and the country to promote lifelong and life-changing learning.

Through community events and workshops to national and international internships and service trips, we make our core values of education, charity, justice, and freedom a part of our everyday lives.

Learn more about how we live our mission by visiting us at clarke.edu/newsroom or by following us on your favorite social channels.

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