2 minute read
A message from the president
Addressing barriers in education
Access to education should be nonnegotiable. Yet, every day, so many students face serious challenges preventing them from earning a degree that could change the entire trajectory of their lives. Many of these challenges are fi nancially driven. Students struggle to balance work and attending college. Many students struggle with the price tag a degree represents.
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This is the very reason we created and set out to achieve Vision 2025. It’s a vision that is focusing our university to create equitable learning opportunities for all, while delivering a quality education guaranteed to lead to successful careers. Vision 2025 is helping our university address the opportunity gap that prevents so many students from achieving their dreams.
In this issue of DU Review, we plan to highlight a couple of initiatives we have created to address barriers for students, including a major scholarship fundraising event, a new scholarship program for Michigan schools, and a new suite of online class delivery options.
Our Excellence in Business Gala is a great example of the work the university is doing to raise funds to support student scholarships. This event helps raise critical dollars to ease the fi nancial burden for so many of our students. More than 95% of our students receive some form of fi nancial aid for college.
Davenport recently created new scholarships to support school systems statewide. This new Grow Your Own Scholarship program provides school districts with up to a $12,000 scholarship for 75 individuals to become urban STEM educators. It is an incredible program designed to help address the teacher talent gap, create teachers better prepared to serve our urban schools, and will help create a more aff ordable pathway to becoming a teacher for many.
Earlier this year Davenport launched Online+, a new digital suite of program delivery options to make it more convenient for students to attend class. These new off erings include streaming, on-demand, fl ex, and blended programs. By expanding our options, we are enabling students to choose the course delivery method that best meets their learning style or scheduling needs.
This issue of DU Review also features our Annual Report, which recognizes each individual and organization that supports Davenport students. It is with great gratitude that we recognize each donor, sponsor, and volunteer for their ongoing support of our university.
Our work to support student education and career development wouldn’t be possible without the continued support of our community, committed donors, alumni, faculty, and staff . It is only through this combined eff ort that Davenport can continue to deliver creative and consistent initiatives designed to break down barriers and fi nancial challenges for students and ensure they have every opportunity to earn the education they deserve.
Thank you for your continued support,
