Since 1916
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Volume 98, Number 57
Thursday, May 1, 2014
www.marquettewire.org/tribune
Students assess MU investment
Fundraising leaders look to Lovell for campaign By Rob Gebelhoff
robert.gebelhoff@marquette.edu
The arrival of University President-elect Michael Lovell brings the possibility to reverse a decade-long trend of increasingly costly philanthropy to the school. “(Lovell) will have the chance to help us understand what the expression of the strategic plan will look like, which ribune will give us our fundraising oproject p o r t u n i t i e s , ” said Michael VanDerhoef, vice president for university advancement. “I think we’re all interested in launching a new campaign, but we just want to make sure that we’re prepared and that we’ve picked the right priorities for the university.” Although there is no set timeline for Marquette’s next fundraising campaign, VanDerhoef said he is eager to start the discussion as soon as possible. It certainly will come as a relief to the university, which has not orchestrated a philanthropy campaign since its last one ended in 2006. Another campaign would also ease the strain on Marquette’s budget, which saw a slowly declining trend in net gain from fundraising efforts between 2003 and 2012, according to numbers collected from the university’s tax records. However, this trend is not due to Marquette receiving less money from its donors. Instead, net gains are losing steam as a result of the university spending more to fundraise without seeing a substantial boost in returns. Marquette’s fundraising expenditures nearly tripled over the last decade, from $6 million in 2003 to $17.1 million in 2012, the latest data available.
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Photo by Rebecca Rebholz/rebecca.rebholz@marquette.edu
Marquette’s seniors in the Class of 2013 celebrate at last year’s graduation ceremony held in the Bradley Center. As the Class of 2014 prepares for its own ceremony, Marquette’s was ranked 346th of 1312 U.S. colleges and universities in terms of return on investment by PayScale.
Return on investment ranking system meets criticism for flaws By Kelly Meyerhofer
kelly.meyerhofer@marquette.edu
Amanda Ambroso, a sophomore in the College of Health Sciences, decided to take on
hefty course loads next semes- saving $40,000 a year is worth ter to cut a year off her college skipping my senior year.” career. Although this was not In senior surveys from last her original plan, she year’s graduation class, could still earn a degree ribune 87 percent said they without adding thouroject would choose Marsands of dollars to her quette again if they debt load, which already stands were starting over their college at $18,000 in loans. careers. While this statistic sug“I chose Marquette for both gests a high level of satisfacthe program and the people,” tion, students like Ambroso may Ambroso said. “As much as lead other Marquette students I’ve enjoyed my time here, to wonder if they are getting the
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MKE to host new Cristo Rey school MU alum to take lead of latest addition to Jesuit high schools By Benjamin Lockwood
benjamin.lockwood@marquette.edu
In 2012, 62 percent of Milwaukee students graduated from high school. Of these students, only 40 percent go to college, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. College of Education Dean William Henk and Marquette alumnus Andy Stith, along with a host of other individuals and organizations in Milwaukee, are trying to change that.
In August 2015, a new Cristo Rey Jesuit High School, which will be the 29th of its kind, will open in west Milwaukee. Stith will be its first president. The school is designed to help underserved students in Milwaukee’s most educationally barren locales. It will teach collegepreparatory courses to ensure its students are ready for post-secondary education. College enrollment rates for Cristo Rey graduates are twice that of students with similar socioeconomic backgrounds, sitting at about ninety percent, according to the Cristo Rey Network. The freshmen class will have See Cristo Rey, Page 6
INDEX
DPS REPORTS......................2 CALENDAR...........................2 CLASSIFIEDS........................7
MARQUEE......................10 VIEWPOINTS...............12 SPORTS.......................14
most bang for their buck. These considerations are only after heightened after PayScale, an online salary, benefits and compensation information company that is well-known for its return on investment calculation, ranked Marquette only 346th of 1,312 U.S. colleges and universities in terms of its return on investment. See ROI, Page 4
MU addresses tech gender disparity Male-dominated field faces lack in resources to high school courses By Erin Heffernan
erin.heffernan@marquette.edu
When Theresa Le walked into her freshman seminar for computer engineering majors, she realized she was one of just three women out of more than ribune 50 students. Le, now a roject junior in the College of Engineering, knew before coming to Marquette that the computer-related disciplines were bound to be male-dominated, but
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AN OVERVIEW OF MARQUETTE’S FUNDRAISING
the imbalance became even more clear at that moment. “I was never one to hang out with the girls anyways in high school and middle school,” Le said. As early as high school, Le said she already had a passion for computers and electronics. “I was amazed that these tiny little object are so powerful and know how to do so much,” Le said. “It always just blew my mind, so that’s why I decided I wanted to study computers.” Women like Le are few and far between in the male-dominated — and thriving — high-tech world. While other science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields are slowly improving the gender
In Fiscal Year 2013, contributions to Marquette made up about a tenth of the school’s total revenues, which stands in contrast to the university’s revenue streams a decade ago. Between 2001 and 2004, contributions consistently made up closer to a fifth of the school’s revenue streams. It is important to note, however, the university was in the midst of its eight-year Magis campaign during these earlier years. The campaign raised a total of $357 million in new commitment for the school, beginning with a $10 million gift to help build the Raynor Library
See Tech, Page 5
See Fundraising, Page 8
NEWS
VIEWPOINTS
SPORTS
Religion
Editorial
Killian
Student groups seek class exemptions for religious holidays. PAGE 2
The Tribune writes an open letter to President-elect Lovell. PAGE 12
It was an unforgettable four years on the Marquette Tribune. PAGE 15