a YEAR in REVIEW

ST. THOMAS 2020:LIVING OUR MISSION,EXPANDING OUR HORIZONDear St. Thomas Community,

This inaugural annual report from the Office of the Provost highlights some of our accomplishments during the 2015-16 academic year. We hope you will find the information useful–perhaps inspiring! Since arriving in 2014, I have appreciated your support and respect as we have worked together to advance the academic mission and vision of the university. Over the past year, we focused on our commitment to “ST. THOMAS 2020: LIVING OUR MISSION, EXPANDING OUR HORIZON,” St. Thomas’ strategic plan. It has been particularly gratifying to participate in a collaborative process to implement our goals. We experienced great change in the past several months—re-organization, repositioning, program review and the development of new procedures—all of which are essential to achieving long-term goals that will have the greatest impact on the future of St. Thomas. Thanks to the faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends who continue to make this great institution even stronger as we live our time-tested mission. Sincerely,

Richard G. PlumbExecutive Vice President and ProvostProfessor, School of Engineering

Richard Plumb

SEE INSIDE FOR:

COLLEGES AND SCHOOLSCollege of Arts & SciencesCollege of Education, Leadership & CounselingOpus College of BusinessSchool of EngineeringSchool of LawSchool of Social WorkSt. Paul Seminary School of Divinity

SUPPORTING UNITSInformation Technology ServicesStudent AffairsLibrariesEnrollment ManagementUndergraduate StudiesCenter for Global and Local EngagementInstitutional EffectivenessRegistrar's Office

3456678

1011121213131414

Learn about the academic accomplishments with impact made throughout the Colleges and Schools of St. Thomas as they enable students to flourish and live out the mission of the university as morally responsible leaders who think critically, act wisely, and work skillfully to advance the common good.

COLLEGES ANDSCHOOLS

SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING

SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK

SCHOOL OF LAW

ST. PAUL SEMINARYSCHOOL OF DIVINITY

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, LEADERSHIP & COUNSELING

OPUS COLLEGE OF BUSINESS

COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES

EXECUTIVEVICE PRESIDENTAND PROVOST

| 02

IN 2015-2016 ACADEMIC YEAR, THERE WERE:

6,240UNDERGRADUATESTUDENTS

1,067STAFF

485FULL-TIMEFACULTY

4,005GRADUATESTUDENTS

COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES (CAS)| 03

The College of Arts and Sciences partnered with the Office of Study Abroad to launch a new academic program that provides an opportunity for students of all majors to complete four core requirements while living on the ST. THOMAS ROME CAMPUS. This program is ideal for second-year students and provides an opportunity to engage globally with curriculum and connect with the local Italian communities through volunteer work. The CORE semester includes site visits and weekend excursions to extend classroom learning and provide an immersive and international educational experience.

ST. THOMAS IN ROME: THE CORE SEMESTER

= Office of Study Abroad

In Spring 2016, two undergraduates were honored by the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship Program for Excellence in Education. Junior Francesca Ippoliti, majoring in chemistry, has been awarded a 2016-17 Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship for her work with Dr. Lisa Prevette over the past two years studying orthoester-based micelles as drug-deliver agents; in addition, junior Emily Vecchia, majoring in mathematics, was given an honorable mention.

Over the past five years, 14 St. Thomas math and science students received either a Goldwater scholarship or an honorable mention out of only three hundred scholarships awarded annually. St. Thomas is ONE OF THE HIGHEST REPRESENTED COLLEGES IN MINNESOTA of recipients for this award in comparison to more than half of Minnesota's colleges who had no students awarded and ranking second to the much larger University of Minnesota who leads by a small margin of one additional recipient for a total of 15 selected students. 

THE GOLDWATER SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

300SCHOLARSHIPS

AWARDED EACH YEAR

A signature activity with the College of Arts and Sciences is collaborative research between faculty and students. 

122 STUDENTS from the Department of BIOLOGY participated in research, 42 of which made presentations at regional and national conferences with 9 biology students now published co-authors with faculty on their research. 

50 CHEMISTRY STUDENTS presented their research results off-campus, including 20 who traveled nationally to present findings.

53 STUDENTS in PSYCHOLOGY presented their research findings at the Midwestern Psychological Association conference.

SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH

COLLEGES ANDSCHOOLS

= Client Relationship

ST. THOMAS SYPHONIC WIND ENSEMBLE PERFORMS INTERNATIONALLYThe St. Thomas Symphonic Wind Ensemble (SWE) performed a series of international concerts at the KAZALISTE MARINA DRŽIĆA in Dubrovnik, Croatia and at the KOSAKA in

Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina as part of the Annual Bosnian Arts Festival.In addition to these concerts, the Symphonic Wind Ensemble performed musical exchanges with international students from the

University of Zagreb Academy of Music and with members of the Split Musical Conservatory at the Croatian National Theatre.

The Actuarial Science program is one of only 17 programs in the U.S. and one of only 30 programs worldwide to earn the designation as a Center of Actuarial Excellence by the Society of Actuaries. As a result, this program draws students

from across the nation to St. Thomas.   Students continue to thrive in this program in their academics, passage of professional exams, and acquiring good jobs after

graduation. The Actuarial student team won the local Traveler’s Insurance competition for the third time in the past four years.

ACTUARIAL EXCELLENCE

1/17PROGRAMS

IN THE US

1/30PROGRAMSIN THEWORLD

The annual St. Thomas Christmas Concert, attended by over 3,000 guests, featured more than 350 student choral and instrumental musicians performing at Orchestra Hall. For the fourth time, Twin Cities Public Television produced “A St. Thomas Christmas,” a one-hour holiday special that aired on public television stations in 40 states during the holiday season, reaching 69% COVERAGE OF HOUSEHOLDS NATIONALLY and including 8 of the nation’s top 10 television markets. The broadcast was nominated for a regional Emmy Award.  Look for "A St. Thomas Christmas: Jubilant Light 2015” to be rebroadcast this holiday season, and plan to attend the 2016 Christmas Concert on December 4th at Orchestra Hall.

EMMY AWARD NOMINATION

MIDNIGHT MASS WITH POPE FRANCIS17 ST. JOHN VIANNEY SEMINARIANS studying abroad with the Catholic Studies Rome Program met Pope Francis and served alongside him at the Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve in St. Peter’s Basilica.

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION,LEADERSHIP & COUNSELING (CELC)

COLLEGES ANDSCHOOLS

| 04

Three St. Thomas faculty, Dr. Lynn Stansberry-Brusnahan, Dr. Kellie Krick Oborn, and Dr. Todd Busch, wrote and received funding for a federal personnel preparation grant entitled: PREPARING SPECIAL EDUCATORS TO SERVE AND SUCCEED IN DIVERSE COMMUNITIES. 

In addition, Nanette Missaghi and Deeqaifrah Hussein contributed culturally responsive and Somali cultural strategies to the grant, which focuses upon teaching “high needs children” who are further at risk because they are English language learners and/or new immigrants. A digital badge will be created with a focus on working with culturally diverse children and families that will not only enhance the curriculum for CELC candidates, but will also be made available to the public at no cost.

PROFESSORS RECEIVE FEDERAL GRANT

Faculty in Teacher Education developed a nonconventional Residency program in partnership with the St. Paul Public Schools (SPPS) for initial licensure to individuals who already have a bachelor’s degree. This program, known as St. Paul Urban Teacher Residency (SUTR), incorporates an enhanced focus upon educational equity, culturally responsive teaching, and inclusive practices.

PARTNERSHIP WITH FACULTY AND PUBLIC SCHOOLS

= St. Paul Public Schools

ONLINE EDUCATION PROGRAMS

= Client Relationship

Online education programs, most notably in Special Education, are transitioning to be fully supported by St. Thomas throughout the entirety of course design, delivery, student admissions and marketing for these programs. As online courses are developed, video lectures and other materials will be available for use in other delivery options, such as FACE-TO-FACE AND HYBRID COURSES. 

OPPORTUNITIES FOR ADVANCEMENTThe college reassessed and restructured staff positions by function to serve and support activities across the entire college. Significant and experienced talent was accumulated from within the university, providing opportunities for advancement in addition to new procedures and ideas incorporated into the internal culture.

Academic departments were restructured to better align common educational goals and retire programs that were undersubscribed over the past twenty years. The college is reinvesting its energies into strengthening and developing a smaller number of overall programs. Among these changes are the now combined general and special education departments into one DEPARTMENT OF TEACHER EDUCATION, leveraging the expertise, talents, interests and community connections to better serve both our students and the communities seeking to hire our graduates.

In addition, leadership programs were realigned into the DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP to focus on the unique leadership needs within the educational systems and the DEPARTMENT OF LEADERSHIP to provide academic programming for individuals interested in personal leadership and facilitating organizational change.

EDUCATION DEPARTMENTS MERGE

SEVEN YEARS’ OF REACCREDITATIONSt. Thomas receive its seven years’ of reaccreditation by the AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION for the Doctoratein Counseling Psychology degree offered by the Graduate School of Professional Psychology.

COLLEGES ANDSCHOOLS

| 05OPUS COLLEGE OF BUSINESS (OCB)

The revised Part-Time Flex MBA and Full-Time Flex MBA recognize students’ need for FLEXIBILITY as they customize their education for the rapidly changing business environment. To meet these demands and to better appeal to the marketplace, the Opus College of Business reduced the total number of credits while maintaining comprehensive and valuable programs. These programs offer a streamlined core curriculum, more elective options, more BLENDED COURSES (in-person and online) with better remote access for distance learners and working professionals, and the opportunity to earn an ADDITIONAL CREDENTIAL specialized area through a unique graduate certificate.

FLEXIBLE MBA PATHS

In addition to the benefits received through the Full-Time MBA Flex program, students can participate in the MBA+ program to complete their degree in an accelerated 16 months. The INNOVATIVE “PLUS” FEATURE allows graduates to return for up to 12

credits within 36 months after graduation at no additional charge.

MBA+

RETURN AFTERGRADUATION

AT NOADDITIONAL

CHARGE

An estimated 1,500 St. Thomas undergraduate and graduate business alumni are employed by Target Corporation. When Target announced extensive layoffs in 2015, Opus College of Business offered displaced Target team members a reducted tuition in graduate degree programs and an opportunity to take executive education non-degree courses. This partnership resulted in 600 former Target employees enrolling in classes at St. Thomas. 

TRAINING TO DISPLACED TARGET EMPLOYEES

600EMPLOYEESENROLLED

A new program launched for Master in Health Care Communication providing a unique blended-delivery model where students meet face-to-face one weekend per month.

MASTER IN HEALTH CARE COMMUNICATION

Three new graduate certificates were developed for emergent areas of digital marketing, global business, and strategic growth allowing graduates to gain relatively new knowledge to keep pace with business, make career changes, and increase their value to employers. Any of the 7 total graduate certificates may be earned as a stand-alone credit or as part of the part-time and full-time MBA programs.

GRADUATE CERTIFICATES

DIGITAL MARKETING GLOBAL BUSINESS STRATEGIC GROWTH

The new Master of Science in Business Analytics IMPROVES BUSINESS leaders’ managerial decision-making and problem solving skills by developing in-depth knowledge of data science and analytics. 30 STUDENTS enrolled in the first year alone to gain fundamental skills that stand out to employers in the areas of: statistics, modeling, data analysis, database management, software, business communication and industry analytics.

MASTER OF BUSINESS ANALYTICS

= School of Engineering

= Client Relationship

Business faculty experimented with CUTTING-EDGE LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES including: iLos (video screen casting and streaming), WebEx (web conferencing), Blue Jeans (telepresence) and Lynda.com (computer-based training). The college also installed cost-efficient web cams in Schulze Hall classrooms to increase capabilities for lecture-capture, which in turn provides remote students with more attendance options and a skills-based, on-demand resource to supplement student learning. 

TECHNOLOGY-ENHANCED LEARNING

SCHOOL OF LAWCOLLEGES AND

SCHOOLS| 06SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING

Entrepreneurship is an integral part of engineering education and will be directly integrated into engineering curriculum after receiving GENEROUS FUNDING from the Kern Family Foundation.

FUNDING TO CREATE INTEGRATED ENTREPRENEURSHIP

The St. Thomas Law School is committed to academic excellence, providing high value for students, and focusing on impact of student growth and engagement through educating the whole person.

that will allow the university to partner with Xcel Energy to relocate a $2.1 MILLION RENEWABLE ENERGY FACILITY to the university’s St. Paul campus. 

ST. THOMAS WAS AWARDED A GRANT

TWENTY TEAMS of undergraduate seniors designed and developed special PROTOTYPE SOLUTIONS to real world problems for fourteen industry and non-profit organizations. All involved, from small start-ups to the largest companies in the Twin Cities, find value in the thousands of hours of work put into each project. Students shine in seeing their ideas

come to fruition in tangible deliverables that are implemented within their sponsor’s organization. Thank you to the following companies for partnering with the University of St. Thomas as sponsors of the Senior Design Clinic:

3M, Atricure, Polaris, Schwing, Airborne Athletics, Design ready Controls, Graco, Polar Semiconductor, Minco, Park Industries, Catron, V-Tek, LasX, WTSt

SENIOR DESIGN CLINIC

The St. Thomas Law School has the HIGHEST post-graduation EMPLOYMENT RATE for Minnesota law schools at 80% and outranks high-profile Midwest institutions as 6th in the region. 

HIGHEST POST-GRADUATION EMPLOYMENT RATE

EMPLOYMENT RATE

The percentage of St. Thomas Law graduates who passed the bar INCREASED OVER 4% in the past year.

GRADUATES PASSING THE BAR INCREASES

OF GRADUATESPASSED THE BAR

STUDENTS BY THE RANKINGS

#2 Law school for practical training (National Jurist)

TOP10

“Best Professors” 4 of 5 years (Princeton Review)

#26 SSRN download

#17 Best Value

Private School (National Jurist)

TOP10

“Best Quality of Life” 8 of 9 years (Princeton Review)

#1 for most externship placements per student (ABA)

#39 in scholarly impact(Leiter impact study)

2ND Largest jump in 2016 US News ranking #35

for best clinics (US News)

#2 Roger Williams

study of top journal publications

STUDENTS BY THE NUMBERS

645MASTERS INSOFTWARE

(GRADUATE)

260MASTERS IN

ENGINEERING(GRADUATE)

630ENGINEERING(UNDERGRADUATE)

160COMPUTER

SCIENCE(UNDERGRADUATE)

Mechanical Engineering is NUMBER ONE selected major for incoming freshman across campus.

1 IN 10 undergrads at St. Thomas are enrolled in engineering.

SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORKCOLLEGES AND

SCHOOLS| 07

Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) graduates who have completed 18 hours of foundation-level coursework may apply to the school’s NATIONALLY-RANKED MASTER OF SOCIAL WORK (MSW) DEGREE PROGRAM as Advanced Standing. The accelerated admissions process is available for junior social work students interested in pursuing a Masters of Social Work in clinical practice following the completion of their bachelor’s degree.

ACCELERATED MASTER OF SOCIAL WORKADMISSIONS PROCESS

St. Thomas developed and operates the only FULLY ONLINE DOCTORATE in Social Work (DSW) program that provides exceptional preparation for the practice of teaching and leadership in higher education. This 45 credit, 3-year program is the

ONLY ONE IN THE WORLD with the focus on “Education as Practice” which addresses both the dearth of qualified social work educators across the country and provides access to a doctoral program for social work educators who are land bound and need or want to continue their education to the doctoral level without completing a PhD.

DOCTORATE IN SOCIAL WORK ONLINE PROGRAM

Students can now minor in CHEMICAL DEPENDENCY COUNSELING: ADDICTION AND RECOVERY. This program prepares students for work in a variety of settings with a foundational understanding of addiction and recovery and their impact on multiple areas of life.  Students learn how to identify abuse and addiction; and beginning steps in assisting, advocating for, and referring people who have chemical health concerns.

A collaboration with the Opus College of Business, introduced the NEW SOCIAL SERVICES MANAGEMENT minor which builds skills that help translate strong writing, analytic and research skills to a community setting. This academic track allows students to apply their business training to the social service and/or nonprofit sector, or to a mission-driven organization.

CREATIVE AND RELEVANT PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT

= OCB

= Client Relationship

COMMUNITY SERVICES123 Senior and Junior undergraduates provided 36,600 hours of community service at a contributed value to the community of $862,296.

123SENIOR & JUNIORUNDERGRADUATES

36,600HOURS OF

COMMUNITY SERVICE

$862,296OF CONTRIBUTED

COMMUNITY VALUE

GRADUATE MASTERS SOCIAL WORK STUDENTS HOURS OF COMMUNITY SERVICE195 Graduate master students (foundation and clinical) provided 103,200 hours of community service at a contributed value to the community of $2,431,392.

195GRADUATE

MASTER STUDENTS

103,200HOURS OF

COMMUNITY SERVICE

$2,431,392OF CONTRIBUTED

COMMUNITY VALUE

ALL SOCIAL WORK STUDENTSHOURS OF COMMUNITY SERVICEIn total, all students from the School of Social Work during 2015-2016 provided 139,800 hours of community service for a total contributed value to the community of $3,293,688.

139,800HOURS OF

COMMUNITY SERVICE

$3,293,688OF CONTRIBUTED

COMMUNITY VALUE

ST. PAUL SEMINARYSCHOOL OF DIVINITY (SPSSOD)

COLLEGES ANDSCHOOLS

| 08

FOSTERING DIALOGUEThe SPSSOD sponsors a number of public lectures, conferences, and symposiums throughout the year. Last year’s Archbishop John Ireland Memorial Library lectures included the topics of ministering to the deaf and Christian ecumenism. A summer workshop on Pope Francis’ encyclical on the environment Laudato Si, brought together biologists, theologians, business and legislative leaders to address important agricultural and ecological issues.  

= Client Relationship

FACULTY LEAD IN THE COMMUNITYFaculty members from SPSSOD serve in LEADERSHIP ROLES in local, regional, and national professional organizations including: the American Guild of Organists, the Catholic Library Association, the Society of Biblical Literature, the Catholic Historical Association, the Archdiocesan Commission on Ecumenical Affairs, and the USCCB’s Committee for Child and Youth Protection.

MASTER OF DIVINITY CURRICULUM REVISIONSThe faculty and staff completed a comprehensive review and revision of the Master of Divinity (M.Div.) curriculum, the first revision of its kind since 2002. The M.Div. is the school’s LARGEST DEGREE PROGRAM and its curriculum prepares candidates for the ordained priesthood of the Roman Catholic Church. Among the goals of the revision process were greater attention to issues of multiculturalism, more effective responses to the changing needs of the Church and the world, and more effective integration of the various aspects of priestly formation including the incorporation of requirements mandated by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Program of Priestly Formation.

PUBLICATIONS & AWARDSSPSSOD faculty members published in a wide variety of journals and monographs and engaged in a joint publication project with the Pontifical Council of Justice and Peace and the International Catholic Rural Association. Over the past academic year, several faculty members participated in conferences both nationally and internationally, the latter including seminars in Rome, Budapest, and Zambia. Faculty member Sr. Katarina Schuth, OSF, received both the 2016 Jerome Award from the Catholic Library Association and a Distinguished Service Award from the Association of Theological Schools.

WORLD TRAVELS BY SEMINARIANSDuring J-Term 2016, seminarians travelled abroad and studied in Rome, Jerusalem, and Ireland. In addition, lay students and faculty participated in a mission trip and medical brigade at the Holy Family Surgery Center and the Nuestros Hermanos Pequenos home for children in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

Collaborative and innovative work across supporting units fostered positive and fulfilling St. Thomas experiences for students and the campus community.

SUPPORTINGUNITS

| 09

EXECUTIVEVICE PRESIDENTAND PROVOST

INFORMATIONTECHNOLOGY SERVICES

ENROLLMENTMANAGEMENT

REGISTRAR'S OFFICE

LIBRARIES

STUDENT AFFAIRS

UNDERGRADUATESTUDIES

CENTER FOR GLOBALAND LOCAL ENGAGEMENT

ACADEMIC AFFAIRS INSTITUTIONALEFFECTIVENESS

SUPPORTINGUNITS

| 10INFORMATIONTECHNOLOGY SERVICES (ITS)

The new St. Thomas E-Learning and Research (STELAR) center opens Fall 2016 to enhance the teaching and learning mission of the university through innovative and transformative technologies. STELAR serves as a one-stop shop for all technology-enhanced instruction, such as: the use of digital tools in face-to-face classrooms, hybrid and blended instruction, course redesign and development, learning management systems, teleconferencing, research computing, and emerging academic technology applications for St. Thomas.

= Libraries & Faculty Development

STELAR

ITS transitioned over 30,000 accounts to Office 365 resulting in enhanced email functionality, improved campus web and mobile experience, and new cloud-based productivity tools. The Office 365 suite of online apps creates a digital workspace that fosters collaboration between departments, units, and student groups. 

OFFICE 365

ITS deployed full disk encryption and file backup software to all university laptops. Encryption protects university data by storing it in code that makes it unreadable if the laptop becomes lost or stolen. Used in combination with the new Crash Plan backup solution, university members have powerful protection for keeping the confidentiality and availability of university data secure. 

ENCRYPTION & CRASH PLAN

The 2015-16 plan for the ITS division included a name rebranding for emphasis on SERVICE and a division-wide reorganization to better reflect our alignment with the university's mission and to focus on partnering with the university community to promote technology initiatives that enhance faculty and student success, improve services and operations, and promote strong security practices.

The entire team brainstormed together with Dr. Paul Omodt from the Communication and Journalism department to create a new mission statement:

“ENGAGING, ENLIGHTENING, AND EMPOWERING BY BRIDGING PEOPLE AND TECHNOLOGY FOR THE COMMON GOOD.” = COJO

ITIL OPPORTUNITIES(INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE LIBRARY)

All 85 ITS staff members completed ITIL training and certification. The ITIL framework helps IT organizations align their services with the organization's strategy and business needs. ITS can move forward on new initiatives at St. Thomas with a common language and a set of processes for service strategy, design, transition, operation, and continual service improvement.

MEMBERS ITIL INCORPORATED ITIL PRACTICES

= Client Relationship

INFORMATION SECURITY AWARENESSIt takes a whole community to keep our data and systems safe. Information Security launched a new website in Spring 2015 with security-related news, policies, resources, and awareness tips for campus. The site features a campaign to learn four quick ways to significantly reduce your security risk at work and in your personal digital life with education on how to create a strong password, secure your data, surf smart on the web, and stay up to date.

2. SECURE YOUR DATA 4. STAY UP TO DATE

3. SURF SMART1. STRONG PASSWORDS

= Addresses Faculty & Students = Addresses security practices= Addresses service and operations

SUPPORTINGUNITS

| 11STUDENT AFFAIRS

new strategies were implemented to foster campus involvement and build positive connections that would be foundational to student success and satisfaction. Implemented strategies include: six-week check-ins with each First Time First Year (FTFY) student to assess retention risk, contacting unregistered students in fall and spring, and the creation of a retention work group focused on international students. Involvement on campus and building lasting connections are foundational for student success and satisfaction.

1,326FTFY STUDENTS were contacted by Student Affairs staff after the first six weeks of the academic year.

91%OF STUDENTS

reporting being involved on campus.

59%REPORTING

a connection with a faculty member. 

Student Affairs launched an online Title IXtraining for all undergraduate and graduate students. OVER 8,500 TOMMIES COMPLETED the online training in the first year with measures to ensure 100% of students complete the training in 2016-17.

was appointed by GOVERNOR MARK DAYTON as a delegate on behalf of Minnesota in a four-day trade mission in Mexico City and Guadalajara, the first of its kind since 2000. Dayton and his delegates hoped to build on ongoing successes and spark new collaborations around three main pillars: education, agriculture and manufacturing. Nolan's main focus was to promote educational ties between the United States and Mexico by participating in round table discussions with leaders from several of Minnesota’s higher education institutions, as well as Study USA, the Fulbright Commission and the State Department, to learn about the Mexican education system, how to better recruit students from Mexico, and how to facilitate partnerships between universities and colleges.

Those common goals helped shape the SIGNING OF FIVE MEMORANDUMS OF UNDERSTANDING (MOU) by week’s end between Mexico and Minnesota, including educational exchanges and the promotion of women in agriculture.

Student Affairs launched new Living Learning Communities (LLCs) to foster an integrated experience for first year residential students. New communities were created around common interests in Sustainability, Wellness and Honors students, in

addition to two Paired Course communities and one Commuter Learning community. Student feedback and data indicated that RESIDENTS who participated in Living Learning Communities were MORE SATISFIED than their peers with the resident hall experience and learning in the halls. 

NEW LIVING LEARNING COMMUNITIES (LLCS)

TITLE IX FOR ALL STUDENTS

IN EFFORTS TO INCREASE STUDENT RETENTION,

ST. THOMAS JUNIOR ANNA KATE NOLAN

MAKERSPACE - INNOVATION CENTERA new creative commons opened January 2016 for students who are interested in creating things for their own personal enrichment or potential business opportunities. Available items include:

OCB, ITS, Engineering

3D PRINTERS

SEWINGMACHINES

LEGOS

LASERCUTTERS

“HUDDLE”ZONE

149ACTIVE CLUBS and organizations with over 3,000 UNIQUE MEMBERS.CLUBS AND ORGANIZATIONS

| 12SUPPORTINGUNITSLIBRARIES

The libraries implemented an EVIDENCE-BASED acquisition model for more efficient electronic book purchasing. This newly-available model allows access of over 18,000 titles to faculty, staff , and students. Tit les are available for a set period of time, at the end of which libraries can determine which titles to purchase based on usage.

18,000TITLES

FACULTY, STAFFAND STUDENTS

LIBRARY STAFF CONDUCTED

to and metwith

387COURSES ANDWORKSHOPS

8662ATTENDEES

964STUDENTS

FOR INDIVIDUALCONSULTATIONS

NATIONAL ASSESSMENT IN ACTION PROGRAMThe Libraries participated in the national Assessment in Action programwhich resulted in new COLLABORATION OPPORTUNITIES between facultyand librarians on how to provide instruction, best practices in research, and information literacy training.

ST. THOMAS TOOK THE LEADwithin the Twin Cities' private college library consortium to select

and migrate to Ex Libris Alma, a new state-of-the-art library management system designed to greatly improve discovery of and

access to digital collections.

NEW ACQUISITION MODEL

ENROLLMENTMANAGEMENT

INCOMING CLASS REACHES HISTORIC HEIGHTSRecruitment for the 2016-17 academic year has yielded over 7,000

undergraduate applicants with a 73% admit rate. The academic profile for the incoming class will reach HISTORIC HEIGHTS with a Class average

GPA increasing to 3.6 and ACT average score of 27.

COMMON APPSt. Thomas began a new process of accepting admissions applications through the Common App in order to provide recognition and a greater ease for students to express their interest in higher education opportunities at St. Thomas when applying to universities across the country. 

STUDENT PROFILE FALL 2015

1,421NEW

FRESHMEN

1,391DOMESTIC

30INTERNATIONAL

31STATES

REPRESENTED

441HIGH SCHOOLSREPRESENTED

3.58AVERAGE GPA

26AVERAGE ACT

50.04%MALE

49.96%FEMALE 14%

STUDENT OF COLOR

UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES CENTER FOR GLOBAL &LOCAL ENGAGEMENT (GALE)

SUPPORTINGUNITS

| 13

Undergraduate Studies has been heavily involved in the TWO-YEAR COLLEGE INITIATIVE since its beginnings with the Flexible Pathways Task Force. Over the past year, the college has grown from an idea to a full-fledged plan – with a starting curriculum – that has widespread faculty support. Undergraduate Studies assisted this by making sure the proposed curriculum went through the proper faculty approval channels (via the school and college curriculum committees, the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee, and university-wide consent) and facilitating discussion about it throughout the university as a whole.

TWO-YEAR COLLEGE CURRICULUM

GALE completed a vision book that identifies important themes for upcoming curricular and co-curricular engagement opportunities in areas such as fostering interreligious understanding, ensuring equitable access to education, caring for elders and people with disabilities, and establishing food security. This idea of

“CLASSROOMS WITHOUT BORDERS” means students could engage in real-world issues, examine the systems that make human flourishing difficult, and would empower Tommies to respond in ways that are ethically informed and culturally sensitive.

ENGAGE. EXAMINE. EMPOWER.

Extensive collaboration with Student Affairs brought the creation of a Student Success Center. This center will be a central hub for student resources, spanning many aspects of the university, so that students may use it as a “ONE STOP SHOP” for their needs. Part of this project included working with the Retention Work Group to hire a dedicated Director of Retention and Student Success.

DEVELOPING A STUDENT SUCCESS CENTER

= Student Affairs

Academic Counseling & Advising, within Undergraduate Studies, worked to streamline its processes, including bringing two program advisors from the Opus College of Business into its central advising office. This shift brought more consistency to the student advising process as a whole and further connected the business college with the rest of the university.

CONSOLIDATED STUDENT ADVISING RESOURCES

= Academic Counseling & Advising & OCB

= Client Relationship

ENHANCED FALL WELCOME DAYS PROGRAMAn extensive introduction to the St. Thomas experience for new Tommies during student orientation was developed with Student Affairs called the WELCOME DAYS PROGRAM. A robust schedule of welcome activities and learning experiences are offered and the student move-in day switched from Saturday to Friday in order to immediately connect the students and their families to the full St. Thomas environment. 

= Student Affairs

SELIM CENTER FOR LEARNING IN LATER YEARSThe Selim Center Director, Bob Shoemake, is making efforts to connect more alumni to already popular LIFELONG LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES. In fact, a recent evening program drew 600+ attendees. The Center is also hoping to expand their educational offerings and is examining the market for adult travel-study and international volunteer opportunities.

ASHOKA DESIGNATIONSt. Thomas successfully completed the 360 scan required by Ashoka University to receive designation as an Ashoka campus. This distinction is a campus-wide commitment to embedding skills such as EMPATHY, TEAMWORK, LEADERSHIP AND CHANGEMAKING into our culture and across our curriculum. An Engaged Scholar was appointed to lead the effort and group of 20 Ashoka champions on campus.

OFFICE OF STUDY ABROADSt. Thomas has a rich history of study abroad participation and is RANKED 8TH NATIONALLY for number of students who take advantage of the studying abroad opportunity during their college years.

Study Abroad is focusing on strategic initiatives to increase study abroad participation of diverse students, to remove barriers that prevent students from the study abroad experience, and to increase opportunities for science, math, and engineering students in global programs located in South and Central America, Africa, Oceania, and Asia. The Office is also working on a Global Summers program to provide students the opportunity to participate in research, service and internships in 8-week programs at locations around the world.

INSTITUTIONAL EFFECTIVENESS

= Client Relationship

SUPPORTINGUNITS

| 14REGISTRAR’S OFFICE

St. Thomas was approved as a MILITARY FRIENDLY SCHOOL for the 2015-16 academic year thanks to the initiation and efforts from the Office of the University Registrar. This distinction recognizes St. Thomas as an institution with the attributes to attract and serve Veteran students. 

A new branch office for the University Registrar was opened on the MINNEAPOLIS CAMPUS in July 2015 to allow greater access and support for students and academic units across both campuses.

UNIVERSITY REGISTRAR ON THE MINNEAPOLIS CAMPUS

Proxy Access allows students to designate access of their student information to their parents or a third party. Designees can access this information through a separate login directly online. 

PROXY ACCESS FOR NON-STUDENT USERS

= Undergraduate Studies & Academic Counseling

The process for students to withdraw from the university was redesigned to provide more consultation with students

prior to formally leaving St. Thomas. Work was also completed to redesign how exceptions for transfer

credits, degree requirements, and registration will be reviewed in order to minimize the number of minor exceptions forwarded for review. 

NEW PROCESSES FOR WITHDRAWALS AND EXCEPTIONS

EXCEPTIONREVIEW

REGISTRAR’SOFFICE

WITHDRAWLPROCESS

for academic classroom scheduling, graduate program degree exceptions, and Study Abroad.

THE OFFICE ASSUMED RESPONSIBILITIES

MILITARY FRIENDLY SCHOOLThe university makes the best decisions when it has the best data. Institutional Effectiveness worked to share important data and analysis to support smart decision making across campus and improve processes to better serve the university community.

DATA IMPROVES PROCESSES

We had 16 academic departments and support units begin or continue the program review process last year. The process focuses on CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT and includes: programs/units engaging in a reflective self-study process which assists them in identifying areas for an external reviewer to provide recommendations.The reviewer visits campus to meet with department faculty, staff and students. Following the visit, the reviewer prepares a report which provides recommendations to the unit. Using that feedback units develop an action plan with goals, metrics for measuring the success of those goals and a timeline for implementation. Whilethe process is not new, it was reworked last year and the feedback from participating units has been positive.

PROGRAM REVIEW PROCESS

An analysis identified a pocket of students who were borrowing in excess of $60,000. This analysis was shared with university leadership and decision makers to inform the university community on the issue of student debt. The university placed an institutional focus on ensuring students have tools to enhance their financial literacy when making loan and other financial decisions. In response, St. Thomas launched SALT,

AN ONLINE PLATFORM which provides students with resources to help them plan for, pay for, and repay the cost of a degree. 

STUDENT DEBT

“Inspired by Catholic intellectual tradition, the University of St. Thomas educates students to be morally responsible leaders who think critically,act wisely, and work skillfully to advance the common good.”