De sales university

Our golf tournament was held on June 11, and for the second year in a row, raised more than $100,000. This year’s total is an all-time record. Our premier title sponsor was Valley Builders, LLC. Special thanks to our chair Winnie Melinsky from Highmark Blue Shield, who was our platinum sponsor. A breakdown is listed in the table below:

215 golfers - 6 NEW foursomes - 11 NEW sponsors - 3 NEW twosomes

In many ways, these past four years have been a nightmare for fundraisers. The local, national, and world economies have not generated the economic strength that fosters the philanthropic spirit. And everyone has suffered. It is a great tribute to the character of the individuals within our office of institutional advancement that we have done reasonably well during these difficult circumstances. The Salesian spirit of optimism and of reliance upon the providence of the Good Lord have helped us along the way!

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  The university successfully completed six national searches for future leaders of key academic programs: Wayne Stuart, M.D., became director of the master of science in physician assistant studies; Mary Elizabeth Doyle-Tadduni, Ph.D., M.B.A., M.S.N., B.S.N., chair of the department of nursing and health; Dr. Kay Malek, faculty member to develop a proposal to initiate a doctor of physical therapy (DPT) program at DeSales University; Ms. Patricia Riola, M.S.I.S., director of the master of science in information systems program; Dr. Gail Vogel, director of the master of education program; and Dr. Todd Bricker, present chair of the social sciences department, takes on the additional responsibility of director of the master of arts in criminal justice program.
  

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  Along with the efforts of the Salesian Center for Faith and Culture, the university supported the work of the Catholic community in the great struggle to maintain our first amendment rights in light of the recent ruling by the Department of Health and Human Services mandating the inclusion of “healthcare benefits” that are contrary to the faith tradition of the Roman Catholic Church.
  

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  Members of the staffs of both student affairs and academic affairs completed two years of preparation for the launch of the “DeSales Experience”, a four-year program of in-class and out-of-class activities that foster the integration of character formation, leadership development, and Salesian instruction to form the total person of virtue.
  

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  The university successfully launched the first doctoral program, the doctorate of nursing practice (DNP) in January.
  

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  We successfully reached a new high for the number of multicultural students represented in the freshman class (13.5%).
  

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  The office of international learning added five additional locations for students to spend a semester abroad by simply exchanging students without additional costs: the American College of Athens – Athens, Greece; the International University of Monaco – Monte Carlo, Monaco; the Catholic University of Murcia San Antonio – Murcia, Spain; Mary Immaculate College – Limerick, Ireland; the International University at Geneva – Geneva, Switzerland.
  
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  The university launched a newly redesigned website www.desales.edu.
  

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  The university completed a new athletic department master plan with appropriate recommendations for both athletic fields and athletic department spaces necessary for the continuing success of the sports teams and the recreational needs of the student body.
  

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  The university planning committee completed and the board of trustees approved the Campus Master Plan: 2012-2022, which contains the athletic master plan as one of its sub-sets.
  

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  The university opened a new location for our Lansdale Area campus and continued our MBA program while initiating our ACCESS program in this facility.
  

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  The university made significant progress on the construction of the Rev. Daniel G. Gambet, OSFS, Center for Business and Healthcare Education. A ribbon cutting is scheduled for Friday, April 5, 2013, at 12:00 noon.
  

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  The university began work on the Periodic Review Report for the Commission on Higher Education – Middle States Association re-accreditation review due in June of 2013.
  

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  The university completed the fourth year of the current capital campaign with a focus upon the Gambet Center for Business and Healthcare with the alumni and alumnae of the university. There will be one additional year for this phase of the campaign before shifting our efforts to the baseball and softball stadiums and the Salesian Center for Faith and Culture.
  

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  The university erected two bronze statues near the mall area of the campus. A statue of Saint Jane de Chantal is on the student life part of the campus, while a statue of Saint Francis de Sales is near Dooling Hall on the academic affairs section of the campus. They are facing each other “eye-ball to eye-ball” to symbolize the complementary character of these great components of a full university education and a full human life. They were blessed in the presence of the Oblate Convocation in June.
  

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  The university will enroll the largest number of undergraduate day students in our history for the fall semester.
  

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  The percentage of multicultural students in our new class will be 17.2%. This is an increase of almost 4 percentage points over last year. The fifteen years of work with the “Hispanic Initiative” (now called the “Dreams Program”) offered during the summer months for local students of color is proving successful.
  

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  This year, the university will welcome an entering freshman class who, when they are graduated in 2015-2016, will represent the completion of fifty years of higher education at our institution. We will officially celebrate the academic year 2015-2016 as our 50^th anniversary year.
  

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  Under the direction of the Salesian Center for Faith and Culture, the university will participate in a pilgrimage to France during September to celebrate the beatification of Fr. Louis Brisson, OSFS, the founder of the Oblates of Saint Francis de Sales.
  

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  The university will submit the periodic review report to the Commission on Higher Education – Middle States Association by June 2013.
  

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  The university will receive ownership of the Gambet Center for Business and Healthcare Education at the end of October 2012. Technology and furniture will be installed by the end of December 2012. The LEED certification process will be completed by the end of February 2013. The first event in the building will be the faculty meeting of February. The faculty will move into the building during the spring break week of March 4-8, 2013. The March board of trustees’ meeting will occur in the building. The formal ribbon cutting will occur on Friday, April 5^th at 12 noon. The public will be invited to tour the building on that afternoon. Classes will begin on Monday, April 8, 2013, as assigned by the registrar of the university.
  

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  The university will begin the planning process for the vacated spaces within both Dooling Hall and Chappuis Hall created by the movement into the Gambet Center.
  

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  The university will complete a study for the implementation of the athletic master plan and identify funding for the first projects.
  

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  The university will complete a study for the implementation of the plan for new residence halls and identify funding for the first projects.
  

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  The university will complete its study of the feasibility of the doctorate in physical therapy (DPT) and present appropriate proposals to the faculty and board of trustees for action.
  

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  The university will begin planning for the athletic and Salesian Center phases of the capital campaign.
  

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  The university will place in front of Connolly Chapel and bless statues of Blessed Father Louis Brisson, OSFS; Mother Mary de Sales Chappuis, VHM; and three young students.
  

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  The governance committee of the board of trustees will complete their work on a succession plan for the office of president at DeSales University.
  

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  The institutional outcomes committee of the university will create a plan for the assessment of the effectiveness of the new “organizational structure” during the third year of implementation (2012-2013) and conduct the study during academic year (2013-2014).
  

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  In addition to the study abroad programs in London and Rome, the university will inaugurate exchanges with our five new partners: American College of Athens – Athens, Greece; the International University of Monaco – Principality of Monaco; the Catholic University of Murcia San Antonio – Murcia, Spain; Mary Immaculate College – Limerick, Ireland; and the International University at Geneva – Geneva, Switzerland.
  

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  The university will publish and promote the new Campus Master Plan: 2012-2022. The document will be formally presented to the Upper Saucon Township Supervisors and the Township Planning Committee.