I hope you had a joyful holiday, filled with peace, relaxation and time to connect with loved ones. As we enter a fresh calendar year and a new quarter, I'm reflecting on our community's achievements so far this academic year. Allow me to share a few highlights with you, in chronological order:Enrolled record-breaking freshman class
For the third year in a row, we welcomed the largest and most diverse freshman class in university history. Total undergraduate enrollment rose for the first time since fall 2012, and first-year retention also increased. We launched the first-ever transfer honors program for academically talented students. New international graduate enrollment also grew.
Partnered with Chicago Park District to renovate South Loop park
A new collaboration between DePaul and the Chicago Park District will renovate the basketball courts and facilities at the Margaret Hie Ding Lin Park at 1735 S. State Street, located about half a mile from Wintrust Arena. In addition to a revamped basketball court, the renovation will include a new half court facility, bleachers, landscaping and ADA accessibility improvements. DePaul men's and women's Blue Demon basketball teams plan to offer youth programming on the site as well.
Opened the DePaul Speech and Language Clinic
In September, we announced the opening of a Speech and Language Clinic on our Lincoln Park Campus. This free, donation-based clinic, hopes to expand access to speech and language services to children and adults across diverse communities and historically underserved areas. We launched the clinic in tandem with a new master's degree program in Speech Language Pathology, the newest addition to the College of Science and Health's expanding portfolio of degrees in health sciences.
Received nearly $2 million grant from the Mellon Foundation
The College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences received a grant for nearly $2 million to support a research collaboration centered on applying the humanities to effecting social change and building new structures of anti-violence and anti-racism. The grant continues DePaul's partnership with the foundation, which also awarded $750,000 to the university in 2019.
Welcomed students displaced from Afghanistan
This fall, we worked with the resettlement agency, RefugeeOne, to welcome a group of 10 students who were displaced during the recent crisis in Afghanistan. Student groups, DePaul Sanctuary and DePaul UMMA – United Muslims Moving Ahead, activated peer mentoring networks to befriend the students and offer ongoing support.
Expanded collaboration with Rush University
In December, DePaul and Rush universities announced an expanded collaboration into science, education and technology. The memorandum of understanding builds on the success of the Center for Community Health Equity, which has supported research and community initiatives since 2015. The expanded collaboration will explore further opportunities to host joint seminars, courses and academic programs, as well as research and internships.
We're off to a strong start, and in addition to these accomplishments, DePaul's fundraising momentum has continued to excel. Over the last 18 months, we have raised more than $124 million – an unprecedented fundraising record for our university. The number of donors - and therefore the number of new scholarships made available to our students - continues to increase. I am deeply humbled by the selfless generosity our community of alumni, donors, faculty and staff consistently demonstrate.
Thank you for everything you do to make our university community stronger. Thank you for upholding our Catholic, Vincentian mission every single day throughout the year. I will forever be grateful for our students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends.
I look forward to what 2022 will bring. Take Care, DePaul.