A record level of impact with a new challenge

With nearly 80 percent of our students receiving financial aid, the financial benefits of a scholarship award are undeniable. And The Henry Carver Fund plays a major role each year in doing just that. Named in honor of Bloomsburg University’s founder, the Henry Carver Fund is our most powerful tool for assisting students because the fund puts students first on a daily basis.

The money is used to help students with scholarships, travel expenses for internships and research presentations, as well as assisting faculty and staff in their efforts to help students in their academic development. There was no better year for this than last year, as we raised a record level of more than $500,000 that directly benefited students. To achieve this level during tough economic times is not only a true testament of our donors’ and supporters’ trust in what we do but also a great reflection on the commitment we — as a university community — have toward our students’ success.

We are very grateful for the support. Every dollar matters. And every dollar is appreciated. Looking ahead, this year appears to be challenging — but in a fun way.

Terry Zeigler ’76, President/CEO of Datacap Systems Inc., Chalfont, and his wife, JoAnn Schultz Zeigler ’77, are challenging alumni and friends of Bloomsburg University to make a new investment in our students through the Zeigler Henry Carver Fund Challenge. The HCF Challenge is the Zeiglers’ special initiative to match donations and raise a potential $200,000 for the Henry Carver Fund, the university’s annual fund. The challenge is all or nothing, and no gift is too small to count toward our $100,000 goal by June 30.

The Zeiglers and I hope this challenge inspires you to give back to Bloomsburg University and make an immediate impact on the lives of today’s students.

Planning Ahead: Enrollment Management

This spring, we will conduct a national search for an enrollment management director who will work with the enrollment management steering committee to set specific targets and identify what is needed to support student success and retention.

We have already taken one step to improve university-wide retention rates — we have implemented MAP-Works.

MAP-Works is an early-alert system that helps us intercede and address students’ academic and personal problems or concerns as they arise. The goal is to coordinate efforts across campus to promote student success and persistence.

Last year, MAP-Works was piloted with 512 incoming freshmen and was highly successful in identifying students likely to struggle academically. This past fall, all undeclared students were enrolled in MAP-Works. In addition, BU now measures second-, third- and fourth-year persistence rates to better understand the factors that impact student retention and provide additional student support services.

Planning and Assessment

Again this year, Bloomsburg University will participate in the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE). The survey applies to all freshmen and seniors. The goal is to learn more about student success and institutional improvement efforts in many areas, including:

• Collaborative learning 
• Student-faculty interaction
• Quality of interactions 
• Supportive environment
• High-impact practices

Data from this survey will help the institution improve overall teaching, learning and student support services.

Facilities Master Plan

We are currently going through the master planning process that will help us determine what our university will look like in 10 years. We have partnered with Stantec, a professional consulting firm specializing in planning, engineering architecture and interior design, to learn more about our campus’ physical strengths and areas for improvement. Stantec has already conducted several focus groups and one-on-one interviews with members of the campus community.

Social media is playing a role in this latest master plan. You may join the conversation on Facebook or follow #BUCampusPlan on Twitter.