From the President
Dear Friends,
For several years now, the University of Baltimore has been at the forefront of a movement within higher education to improve outcomes for our students—their learning, their persistence to graduation, and their potential to establish themselves in a career path that is tied directly to their academic interests. We call all of this "student success," and it has become a hallmark of what we deliver in the classroom and beyond.
It's the "beyond" piece that I believe sets us apart from so many of our forward-thinking institutional peers. At UB, we are dedicated to meeting the needs of students, regardless of their major or their status as freshmen or candidates for a Ph.D., to journey out into the world. What we urge them to find is not only their place, but also their passion, their perspective, and most of all, their power. Isn't all of education, but especially a higher education, about empowerment?
Our Community Development Fellows Program is an outstanding example of UB's experiential learning stance: Qualified students who express an interest in bringing positive change to a neighborhood in Baltimore are placed in city Main Street or Healthy Neighborhood associations, as well as in nonprofits, where they receive hands-on experiences in, for example, improving a storefront so that a local business can open up there. They are paid for this work through private support; this arrangement allows them to go to school, do their job, and pick up a career-focused skill set.
The UB-affiliated Passager, a long-standing journal and press dedicated to older writers from all across the country, inspires our creative writing students to learn both the craft of publishing and the art of a life well lived. They work with faculty and staff to organize campus readings, design covers, and promote the Passager name. For many, this interaction is the moment when a writing career becomes real, starting today—not something abstract that could happen someday.
The Campus Pantry, established in 2016, requires many UB hands to deliver on its promise. Students and staff have established a volunteer network that ensures that the pantry's shelves are stocked with food for the UB community, and that its doors are opened when the need is clear. So many of our students are balancing busy lives between work, class and families—a healthy meal can make everything so much easier. Along the way, we all are learning about the importance of sharing where and when we are able.
These efforts, along with so many others, are what we mean by student success at the University of Baltimore. I am extraordinarily proud of what we are doing, and I urge you to find out more about our work. Ours is a remarkable community, and we are growing more powerful every day.
Sincerely,
Kurt L. Schmoke
UB President
From the Board Chairman
Dear Friends,
It has been an eventful year at the University of Baltimore and we are excited to share some of our most notable achievements with you in this year’s University of Baltimore Foundation Annual Report. You will see how programs such as Passager, the Campus Pantry, and the Community Development Fellows Program are helping UB students and improving the greater community in many ways.
As we move forward in our quest to build upon the already stellar reputation of the University of Baltimore, I would like to thank each of you who generously supported our efforts this fiscal year. We have had a very successful year, with more than $5.7 million contributed by our alumni and friends. Your support helps to provide the resources needed to sustain the University of Baltimore and its programs.
On behalf of the entire University of Baltimore Foundation Board of Directors, I want to thank you for recognizing the important work UB does in the community and for supporting our ongoing dedication to educational access and excellence.
Sincerely,
James P. Nolan, J.D. ’74
Chair, UB Foundation Board of Directors