Recent Accomplishments

President Richard F. Giese first introduced six key areas that would help to define Mount Union’s future during his Inauguration speech in 2005. These later became known as his “six strategic initiatives.”

• To develop a curriculum for the future
• To enhance the traditional residential nature of our campus
• To grow our enrollment
• To increase the college’s financial strength 
• To enhance the diversity of our campus community
• To enhance the reputation and visibility of Mount Union

The following highlights the accomplishments that have occurred during Dr. Giese’s presidency as a result of a focus on these six strategic initiatives.

Develop a Curriculum for the Future

• Added new undergraduate programs in intervention specialist, environmental science, medical technology, criminal justice, financial mathematics, public health, civil engineering, mechanical engineering, finance, health systems management, human resource management, management, marketing, human development and family science, financial planning, communication studies, public relations and integrated media
• Launched the first two graduate programs in nearly a century – a Master of Science degree in physician assistant studies and a Master of Arts degree in educational leadership
• Reorganized the academic affairs area into four divisions, with a dean over each division
• Opened the Academic Planning Center, which offers guidance and assistance to students while they explore the possibilities for claiming or changing their major course of study
• Developed a television studio (Studio M) and launched programming
• Launched A New Global Environment for Learning (ANGEL), a learning/course management system
• Offered start-up grants for faculty to develop and deliver online courses
• Established SCHOLAR (Student Celebration Honoring Our Latest Academic Research) Day, which offers an opportunity for students, faculty, staff and community members to learn about students’ undergraduate research
• Announced the addition of a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree to begin in fall 2013
• Restructured and expanded the Honors Program
• Piloted a portal device initiative in select courses
• Transitioned the common course from three credits to four credits to emphasize in-depth study and student research
• Completed a major revision of the general education curriculum, the Integrative Core

Foster an Engaging Campus Community

• Constructed a new Sigma Nu house, moved Phi Kappa Tau into a renovated house and is partnering with Alpha Tau Omega to build a new house and explored new housing options for other fraternities and sororities on campus
• Partnered with AVI Foodsystems and completed a $3 million renovation in the Hoover-Price Campus Center
• Upgraded all traditional residence halls on campus
• Constructed three new apartment-style housing villages on Union Avenue and Hartshorn Street and increased the percentage of students living on campus to over 80%
• Opened the McPherson Academic and Athletic Complex, the result of an $18 million renovation and addition to Mount Union’s wellness, recreation and athletic facilities
• Experienced a significant increase in the number of Greek students on campus and moved formal recruitment for incoming students to the fall semester
• Developed Exceptional Beginnings, a first year experience program
• Launched and tested Blackboard Connect, a mass emergency communication system
• Developed the Academic Mall gathering space in the core of campus
• Launched the Exceptional Connections Program, which connects alumni and students for networking and career purposes

Manage Strategic Enrollment Growth

• Welcomed record-breaking freshman classes to campus in 2007, 2008 and 2012
• Announced a record full-time enrollment of 2,166 students and an overall enrollment of 2,255 in fall 2010
• Welcomed cohorts of physician assistant studies students in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012
• Utilized an outside consultant to aid in using financial aid more effectively and efficiently
• Celebrated the graduation of the first class of physician assistant studies students in 2011, who scored high on both national tests required in the field
• Opened the Gartner Welcome Center, which earned LEED Silver certification
• Continued to offer a host of scholarship programs including the Presidential Scholarship Competition, Minority Achievement Award Competition and awards in the areas of music, art, theatre and communication
• Adopted a campus-wide retention plan

Ensure the Sustainable Management of Resources

• Continued making investments in campus, which total more than $100 million in the past decade
• Established the Sustainability Management Advisory Council to further green initiatives on campus and reduced energy costs per square feet by 5% in last three years 
• In 2010, closed the Drive for Distinction Campaign, exceeding the campaign goal of $80 million with $82.3 million raised a year ahead of schedule
• Established a new endowed chair and two endowed professorships
• Completed a rolling five-year plan for financial stability and viability
• Celebrated 58 years of balanced financial operations
• Announced new giving levels for The Mount Union Fund
• Completed the state-of-the-art Engineering and Business Building
• Relocated the Physical Plant to a renovated facility
• Renovated Beeghly Hall
• Received the largest gift-in-kind in the institution’s history – a $24.1 million software grant from Siemens PLM Software for the Department of Engineering
• Celebrated two of the most successful fund-raising years to date in 2010-2011 and 2011-2012
• Completed a campus master planning process, identifying priority needs – a health and medical sciences facility and a performing and media arts complex
• Formed alumni clubs in Florida, New York, Illinois, Ohio, North Carolina, District of Columbia and Singapore
• Completed a facelift to Mount Union Stadium, including new artificial turf

Enhance the Diversity of Our Campus Community

• Named an assistant to the president for diversity affairs
• Completed a campus climate study on diversity
• Adopted a comprehensive Diversity Plan
• Launched the Asian Initiative and established goals for faculty exchanges, internships and traveling study groups
• Benefitted from productive trips to Asia that took President and Mrs. Giese, key faculty members, select administrators and several members of the Board of Trustees to Japan, China and Malaysia
• Created alumni groups in Japan, Malaysia and Thailand
• Established a Center for Global Education that encompasses all things international
• Developed exchange relationships with institutions in India, Vietnam, China, Japan and Greece
• Offered full tuition scholarships to Christ College in Bangalore, India
• Launched an initiative to encourage faculty-led overseas seminars
• Reached the initial goal of increasing diversity of the student body to 15%
• Established a relationship with Middle Tennessee State University
• Hosted the Not Another Statistic Conference that deals with diversity issues
• Launched the Discover China Program, a multi-faceted Chinese culture and language program
• Reestablished a tradition of international touring for the Mount Union Concert Choir, with tours to Ireland and Italy

Broaden the Visibility and Reputation of the Institution

• Continued to bring prominent speakers to campus through the Schooler Lecture Series
• Celebrated the awarding of the prestigious Ohio Campus Compact Charles J. Ping Award for outstanding leadership and contributions to community service to numerous students
• Launched LINC, a community luncheon series
• Claimed its eighth, ninth and tenth Division III National Championships in football
• In 2011-12, finished among the top 25 Division III schools in the prestigious Learfield Sports Director’s Cup for all around athletic success
• Changed the designation of the institution from “college” to “university” upon approval of the Board of Trustees
• Embarked on a market research effort that culminated in an institutional positioning, brand clarification and strategic marketing effort
• Launched a new website, including a mobile site specifically for smart phone users
• Ranked highly by U.S. News & World Report, Forbes and Washington Monthly
• Recognized in the Princeton Review’s Guide to 322 Green Colleges
• Named to The President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll
• Granted Tree Campus USA status
• Announced that, among members of the 2011 graduating class, 97% of survey respondents secured employment in their major field of study or graduate school placement in the college or university of their choice
• Garnered national accreditations in athletic training, chemistry, education, health education, music, physical education and physician assistant studies
• Hosted Buckeye Girls State on campus for the past two summers
• Announced the awarding of Ohio Magazine’s Excellence in Education Award to five faculty members
• Launched a mobile app