From the President
Dear Friends,
When a company introduces a major new piece of technology, or simply a better way to sell its products, that change in the industry may be defined as “disruption.” The term has been used in business for a long time. When it comes to commerce, disruption can be a good thing—sales explode, processes become more efficient, growth happens faster, cheaper, better. Still, for some, the concept of disruption can lead to worrisome thoughts or unease. Still, for the University of Baltimore, we believe it is healthy to strive for a superior way to do just about everything.
At UB, we work hard to improve people’s lives, and those efforts do not end at the classroom door. Our long, fruitful relationship with the city around us is a form of disruption at its very best. Over the years, we have become nationally known for engaging in Baltimore’s issues—bringing our faculty’s expertise, our students’ energy and ideas, and the UB community’s remarkable passion for sustaining a thriving urban environment to nearly every neighborhood in the city.
Our approach, going back to the University’s founding in 1925, is first to do the hard work of understanding a city issue, and then to help work through that issue alongside our committed partners. On any given day, you will find UB community members who are determined to make Baltimore a better place disrupting the norm and teaming up with leaders from government, nonprofits, schools, private advocacy groups and more.
Here’s an example: Last June, UB announced that it had been named one of only a few dozen campuses in the nation to lead the Second Chance Pell pilot program—an effort by the U.S. Department of Education to provide college classes to incarcerated individuals. We are now delivering credit-bearing courses to men residing at Jessup Correctional Institution in an effort to improve recidivism rates and give offenders a chance to reenter society with greater hope and stronger skills. Once again, UB is making a contribution to a national movement; this time, it is to reform the criminal justice system.
We are also inspiring the city’s youth: UB’s new specialization within the Integrated Arts program, Performance Studies: Baltimore, offers graduates from great high schools, such as the Baltimore School for the Arts, the Carver Center for Arts and Technology and others, an opportunity to explore acting, playwriting and even the business of theater with input from professionals at the Everyman Theatre and the Hippodrome Foundation. In effect, UB is encouraging future great artists to start their careers here at home.
The stories that we are telling on this website come from the same place: There is Beverly Cooper’s establishment of a much-needed UB scholarship on behalf of the acclaimed Reginald F. Lewis Foundation; and the University of Baltimore Foundation’s grant program, which supports students’ overseas learning experiences, professors’ city-based research and many other great initiatives. We are also shining a light on the advances made by the Jacob France Institute’s Baltimore Neighborhood Indicators Alliance. JFI-BNIA is showing everyone how “big data” can help Baltimore strengthen its neighborhoods and empower its citizens.
Yes, all of this excellent work could be described as disruptive; but it is also iterative, communal, mindful and—most of all—real. This type of deliberate, serious and purposeful work makes UB distinctive. As our institution continues to create powerful opportunities for its students and community, you will see UB, hear from UB and learn from UB.
I like to say that we are the University of Baltimore, for Baltimore: a campus that serves the community, inspires and excites those around us, and celebrates the unique qualities of our historic home that is Baltimore.
Sincerely,
Kurt L. Schmoke
UB President
From the Board Chairman
Dear Friends,
It is my pleasure and honor to serve as chair of the University of Baltimore Foundation Board of Directors. The foundation is pleased to be able to continue its tradition of serving the University and the Baltimore community. We just concluded a great year of progress at UB and I am excited about the direction in which we are moving.
You will see in this year’s annual report how UB’s programs have positively impacted the city of Baltimore and its residents. Initiatives such as the Baltimore Neighborhood Indicators Alliance, the Reginald F. Lewis Endowed Scholarship Fund and the Fund for Excellence grant program are examples of how UB is truly committed to Baltimore.
On behalf of the UB Foundation Board of Directors, I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to everyone who supported UB this past fiscal year. UB’s friends and alumni are integral to sustaining the University’s growth and development in the years to come.
Sincerely,
James P. Nolan, J.D. ’74
Chair, UB Foundation Board of Directors