Valpo Strategic Plan

[vu72]

if they make at least Valparaiso average gross salary $48,000.

I think you are assuming only one income.  In today's world that is almost unheard of.  If you double it to 96,000 the payment is very manageable.

[crusadermoe]

Totally agreed ValpoUSC. 

I did not know that. If our current students were "triggered" by  the reality of the 2016 election result then that is ridiculous. If the university coddled them and their fellow snowflakes on the faculty then they are all pathetic.  TDS became a pandemic it seems.

Most of my Valpo friends would be appalled and stop any giving.

[GaryCrusader]

Seems housing nowadays is priced for dual income families (and for people having less children as well)

[vu84v2]

Seems housing nowadays is priced for dual income families (and for people having less children as well)

Housing is priced based on what buyers are willing to pay and the supply of houses that are on the market in a geographical area.

[David81]

Totally agreed ValpoUSC. 

I did not know that. If our current students were "triggered" by  the reality of the 2016 election result then that is ridiculous. If the university coddled them and their fellow snowflakes on the faculty then they are all pathetic.  TDS became a pandemic it seems.

Most of my Valpo friends would be appalled and stop any giving.

Ummm, folks, if we're going to get judgmental about overwrought responses to elections, I think we do have to include the last round of hardcore snowflakey responses from the other end of the spectrum, yes??? (Hopefully the disappointed VU-affiliated voters in 2016 weren't dressing up in Norse warrior outfits and threatening to take over the Capitol Building. 😜)

I now return you to your regularly scheduled program.

More seriously, schools like Valpo still have the potential to strike a balance, to strive for a sort of Aristotelian mean as its center of gravity, with room for students, faculty, and staff possessing different points of view, but striving for understanding and seeking to live values-informed lives. It doesn't mean that everyone ends up in the same mushy middle, but it probably helps to create adults who are not drawn to dangerous extremes.

[vu72]

If our current students were "triggered" by  the reality of the 2016 election result then that is ridiculous

Well, living in a state with similar voting results to West Virginia and Alabama might be a little depressing! 

[usc4valpo]

whoever wins, students reactions requiring university pampering for their loser candidate is really pathetic, They need to get a life and understand that politicians are crooks and only care about their share of cash and power. Valpo [ampering to their needs is ridiculas.

[crusadermoe]

I love the David81 vision and "Aristotelean mean." Healthy debate across all perspectives serves all of us. And what more appropriate role would a university play in our country? The First Amendment is a right and no party or group holds a monopoly on "micro-aggressions" that result from that speech.  So, let's compile a list of the guest speakers VU has hosted on the campus in the last 4-5 years.  Perhaps it is nearly balanced? It seems to me that this list would give you the clearest indicator of our student government and faculty culture. Valpo22 could get that information. Again, the nuanced vision of OPK sets the stage nicely for a balance.

I am trusting that the "shout down" treatment of a guest speaker judge by Stanford University Law School students was a huge aberration.  Far more troubling than the student behavior (although they are all 22+ year-old "adults") was the host Dean joining students in berating her own guest speaker. If you think I exaggerate, google "stanford law school protests"

[wh]

I love the David81 vision and "Aristotelean mean." Healthy debate across all perspectives serves all of us. And what more appropriate role would a university play in our country? The First Amendment is a right and no party or group holds a monopoly on "micro-aggressions" that result from that speech.  So, let's compile a list of the guest speakers VU has hosted on the campus in the last 4-5 years.  Perhaps it is nearly balanced? It seems to me that this list would give you the clearest indicator of our student government and faculty culture. Valpo22 could get that information. Again, the nuanced vision of OPK sets the stage nicely for a balance.

I am trusting that the "shout down" treatment of a guest speaker judge by Stanford University Law School students was a huge aberration.  Far more troubling than the student behavior (although they are all 22+ year-old "adults") was the host Dean joining students in berating her own guest speaker. If you think I exaggerate, google "stanford law school protests"

Examples of university radicals shutting down free speech are everywhere. Even at highly conservative, evangelical Taylor University in Upland, IN, elements of the student body booed when it was announced that VP Mike Pence was going to be the commencement speaker, due specifically to his opposition to abortion. For all practical purposes, there is no "middle ground" in America's university system, anymore than there is middle ground in anything political. If I want my children or grandchildren to be exposed to anything right of center, I will send them to Liberty, Grand Canyon, et al. Their view is no more slanted right than most universities are slanted left, with cultural Marxist indoctrination in the humanities and pseudo sciences, cancel culture, and embracing every debase lifestyle known to mankind under the tolerance and choice strawman.

[vu72]

So, let's compile a list of the guest speakers VU has hosted on the campus in the last 4-5 years

I found a couple from 2022:

Featuring: James K.A. Smith
October 18, 2022, 6:00 pm
Location: VUCA, Duesenberg Recital Hall

James K.A. Smith is professor of philosophy at Calvin University and serves as editor in chief of Image journal, a quarterly devoted to "art, mystery, and faith." He is the award-winning author of a number of books, including Who's Afraid of Postmodernism?, How (Not) To Be Secular, You Are What You Love, On the Road with Saint Augustine, and, most recently, How to Inhabit Time: Understanding the Past, Facing the Future, Living Faithfully Now. His essays and criticism have appeared in LitHub, America, Christian Century, and the Los Angeles Review of Books, as well as the Wall Street Journal and New York Times.

Featuring: Danté Stewart
November 17, 2022, 6:00 pm
Location: VUCA, Duesenberg Recital Hall

Danté Stewart is a writer and speaker whose voice has been featured on CNN, The Washington Post, Christianity Today, Sojourners, The Witness: A Black Christian Collective, Comment magazine, and more. He is the author of the debut memoir Shoutin' in the Fire. As an up and coming voice, he writes and speaks into the areas of race, religion, and politics. He received his B.A. in Sociology from Clemson University. He is currently studying at the Candler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta, GA.

Previous Pathways to Purpose speakers cover a wide range of disciplines and interests. Past guests include:

James Clarke, Director of Ghana Programs for Unite for Sight
Catherine Deamant, Director of Palliative Care Services for Cook County Hospital
Mike Del Ponte, Social Entrepreneur and Founder of SOMA Water
Anna DeLuna '11, Director of Business Development for Edovo
Rebecca Deng, Author of What They Meant for Evil
Robert Egger, Founder of LA Kitchen
Derrick Feldmann, Lead Researcher and Creator of The Millennial Impact Project
Nicole M. Garcia, Counselor and Trans Activist
Jason Greer '96, Employment and Diversity Consultant and Writer at The Good Men Project
Pamela Hack '84, Foreign Service Officer & Chief, U.S. Consulate, General in Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Rozella Haydee White, Public Theologian
Larry James, community organizer and Founder of CitySquare
David King, Director of the Lake Institute on Faith and Giving
Kristin Kobes Du Mez, History Professor and Author of Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation
Matt Kramer, Co-CEO of Teach for America
Evan Narciss, Author of Rise of the Black Panther
Andy Nunemaker '91, Philanthropist and CEO of Dynamis Software Corporation
Francis Su, Author of Mathematics for Human Flourishing
Jemar Tisby, President of the Witness: A Black Christian Collective
Jim Walker, Founder and Executive Director of the BigCar Collaborative
Taj Weekes, Grammy-Winning Reggae Artist and Humanitarian
Carolyn Woo, President & CEO of Catholic Relief Services
Aaron Yazzie, Engineer in NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Andrew Whitehead, Co-Author of Taking America Back for God: Christian Nationalism in the United States
Rev. Alexia Salvatierra, Author of Faith-Rooted Organizing: Mobilizing the Church in Service to the World
Lydia Dugdale, Author of The Lost Art of Dying: Reviving Forgotten Wisdom
Fr. Greg Boyle, Founder and Director of Homeboy Industries
Christine Emba, Columnist at the Washington Post and Author of Rethinking Sex: A Provocation
Anne Snyder, Editor-in-Chief of Comment magazine
Michael Lamb, Director of the Center for Leadership and Character at Wake Forrest University
Katelyn Beaty, Editor at Brazos Press and author of Celebrities for Jesus: How Personas, Platform, and Profits are Hurting the Church

Speakers include:

Robert Egger: "Feeding the Soul: The Interaction of Food, Policy and Potential," Sept. 6. As founder and president of L.A. Kitchen, Robert Egger and his company work to recover locally sourced, cosmetically imperfect fruits and vegetables to fuel a culinary arts job training program for women and men coming out of foster care and older women and men returning from incarceration.

Beverly Schultz '65: "Recoding Expectations: A Woman's Pioneering Journey in High Tech," Sept. 27. Beverly Schultz '65 is the author of "Skip the Typing Test — I'll Manage the Software: One Woman's Pioneering Journey in High Tech," in which she explores her unique success as a female engineer in a male-dominated field. Schultz received the President's Award from Mitsubishi Electric, and her team created one of the first 3D chips that won seven awards at COMDEX.

Kam Buckner: "Athletics and Justice: Translating Leadership from the Field to Your Community," Oct. 18. Kam Buckner, executive director of World Sport Chicago and former manager of government and neighborhood relations for the Chicago Cubs, works to further his organization's mission of supporting resiliency and strengthening community by increasing access to youth sport.

Beth Kreppin: "When Headlines Are Your Baseline: Serving in Crisis Scenarios," Nov. 1. As a special agent with the FBI, Beth Kreppin has collaborated with Chicago Division's Joint Task Force on Gangs and the Chicago Division Crisis Negotiation Team and was named the Chicago Division's Crisis Management Coordinator in 2016.

Rozella Haydée White: "The Road to Empowerment: Finding Purpose Outside of Institutions," Nov. 6. In addition to her role as owner of RHW Consulting, Rozella Haydée White serves as the Houston City Director for Mission Year and is a consultant with LEAD, an organization focused on empowering Christian leaders, transforming faith communities and influencing the world.

[crusadermoe]

J.K. Smith sounds like a gentleman who is a rigorous thinker and has a balanced view.

Apart from him, a quick skim of the other speaker themes does not suggest a lot of political balance.  I don't have time to research them. But the mentions of gender, the male bashing, and the disdain for evangelicals are not encouraging. And I may have overlooked the counterweight speakers.

[crusadermoe]

Toward the goal of more regional focus on board selections cited by WH and me, I do see one indication of this emphasis.

They hired a new VP of Advancement who appears to have much more regional non-profit experience in NW Indiana than leadership roles in private university leadership.  Marie Foster-Bruns appears not be an alumna of VU.  Not that this should be required by any means.

So for better or for worse the fork in the road has been chosen. Padilla opted for someone whose perspective is solely a regional one to lead charitable giving.  Read her background and see if you agree.

https://www.valpo.edu/news/news-archive/?type=post&site=239&id=13131

[vu72]

Toward the goal of more regional focus on board selections cited by WH and me, I do see one indication of this emphasis.

They hired a new VP of Advancement who appears to have much more regional non-profit experience in NW Indiana than leadership roles in private university leadership.  Marie Foster-Bruns appears not be an alumna of VU.  Not that this should be required by any means.

So for better or for worse the fork in the road has been chosen. Padilla opted for someone whose perspective is solely a regional one to lead charitable giving.  Read her background and see if you agree.

https://www.valpo.edu/news/news-archive/?type=post&site=239&id=13131

I think is will be a great hire.  She has loads of alumni experience and her regional contacts could well lead to stronger ties to corporations and hopefully to a naming partner for the new arena.  Agree that she doesn't need to be an alumna as neither was Lisa Hollander, her predecessor.  The new director of admissions is an alumna however and I think this is a wise choice.

[historyman]

Toward the goal of more regional focus on board selections cited by WH and me, I do see one indication of this emphasis.

They hired a new VP of Advancement who appears to have much more regional non-profit experience in NW Indiana than leadership roles in private university leadership.  Marie Foster-Bruns appears not be an alumna of VU.  Not that this should be required by any means.

So for better or for worse the fork in the road has been chosen. Padilla opted for someone whose perspective is solely a regional one to lead charitable giving.  Read her background and see if you agree.

https://www.valpo.edu/news/news-archive/?type=post&site=239&id=13131

https://www.nwitimes.com/jose-padilla-and-marie-foster-bruns-a-beacon-for-a-region-realized/article_2b7f4749-f00a-57fb-bca4-338774c14cd0.html

This is a story written by President Padilla & VP Marie Foster-Bruns in the NWI Times back in March.

[vu72]

Thanks for re-posting this.  I think it focuses on what wh and moe had in mind.

[wh]

Toward the goal of more regional focus on board selections cited by WH and me, I do see one indication of this emphasis.

They hired a new VP of Advancement who appears to have much more regional non-profit experience in NW Indiana than leadership roles in private university leadership.  Marie Foster-Bruns appears not be an alumna of VU.  Not that this should be required by any means.

So for better or for worse the fork in the road has been chosen. Padilla opted for someone whose perspective is solely a regional one to lead charitable giving.  Read her background and see if you agree.

https://www.valpo.edu/news/news-archive/?type=post&site=239&id=13131

https://www.nwitimes.com/jose-padilla-and-marie-foster-bruns-a-beacon-for-a-region-realized/article_2b7f4749-f00a-57fb-bca4-338774c14cd0.html

This is a story written by President Padilla & VP Marie Foster-Bruns in the NWI Times back in March.

How on earth did I miss this!? This is exactly what I have been longing for - a desire AND A PLAN to partner with the community, the region, and the state to elevate the quality of life. IMO this vision is transformative. I feel like I just got a shot of adrenaline.

BTW, forget my idea about partnering with PNW on their leadership training initiative. This is bigger, bolder, fresher, and more impactful. Let Valpo make its own splash its way.

[David81]

Toward the goal of more regional focus on board selections cited by WH and me, I do see one indication of this emphasis.

They hired a new VP of Advancement who appears to have much more regional non-profit experience in NW Indiana than leadership roles in private university leadership.  Marie Foster-Bruns appears not be an alumna of VU.  Not that this should be required by any means.

So for better or for worse the fork in the road has been chosen. Padilla opted for someone whose perspective is solely a regional one to lead charitable giving.  Read her background and see if you agree.

https://www.valpo.edu/news/news-archive/?type=post&site=239&id=13131

https://www.nwitimes.com/jose-padilla-and-marie-foster-bruns-a-beacon-for-a-region-realized/article_2b7f4749-f00a-57fb-bca4-338774c14cd0.html

This is a story written by President Padilla & VP Marie Foster-Bruns in the NWI Times back in March.

The Padilla/Foster-Bruns piece is worth reading for both its substance and its visionary, can-do, entrepreneurial voice. I don't use "visionary" lightly. But when the article actually prompts you to start envisioning some exciting projects and initiatives, well, it's visionary.

As someone who grew up in NW Indiana, when I look back I think of Valpo as being in a bit of its own little bubble when it came to having a presence beyond some narrow confines of Porter County.

This piece, however, suggests a full presence in Northwest Indiana for Valpo as a talent supplier, idea generator, and event host. I enjoyed reading it.

[crusadermoe]

I thought Bradley was doing well.  So this is a shock.  Sadly, these issues are going to be a tidal wave across most midwest universities other than flagships and other publics.

https://www.wcbu.org/local-news/2023-07-31/bradley-university-looks-to-slash-costs-by-10-as-institution-runs-a-13-million-budget-shortfall

[vu72]

I thought Bradley was doing well.  So this is a shock.  Sadly, these issues are going to be a tidal wave across most midwest universities other than flagships and other publics.

https://www.wcbu.org/local-news/2023-07-31/bradley-university-looks-to-slash-costs-by-10-as-institution-runs-a-13-million-budget-shortfall

I'm guessing (hoping) that Valpo got out in front of these necessities with cuts done over previous years.  Lets certainly hope so.

[crusadermoe]

Yes, let's hope. 

I think the top development guy from Valpo went to Bradley in the last year.  Can't remember his name.  Out of the fiscal frying pan and into the fire.

[wh]

Yes, let's hope. 

I think the top development guy from Valpo went to Bradley in the last year.  Can't remember his name.  Out of the fiscal frying pan and into the fire.

Q&A: Sitting down with new VP of Advancement Jason Petrovich
BY JONATHAN MICHEL – CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ON JANUARY 27, 2023

"JP: So the campaign that we recently finished at Valparaiso from start to finish, I was a part of it [and] I was the main driver of it. We raised a little over 302 million dollars for [Valparaiso]. So that team made its largest campaign in the history of the university. We recently set a goal of $250 million so we eclipsed our goal by over 20 percent and that feels really good. What feels really good about it though is, in 2012 when I first got to Valparaiso, we were just kind of talking about what really needed to happen for the campaign to be successful. We were strategic and found the people and it felt like at times we were building the plane while we were flying it but it all worked. I'm proud to leave [Valparaiso] in a state that's better than what I found it in and I have the same hope and aspiration for my time at Bradley."

https://www.bradleyscout.com/news/qa-sitting-down-with-new-vp-of-advancement-jason-petrovich/

Impressive.

[FWalum]

Yes, let's hope. 

I think the top development guy from Valpo went to Bradley in the last year.  Can't remember his name.  Out of the fiscal frying pan and into the fire.

Q&A: Sitting down with new VP of Advancement Jason Petrovich
BY JONATHAN MICHEL – CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ON JANUARY 27, 2023

"JP: So the campaign that we recently finished at Valparaiso from start to finish, I was a part of it [and] I was the main driver of it. We raised a little over 302 million dollars for [Valparaiso]. So that team made its largest campaign in the history of the university. We recently set a goal of $250 million so we eclipsed our goal by over 20 percent and that feels really good. What feels really good about it though is, in 2012 when I first got to Valparaiso, we were just kind of talking about what really needed to happen for the campaign to be successful. We were strategic and found the people and it felt like at times we were building the plane while we were flying it but it all worked. I'm proud to leave [Valparaiso] in a state that's better than what I found it in and I have the same hope and aspiration for my time at Bradley."

https://www.bradleyscout.com/news/qa-sitting-down-with-new-vp-of-advancement-jason-petrovich/

Impressive.

Wow!! Talk about being a little verbose, saying that you were the main driver of the campaign. I think he was in charge of major gifts but he wasn't the VP of Advancement. The VP was Lisa Hollander, I wonder how she feels about him taking the credit for the 302 million.

[vu84v2]

Yes, let's hope. 

I think the top development guy from Valpo went to Bradley in the last year.  Can't remember his name.  Out of the fiscal frying pan and into the fire.

Q&A: Sitting down with new VP of Advancement Jason Petrovich
BY JONATHAN MICHEL – CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ON JANUARY 27, 2023

"JP: So the campaign that we recently finished at Valparaiso from start to finish, I was a part of it [and] I was the main driver of it. We raised a little over 302 million dollars for [Valparaiso]. So that team made its largest campaign in the history of the university. We recently set a goal of $250 million so we eclipsed our goal by over 20 percent and that feels really good. What feels really good about it though is, in 2012 when I first got to Valparaiso, we were just kind of talking about what really needed to happen for the campaign to be successful. We were strategic and found the people and it felt like at times we were building the plane while we were flying it but it all worked. I'm proud to leave [Valparaiso] in a state that's better than what I found it in and I have the same hope and aspiration for my time at Bradley."

https://www.bradleyscout.com/news/qa-sitting-down-with-new-vp-of-advancement-jason-petrovich/

Impressive.

Wow!! Talk about being a little verbose, saying that you were the main driver of the campaign. I think he was in charge of major gifts but he wasn't the VP of Advancement. The VP was Lisa Hollander, I wonder how she feels about him taking the credit for the 302 million.

Not to mention the Deans of the colleges, who likely played a greater role than advancement for getting major donations for their colleges (which are included in the $302M).

[valpo95]

Wow!! Talk about being a little verbose, saying that you were the main driver of the campaign. I think he was in charge of major gifts but he wasn't the VP of Advancement. The VP was Lisa Hollander, I wonder how she feels about him taking the credit for the 302 million.

Well, I'm not going to be too worried about it. He was asked,"What's a past campaign that you've done that you're the most proud of and how did you do it?" and that was his response.

As far as I can tell, Mr. Petrovich very well was the lead person in charge of the campaign. Clearly the VP would have other responsibilities including managing the entire Advancement office, just like the President (or Deans) would be involved with the campaign while doing other Presidential things. If you read the response, he uses "we" and "team" as well, even as the question uses the word "you" three times!

[crusadermoe]

Fine to take credit I guess.  I was just thinking he probably found the July 31 press release pretty shocking and may not have seen a crisis of that depth coming when he took the job. Bradley may want him to downsize a bit and/or raise money urgently to plug the holes in the ship's hull with more giving to the budget rather than do visionary stuff now. However, higher education finances are largely facing the same problems so I would guess he went in with his eyes wide open.