Declaring that “the state of our University is stronger than ever,” Butler President James M. Danko said in his State of the University speech on September 25 that Butler “is well positioned not only to survive these challenging times, but to thrive in them.”

“Today’s students—especially those considering an institution like Butler—expect and deserve to be immersed in an environment where they can learn, grow, and contribute each and every day,” he told the audience at Clowes Memorial Hall. “Through our focus on innovative teaching, close relationships with faculty and staff, diversity and inclusivity, experiential education, global education, and service learning, I believe we already provide our students with one of the most engaging and valuable educational experiences in the country.”

Danko pointed to the University’s ability to innovate and successfully launch new programs—including, most recently, those in Interactive Media, Sports Media, Music Performance & Education, Musical Arts, Jazz Studies, Astronomy & Astrophysics, Environmental Studies, Recreation and Sports Studies, Healthcare and Business.

Butler also launched new graduate programs, including the Butler-Schwab MBA partnership, the Physician-Assistant Program shift to a standalone Master’s Degree, and seven new non-degree certificate programs within the College of Education.

Danko said both he and the Board of Trustees are bullish on Butler’s future, as evidenced by the trustees’ approval earlier in September for “the planning and design of world-class facilities for the sciences and business.”

Danko said while a college degree “continues to be one of the best long-term investments you can make, the issues of prohibitive cost and student debt are very real.”

But he is encouraged by the growth in first-year enrollment this year and the trend that an increasing number of Butler students are graduating on time, rather than returning for a fifth year.

“More than ever before, today’s students and parents are focused as much or more on the expected outcomes of a college education as they are on the educational experience itself,” he said. “And at Butler, we are well positioned to deliver on both. By continuing to strengthen the Butler experience and focusing intently on key learning and career outcomes, we can build upon Butler’s already stellar record of preparing students for continued study, successful careers, and meaningful lives.”

 

Media contact:
Marc Allan
mallan@butler.edu
317-940-9822