Vol. 19, No. 26

April 6, 2000

President reports on admissions,
fund-raising progress

An admissions update, a progress report on the $225 million Campaign for Delaware and upcoming campus construction projects were the focus of President David P. Roselle’s remarks Monday at the semiannual General Faculty Meeting. Roselle told the faculty that UD received a record number of applications–3,000 to 3,500 more–this year than ever before, and applications to the Honors Program are up 32 percent over a two-year period, as well. Roselle said the University is maintaining its commitment to Delaware residents, with 75 percent of those residents who apply gaining admission. And, importantly, he said, with increased financial aid from the state and generous scholarship support from MBNA, “we have the funds to meet the calculated financial need of every Delawarean.” Underrepresented minority applicants also are up more than 48 percent this year. Faculty learned that this year’s average admitted student has a 1194 SAT score, a 3.45 GPA and comes from the top 16 percent of the high school class. Students admitted to the Honors Program have an average 3.84 GPA, 1338 SAT score and come from the 94th percentile of their high school classes. Turning to the Campaign for Delaware, the President told the faculty that the campaign had reached $194 million or 86 percent of its goal in the first 18 months. As recent campaign highlights, he pointed out that more than half of the $25 million pledged in February by MBNA America will support student scholarships and that a $300,000 gift from the Starr Foundation will be used to help deserving students to participate in international study. So far this year, he said, planned giving has contributed $12.3 million; telephone pledges from alumni, freshman parents and the senior class total $603,059; and a direct mail appeal has resulted in $111,596 from nearly 1,200 alumni. He made special mention of the support provided by members of the University’s faculty and staff. “The commitment of our employees to their University is really something to talk about when you are speaking to other donors,” he said. Roselle also advised the faculty that a new pipe organ, funded by former trustee Ed Jefferson and his wife, Naomi, will be installed next month in Bayard Sharp Hall, and a web cam will be placed in the building so the community can watch the installation and listen to the tuning process. The 1843 Episcopal church, which is being used as a recital hall and meeting place, is “a good example of adaptive reuse,” he said. Adding that UD has completed numerous historic preservation projects, Roselle said, “We view these projects in the context of our decade-long war against deferred maintenance. We are near to declaring victory in that war, and the historic preservation projects have proved to be some of our most successful battles.” Roselle said two major projects will begin this summer–the restoration of Wolf Hall and the renovation and enhancement of DuPont Hall. The Wolf Hall project, he said, will result in more laboratory space for the departments of Biological Sciences and Psychology. Supported by a $10 million grant from the Longwood Foundation, the DuPont Hall renovation will include a redesigned entrance to the current facility that will be “sympathetic” to the design of Gore Hall, Roselle said. –Cornelia Weil