March 2016 E-News
There is so much to be excited about at APDesign//K-State these days!
The Seaton Hall Revitalization and Expansion project is well underway and, at this point, on time and on budget! In fact, construction has ‘turned the corner’ so to speak as foundations are in, demolition is mostly complete and building has started moving upward. The project is also a living classroom for our students and those of our allied friends in engineering. Should you find yourself in Manhattan and desirous of a tour please let my office know and we will set it up! Otherwise, make plans to attend our Ribbon Cutting in the Fall of 2017!
This year is shaping up to be our greatest year philanthropically at APDesign as we progress towards our $28 million Innovation and Inspiration Campaign goal. As of this writing we stand at approximately $25 million raised with about two years to go in the campaign! While our overall goal will definitely be surpassed, moving forward we will continue to focus on support for our faculty and facility. Investing in either or both is the best way to positively impact the greatest number of students.
Even though we are uprooted from our normal spaces and our faculty office situation is closer to Noah’s Ark, we continue to teach, research and serve our community, excelling in all of our enterprises. Our programs continue to be evaluated positively by our accrediting authorities. Our faculty and students continue to win awards and recognition at the local, state and national level as evidenced by the numerous links on our website and postings on Twitter and Facebook. Our enrollment continues to increase following the difficulties of the Great Recession experienced across all institutions offering design and planning degrees and the quality of students still sets the bar for the university.
And our graduates? Last year’s class had a 95% placement rate in their respective professions! Last week we hosted 72 firms and 2 organizations at our DesignExpo, the most robust attendance since before 2008, so I expect once again our placement rates will be the envy of other programs here and elsewhere.
So, while the State of Kansas continues to struggle with revenue shortfalls and in turn Kansas State University is forced to absorb reductions in funding stemming from these, we have so many positives to focus on.
Finally, remember great alumni and friends operate at three levels; financial support, involvement in our programs and finally, advocacy. As you move forward in the coming years know that all of us at APDesign appreciate your commitment to our future and your contributions to our continued excellence in each of these three forms of support. It is the APDesign distinction and one we point to in recruiting our excellent students.
With great appreciation,
Tim
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