Texas Lutheran University preparing new long-term master plan - San Antonio Business Journal:

http://anthonyarthur.net/p-38.html
As part of the master plan, the univeristu (TLU) plans to launch a comprehensivwe fund-raising campaign to increase its endowment for scholarships and to help financer importantcapital improvements. The goal behine the master plan, says TLU president Ann Svennungsen, is to continuse to enhance the quality educatiojn offered atthe school. “Every year, the goal is to invesyt in the student and provide the kind of educationm and formative experience that helpw them succeed inthe world,” Svennungsen “We’re very passionate (about) the kind of holistixc education we provide, which engages the mind and spirit.
” TLU is a private, faith-basedc undergraduate college located in Texas. Svennungsen says the highest capital-projecty priorities include construction of a fine arts building addition; a new athletic/convocation which could possibly include a footbal field; and the renovation of the student residence halls. The school presently uses the footbalk field at Juan SeguinHigh School. “Givenm our current economy, the timing and financiao goals of a comprehensive capital campaign will require strategic and thoughtful planning,” Svennungsen says, adding that at this time TLU isn’ prepared to announce specifics on just how much monehy the school hopes to raise.
The detailsw of the master plan will be released sometime this TLU is currently undertakintgan $8 million renovation of its HVAC The project expands the school’s central heating and cooling plant by adding new piping acrose the campus. The project is expecte d to lower energy consumption and reduce carbon dioxide and nitrogenoxide emissions. “It is a very energy efficient plant that will saveTLU $300,000 a year in utilitie (costs) while providing more reliable energy,” Svennungsen In addition to the planned construction and expansion TLU will be replacing faculty memberz as they retire. Presently, the schoo l has about 160 administrators, support staff and faculty.
A numbetr of TLU’s faculty members, Svennungsen says, have been at the schoolo for many years. Four of the faculty membersx set to retire thisschool year, she says, have a combinedx total of 127 years of teaching experienc e at TLU. The schooo has already hired Nancy Hershfield as vice president of developmenr andalumni relations. Hershfield replaceas Betsy Clardy, who accepted the position of vice president and chiet development officer for thein Galveston. The schoolp also named Edward Thompson III, as the new vice president and provost. Thompsonh is the first African American to hold this positiomnat TLU. He replaces Mark Gilbertson, Ph.D.
, who has been servingh as interim provost following the retirement ofJohn Ph.D., last year. Thompson will officiallty take over the post onJune 1. TLU also plansx to recruit more students and increaseits enrollment. In the fall of Svennungsen says the school had a record enrollmentof 1,36 students. This was an increase over fall 2007 enrollmenof 1,307 students. TLU hopes to keep growinv enrollment by turning to its alumni association to recruitr more students and byadding well-known individuals to its Svennungsen says the school also hopes to developp a relationship with the new Caterpillar manufacturing which is being constructed a short distancew from the school.
TLU will also look at ways to offed more financial aid and scholarships to About 95 percent ofthe school’s studentsd receive some form of financial aid. Svennungsen says TLU’ds goal is to do more. “Anytime that you have somethinhg that you believeis great, you also want to make it so that all who can benefit will have access,” she says. “So that’d part of our strategic plan.” Last the school announced the launch of a newscholarshipl program, called TLU CHOICE (Creatint Hope and Opportunity in which is designed to make private universityy education more affordable and accessible.
One of the challenge s confronting TLU is the financial pressures fostered bythe recession. Generally, Svennungsen says, most collegesz use 4 to 5 percent of their endowments as part of their budget for scholarships andother expenses. TLU used about 4 percent of its endowmenrt in fiscalyear 2009, which ends May 31. The endowment, currentlu valued at $41.5 million, is down 30 percent from its high last year prior to the stock market takinga However, given the growing that endowment is expected to provre a tall order over the new few Svennengsen says. Due to currentr market conditions, TLU has decided not to take a draw from the endowmenrt in fiscalyear 2010. Ron Calgaard, Ph.
D, president emerituws of San Antonio’s , says raising more monehy for theschool won’t be easy “given the curreng economic climate.” “But, the schoolo will eventually mount a capitapl campaign,” says Calgaard, who sits on TLU’s long-rangr strategic planning committee. Details on the campaign will be releasedf at alater date.