A message from the president

As seen in the Fall 2024 DU Review magazine

Families, students and educators all get a sense in fall that something exciting is happening. Of course, we’re learning all the time, but the start of a new academic year brings heightened optimism that what we learn and how we grow during formal educational experiences will propel positive changes in our lives.

The positive boost that comes from learning is what Davenport University is all about. In the last 15 years, our retention rate has increased more than 30%, and our graduation rate has improved by 163%. More than 90% of our graduates are employed in choice careers within six months of picking up their diploma.

Behind these statistics are people, Davenport alumni, who contribute to our businesses and nonprofits, who take care of us when we’re sick, who rise to leadership positions in their fields and in our communities. They provide for their families and are role models for the next generation. The degrees they earned at Davenport have enriched them personally and professionally and have given them confi dence and opportunities they would not have had.

We’re optimistic about higher education and confident about our alumni! You’ll meet many in this issue of DU Review. We have a feature that includes the event coordinator for the Detroit Lions, the manager of Community Engagement at the Grand Rapids Art Museum, the owner of a boutique and a managing director at IMA Financial. We have a story about our First-Generation Student Success Initiative that has a peer mentorship program that clearly is working. Nearly 80% of students who participate continue at Davenport. That is in stark contrast to national research by EAB (formerly the Education Advisory Board) showing that 33% of first-generation students drop out within three years. Davenport University is proud of our impressive statistics and our accomplished graduates.

Statistics tell stories; people tell them better. People also make sure Davenport University and its students are supported and thriving. You can read about our Excellence in Business Gala that supports scholarships for our students and featured CNN anchor Anderson Cooper. Thank you to those who are involved with our ELEVATE Campaign, which is securing much-needed resources for students, our mental health initiatives and our online, bilingualCasa Latina program that has its first enrolled students this fall. Your support allows Davenport to be innovative with unique programs like Casa Latina and be ready to move quickly with new degrees when employers tell us the skills they need to close the talent gap. 

This university’s responsiveness to what we see and what we anticipate has resulted in an academic year that is off to a great start with another record-breaking year of students moving onto our W.A. Lettinga Grand Rapids Campus, and students everywhere participating in our Global Campus (Online+).

Your participation in our campus life has set us up for success. Davenport University has an impressive history and an even more promising future. Thank you for being part of our university community. For good reasons, we are optimistic.