Trustees talk scholarship campaign, energy on campus at latest meeting

Acting President Richard Englert stressed the importance of energy and enthusiasm on Main Campus at the Oct. 9, Board of Trustees meeting.

In his report, Richard Englert began the meeting by noting the new attitude he’s witnessed across Main Campus.

“In my 36 years at Temple University, I’ve never seen such energy and enthusiasm on campus,” said Englert.

Before become acting president, Englert served in numerous administrative roles, including provost and vice president for administration. His work at Temple began as a professor of educational administration in 1976.

“The energy has certainly been fueled somewhat by our growing academic reputation, by our entry into the Big East and by the Temple Made campaign,” Englert said

Mention of the university’s new advertising campaign was met with great support from the trustees.

Neiman, a Philadelphia-based advertising agency, developed the Temple Made campaign. Their new commercial, previously seen on Lincoln Financial Field’s screen at Temple’s homecoming football game, will aired again on local television stations during the Oct. 11, vice presidential debate.

Ray Betzner, assistant vice president of university communications, said the campaign is expected to last through the duration of the fall semester. Spring 2013 plans have not yet been announced.

The trustees’ talk then turned to finances. In addition to Temple’s base tuition freeze and the commonwealth’s maintenance of level funding, Temple added $8 million to its financial aid stores for a total of $90 million.

The trustees also spoke of its new multi-year $100 million scholarship campaign which some of their own have already donated to. Trustees Lewis Katz, Solomon Luo, Christopher McNichol, Patrick J. O’Connor, and Phillip Richards each contributed six-figure gifts to the scholarship fund.

“We have to keep education affordable,” Englert said.

Looking forward, Temple has created an online task force co-chaired by Trustee Joseph Marshall and the Fox School of Business Dean Moshe Porat. The task force was designed to reach an even larger audience of students by including those who might be interested in more digital options.

The other potential change in Temple’s future may be the re-invigoration of the wrestling program. The Athletics Committee, chaired by Katz, reached out to the team’s alumni in a fundraising effort, but no further action has been taken.

Haley Kmetz can be reached at haley.kmetz@temple.edu.