Dear UB Alumni and Friends,

One of the University of Baltimore’s defining characteristics is its ability to adapt to meet the changing needs of our students, city and region while remaining true to our core educational mission. This ability is evidenced most recently by UB’s return to four-year undergraduate education, the continued creation of innovative degree programs and the ongoing development of UB Midtown.

This year, thanks to the leadership of Provost Joseph S. Wood and the creative work of our faculty, the University continues its tradition of forward-thinking change with the establishment of two new colleges: the Yale Gordon College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Public Affairs. See page 8 for additional details.

This realignment is about more than a renamed school or an added college. It signifies UB’s commitment to ask and answer a fundamental question: How can we best fulfill our mission of providing high-quality, accessible education to current and future generations of students?

Our faculty members are asking this and related questions to inform the future of education at UB. What do UB students need to learn in their first year? What do UB students need to learn before they graduate? What will distinguish the UB graduate in the workplace and in the community? Our need to continually define the answers to these questions is the real impetus for this change.

Our strategic plan underscores this challenge and commitment:

Career-focused education faces distinct challenges in today’s marketplace due to global competition and the rapid pace of change and innovation. Today’s graduates must be prepared for more than a career, as skills in communication, problem-solving, collaboration and technical literacy will be required in all professional disciplines. These skills enable more than job entry or career advancement: They are key to a fully realized life experience.

As our 21st-century world changes, higher education cannot cling to 20th-century models and philosophies. Because the University of Baltimore’s historic focus is one of responding to real needs—those  of both our students and our community—we have the ability and the agility to embrace new ideas. That explains in part why UB is experiencing unprecedented growth during a time of uncertainty and change. In many ways, the University of Baltimore is better positioned to meet the needs of future generations of students than are more traditional universities.

UB alumni, faculty, students and staff all contribute to the University’s dynamic energy. I invite all of you to take pride in our past accomplishments, as I do, and ask that you join us in fulfilling our future potential.

Sincerely,

Robert L. Bogomolny
President, University of Baltimore