Reimagining UToledo as Stronger Research University
Transformational change takes time. Particularly in an industry like higher education that is characterized by so many deep-rooted traditions, it takes an extra level of energy to do things differently.
At the University of Toledo, we are committed to putting in the work to adapt, evolve, and innovate.
It’s no secret that UToledo has had enrollment challenges for a number of years. I cannot stress enough how important it is to turn it around in the right way. We are focusing on the quality of our operations and not just the quantity of students coming in the door.
Not only did we recruit this fall semester a larger number of new students for the third consecutive semester, but we also welcomed a strong incoming class with high average ACT scores and high school grade point averages.
At the same time, UToledo’s six-year graduation rate is the highest on record with 57.7 percent of students who first enrolled at our University in 2017 graduating this past spring.
We beat our previous records set the year before. I hope we keep breaking this record.
UToledo is currently in the process of recruiting a new provost, and we took this opportunity to reevaluate this important role. Our next chief academic officer will have a larger portfolio to also oversee our enrollment and student affairs operations.
Bringing together our student recruitment, student support, and student success efforts within academic affairs will ensure we welcome more Rockets to campus who leave as graduates.
UToledo is unique in our role to be a school of opportunity for undergraduate students looking to improve their lives through education and at the same time having our breadth of graduate and professional programs with strong academic research performance. It should be better known that one third of our graduates earn a master’s or doctoral degree.
Of the more than 100 colleges and universities in Ohio that offer four-year degrees, UToledo is one of just three with academic programs in medicine, law, and pharmacy.
We are proud to have faculty experts who are well-known leaders in their fields earning competitive federal grants, publishing articles in top academic journals, and solving problems that impact our lives.
Last year UToledo was recognized by the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities with its Public Impact Research Award for our water quality research.
UToledo has the only Biosafety level 3, or BSL3, lab in northwest Ohio, and it is one of just a handful located across the entire state able to study some of the most highly transmissible pathogens in the world.
The important work we do in that area was recently recognized with a $7 million federal grant to renovate our lab into one of the best in the country. And right now, we are waiting to hear on our competitive application as a finalist to create a Great Lakes Clean Hydrogen hub in our community with industry partners.
Our campus and our community also benefit from having an academic medical center connected to its public research university where we care for our neighbors and train the health-care providers of tomorrow.
Our efforts to support student success, deliver innovative academic programs, and advance groundbreaking research were important factors in UToledo climbing five spots in the U.S. News and World Report’s 2024 Best Colleges ranking.
We are proud to be nationally recognized and have another avenue for more people to learn about the advantages of a UToledo degree.
As we begin to implement our new strategic plan, titled UToledo Reimagined, we are prioritizing our efforts guided by our agreed upon strategic goals.
Student success is and will always be our top priority. We also are focused on providing innovative academic programs, strengthening our health education and patient care, improving UToledo’s reputation, supporting a people-centered culture, and operating efficiently.
A reimagined UToledo will be a stronger, sustainable public research institution with a redesigned brand to better emphasize the value of our education, research, and patient care. We appreciate your support of Toledo’s public university as we take these next steps to strengthen our institution for our students and our community today and well into the future.
Gregory Postel, M.D.
President
This message was originally published in The Blade on Sept. 24, 2023.