Sep 11, 2014

September, 2014 Board of Regents Meeting Update

Dear UNI Family,

This month's Board of Regents meeting was held Wednesday, Sept. 10. Here are just a few of the outstanding UNI accomplishments I shared with our in-state colleagues.

Panther Marching Band largest in UNI history

With 334 members (54 more than last year), this year's Panther Marching Band is the largest in UNI history. This record-setting number not only reflects the consistent growth PMB has experienced over the years but also reflects the strength of the program.

The Panther Marching Band has also been invited to participate in the 29th New Year's Day Parade and Festival in London on Jan. 1. This is the first international performance for the band.

U.S. News & World Report ranking

UNI retained its No. 2 ranking in the "Best Regional Universities (Midwest)" category for public universities, according to U.S. News & World Report's 2015 "America's Best Colleges" guidebook. UNI was also No. 18 on a combined list of all public and private Midwest regional universities – one of only two public institutions to make the list of top-20 Midwest regionals.

UNI Homecoming

UNI's Homecoming celebration begins Monday, Sept. 15, and continues through Sunday, Sept. 21. This year's theme is "Students By Day, Panthers By Night." We are bringing back one of our most treasured traditions – the Homecoming Parade. The parade will begin at 11 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 20. It will begin on campus near Gilchrist Hall and make its way down College Street and 23rd Street. Visit www.uni.edu/homecoming/ for the full list of Homecoming events and activities.

Enrollment numbers

UNI's fall 2014 total enrollment is 11,928. We are pleased to see that our efforts to increase new student enrollment are producing results and this dimension of our enrollment is up for a second consecutive year. Overall, our enrollment is down somewhat given previous smaller classes of students that are moving through our system.

Highlights of the enrollment report include:

  • An increase of 4.4 percent in new students direct from high school

  • An increase of 20.2 percent in new minority student enrollment

  • Total minority enrollment is at 8.9 percent, compared to 8.1 percent from last year

  • An increase of 22.3 percent in new international student enrollment

  • The rate of students returning for a second year is 84.7 percent, compared to 82.9 percent from last year

I hope to see many of you participating in and enjoying our Homecoming activities. Thank you again for all you do!

Purple for Life!

Bill Ruud