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Temple expands its global presence
In March, a weeklong celebration in Italy marked the 40th anniversary of Temple’s Temple University Rome campus. Temple’s rise as an international institution took the spotlight in Asia this October and November, when President Hart and a Temple delegation traveled to China, Taiwan and Japan to sign a renewal agreement with a branch of the Chinese government partnering with Temple’s innovative Rule of Law programs, sign new dual-degree program agreements with six Taiwanese universities, and celebrate the 25th anniversary of Temple University’s Japan Campus. A week after her return to the United States, Hart, who had initiated a passport fund for students in August, was named chair of the Commission on International Programs for the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges.
First-ever comprehensive campaign launches
On Oct. 5, Temple University launched the public phase of the university’s first comprehensive fundraising campaign before more than 1,000 supporters gathered at the National Constitution Center for a dinner “featuring the saxophonist Branford Marsalis and the Temple Jazz Band. The comedian Bob Saget, a Temple alumnus, was master of ceremonies,” reported The Philadelphia Inquirer. Called “Access to Excellence: The 125th Anniversary Campaign for Temple,” the ambitious initiative seeks to raise $350 million before the campaign ends in 2009.
Biggest class ever moves in, takes part in large-scale volunteer effort
Continuing Temple’s trend as a hot urban campus, nearly 17,900 applications were received in this admissions cycle, an increase of about 44 percent since 2000, resulting in record numbers of freshmen and overall new students. Following several move-in days, this year’s Welcome Week events culminated in FreshServe — a day of gardening, painting and building with community members, volunteers and staff at more than 100 locations around Philadelphia.
Faculty hiring boom brings 60 new recruits
In a third year of aggressive recruitment, Temple welcomed 60 new tenured and tenure-track faculty members, for a total of more than 210 senior-level faculty additions since 2004. University officials estimate that when the current faculty recruitment effort concludes, Temple will have hired approximately 300 new senior faculty recruits over a five-year period.
Community engaged in job preparedness, hiring programs
In collaboration with local community leaders, Temple created Community Outreach and Hiring, a specialized office designed to expand recruitment efforts in the surrounding area that includes North Philadelphia and assist qualified applicants in successfully applying for positions at Temple and other local employers through targeted hiring and programs such as “CommUniverCity Resource Day” and a “Neighbor’s Job Fair.”
Program helps Temple employees put down roots where they work
Through a combination of programs, full-time Temple employees may be eligible to receive up to $17,000 in funding toward the purchase of homes within selected Philadelphia ZIP codes, in hopes that Temple will “become increasingly integrated with its neighborhood,” President Hart told The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Owls football makes a strong showing in new conference
In the Owls’ first season in the Mid-American Conference and Al Golden’s second year as head coach, Temple football concluded the season with a 4-4 league record and 4-8 overall, the Owls’ best season since 2002 — capturing the attention of The Philadelphia Inquirer and The New York Times. The team started the season with the highest-rated recruiting class in the MAC and new uniforms that resemble those used during the Wayne Hardin era from 1970 to 1982.
Medical, business, art buildings reach new heights
As part of Temple’s more than $500 million in current and planned facility construction and renovation projects, three major new buildings took shape over the course of the year: The Tyler School of Art officially broke ground in May, a step toward bringing the highly regarded school to Main Campus from its current facility in suburban Elkins Park, Pa. The Fox School of Business’ new state-of-the-art building, Alter Hall, topped out in an October ceremony and the new Medical School building followed with a ceremony in November.
Baptist Temple renovation plans unveiled
The university hired architecture firm RMJMHillier to return the building that gave Temple its name to its former grandeur on North Broad Street, as the Chronicle of Higher Education reported with a story and slide show of the building.
Temple earns top national rankings
Temple’s undergraduate student body was ranked most diverse in the nation in the Princeton Review's 2008 edition of The Best 366 Colleges guidebook, and Computerworld named Temple to its annual list of the “Best Places to Work in IT” for the third year in a row.
U.S.News & World Report’s “America’s Best Graduate Schools” called attention to the Law School’s trial advocacy and legal writing programs; the Fox School of Business’ master’s program in international business program, healthcare management program and M.B.A. program — which also was ranked in The Economist’s Which MBA rankings; and the College of Health Professions’ occupational therapy program.
U.S.News & World Report’s undergraduate rankings highlighted two Fox School programs, International Business and Risk Management and Insurance, as well as the school’s overall undergraduate program.
Entrepreneurship at Temple was ranked among the best in the nation by three major ranking agencies: Fortune Small Business magazine, Entrepreneur magazine with the Princeton Review and U.S.News & World Report.
Larry F. Lemanski tapped to head Temple's research enterprise
As senior vice president for research and strategic initiatives, Lemanski will oversee all aspects of research at Temple, reported the Philadelphia Business Journal, including its sponsored research, research infrastructure, efforts to commercialize its research, research partnerships and compliance with federal, state and university research regulations.
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