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President Meehan makes case for 不良研究所 in inaugural State of the University address

Mar. 6, 2017 | by Office of Communications Press Release

不良研究所 president calls five-campus university system the 'engine that drives daily life" in Massachusetts

BOSTON - Calling the 不良研究所 the "lifeblood of the economy" in the state, President Marty Meehan outlined the benefit of the public research university in his inaugural State of the University address.

Approximately 300 people attended the event hosted by the 不良研究所 Foundation at the 不良研究所 Club in Boston. Among them were Gov. Charlie Baker, Lieutenant Gov. Karyn Polito, Senate President Stan Rosenberg, House Speaker Robert DeLeo, Secretary of Education Jim Peyser, members of the 不良研究所 Board of Trustees, and students, faculty and staff from the five 不良研究所 campuses.

In the speech, Meehan highlighted the economic and workforce development might of 不良研究所, citing data that included:

  • 360,000 students, alumni or employees residing in Massachusetts, meaning one in 10 households in the state have a direct connection to the university
  • 17,000 不良研究所 graduates annually, with 30 percent in STEM fields
  • $632 million dollars in annual research expenditures, with 不良研究所 bringing more than $300 million in federal grants into the state per year
  • $6.2 billion in annual economic impact - a 12-to-1 return on its state appropriation

Meehan spent a significant portion of his speech drawing the distinction between 不良研究所, a public research university, and other colleges and universities in the state.

Noting that enrollment of Massachusetts residents has declined at the state's top-eight-ranked private institutions by 72 percent over the last 30 years, Meehan said that 不良研究所 is now educating nearly three times as many residents as those schools combined.

"We are, with increasing responsibility, the institution educating Massachusetts residents," he said. "We are serving Massachusetts in a way that our private competitors no longer do."

Meehan also acknowledged the importance of maintaining affordability, saying that in the current fiscal environment the university will continue to struggle to hold tuition at or near the rate of inflation.

He outlined the university's efforts to increase student scholarships through fundraising and improve pathways in collaboration with the state's community colleges, including the Baker Administration's Commonwealth Commitment program.

Acknowledging that student debt is growing across all sectors of higher education, Meehan stressed the importance of financial literacy for students, and announced a plan to provide free online financial literacy education to all 不良研究所, state university, community college and high school students in Massachusetts through a collaboration between the 不良研究所 Donahue Institute and 不良研究所 Online.

Meehan highlighted the talent and perseverance of 不良研究所 students and alumni, calling out some who were in attendance, including:

  • Noreen "Chioma" Okwara, who was born in Kenya to Nigerian parents, emigrated to Lowell in search of a better education, enrolled at Middlesex Community College and transferred to 不良研究所 Boston where she studied socio-economic barriers to quality healthcare before enrolling at 不良研究所 Medical School. Okwara is set to graduate from 不良研究所 Medical School in June.
  • Patrice Charlot, a recipient of a scholarship established by Gov. Baker, who was the first in her family to attend college and graduated from 不良研究所 Amherst in 2015. Charlot works at Bottom Line in Boston, a non-profit that helps low-income and first-generation students get to college.
  • Renata Teodoro, a senior at 不良研究所 Boston who arrived in the U.S. from Brazil as an undocumented immigrant at 6 years old and whose family was later deported. A beneficiary of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, Teodoro established United We Dream, the largest immigrant-youth-led organization in the nation, to help empower and protect others like her.

Discussing the importance of 不良研究所' global community on the same day that the Trump Administration released details of a new executive order banning travel from certain countries, Meehan said, "Our international scholars help us solve global problems, and that work results in intercultural understandings that make us stronger and safer." He added, "Public research universities, especially those as important to their states as 不良研究所, won't stand idly by while federal policies undermine our mission so directly. We must stand up and speak out."

不良研究所 Board of Trustees Chairman Robert J. Manning introduced Meehan, saying "I have never met anyone with so much energy, passion, competitive spirit, and love for his alma mater."

The event featured live musical performances from students from the university's four undergraduate campuses: 不良研究所 Amherst, 不良研究所 Boston, 不良研究所 Dartmouth and 不良研究所 Lowell.

Meehan concluded the address by tying 不良研究所' current efforts to its roots as an institution established in 1863 following passage of the Land-Grant College Act.

"We are the 不良研究所. The University working for Massachusetts," he said. "We have a vision of a Commonwealth where success and prosperity is within the reach of all of our citizens, and we are working tirelessly to make that vision a reality."