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The Board of Trustees in June approved an $844.6 million operating budget for fiscal year 2024 (FY24), which started July 1 and ends June 30, 2024. It includes $348.1 million for the University, $50.7 million for auxiliary operations, and $409.5 million for the University of Toledo Medical Center. The new budget reflects a $21.8 million cut to UToledo general fund supported areas, which includes colleges. It also projects a $20.7 million decrease in revenues for the University, down from $397.8 million in FY23 to $377.1 million in FY24. Projected revenues are down due to a projected decrease in student enrollment, University officials said. Tuition is a key revenue for the University. In FY24 tuition and fees are projected to bring in $229 million while the state subsidy will bring in an additional $115.4 million. The number of students living on campus and those purchasing meal plans have fallen faster than the reduction in overall enrollment. The budget includes a 4 percent increase in meal plans and a 2.96 percent average increase in housing costs. Another issue officials had to address in the FY24 budget was an increase in expenses, due in large part to inflation. Salary increases on contractual commitments and non-bargaining unit employees were other expenses that had to be considered. Sabrina Taylor, the Associate Vice President of Budget and Planning, described the challenges in reducing the budget, saying “more than 80 percent of the academic budget is people.” When looking for areas to reduce budget expenses, the Office of Finance sought to preserve jobs and focus on current and upcoming job vacancies, officials said. Of the 19 people affected by the closure of the Center for Success Coaching, only three were not able to find employment elsewhere within the University. Vice President of Marketing and Communications, Meghan Cunningham, expressed optimism about an increase in new enrollment numbers as well as larger retention numbers. Taylor said the budget is a “very big and comprehensive budget,” and encouraged those who read it to “keep an open mind and think about the big picture.” The University budget is a collaborative effort across the institution, officials said. Budgets start at the department level, are then sent to deans and directors, who in turn get approval from the Provost or their area’s Vice President. These approved budgets are then sent to the finance office to be combined into the master budget which gets sent to the Board of Trustees for their review and approval.

A recent change to federal financial aid laws requires all courses to be part of a student’s declared program of study in order to be funded by federal financial aid programs. The Course Program of Study (CPOS) is a mandatory requirement set by the U.S. Department of Education, and went into effect this semester, according to the UToledo Office of Student Financial Aid. Federal financial aid includes an array of programs, ranging from Pell Grants to Work Study options. Federal financial aid will still cover declared majors, minors, concentrations, or aid-eligible certificates. Electives also contribute to a degree and are therefore still considered for federal financial aid. Students can still enroll in courses that aren’t a part of their program, assuming they still meet requirements for any non-federal financial aid they receive. According to Scott Molitor, Interim Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, the program is intended to help students graduate with their degrees faster and avoid increasing student loan debt and other costs. The degree audit system, accessible via myUT, is a key resource for students to check if their courses contribute towards their program of study. In the case of any issues, students will be notified by email by the Office of Student Financial Aid. Students should keep in touch with their advisors to ensure their courses contribute to their program of study and reach out to Rocket Solution Central with any questions.

Located just inside the south doors of Carlson Library, the University Libraries South Gallery has a full slate of shows this school year. Opened in 2022, during its inaugural year the gallery’s programming was dedicated to the university’s sesquicentennial celebration. This year organizers have planned six different exhibits. The UToledo Employee Art Exhibition, a juried show of works by UToledo faculty and staff, is on display until Oct. 27. It features the works of 14 artists from various colleges and departments at the University including the University Libraries, College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Department of Disability Studies, Career Services, Honors, Department of Biological Sciences, Facilities, and the Department of Art. Upcoming shows include the Art Student Showcase from Nov. 6 to Dec. 8. In January, the “Art Weber Retrospective” will feature the work of Art Weber, Director of Photography at the Toledo Metroparks. His work has been featured in the UToledo Press book “Richness & Rarity.”

The first two installations of the University Libraries Gallery Series for the 2024-25 academic year are only available for viewing for a few more weeks. The first show is a local artist exhibition, “Life After Life,” featuring art by Steven Athanas. It runs through Oct. 16 in the south gallery of Carlson Library Athanas’ visual arts allows his imagination to move across various medias such as drawing, watercolor, and sculpture with look into the quirkiness of the English language. His work tries to allow others into his outlook on the world, with all the challenges involved. The second show, “Hindsight: Past Lives,” features the artwork of Ben Morales. It runs through Oct. 25, in the north gallery of Carlson Library. Morales’ photography strives to display the beauty and meaning of the world around us. The photographs featured in the gallery show his photographs of historic Toledo landmarks, seamlessly the past and present in tandem. Morales captures the natural and manmade environments that can be taken for granted. His goal is to connect us with the past and challenge our perceptions of the world. This year, the University Libraries Gallery Series will expand from six shows to eight shows that will be spread across two galleries in Carlson Library. The UToledo Employee Art Exhibition and Art Student Showcase are the next exhibitions in the series, starting Oct. 28 and Nov. 4 respectively.

The decision over the summer to move the management of the Student Union, Student Recreation Center, and Residence Halls from Student Affairs to Auxiliary Services may lead to noticeable improvements, officials said. “We want to do things like repainting and adding technology upgrades,” said Executive Director of Auxiliary Services Brian Kulpa. “[Student Union technology] has been woefully invested in for many years. A lot of these rooms are nice but haven’t been updated with technology. Students are demanding technology to make this a better experience [so] technology is what we’re really trying to push.” “We’re trying to raise the standard here,” said Mark Brooks, director of student union and building services. “We’re trying to upgrade some of the meeting rooms with monitors and technology so we can interface from place to place.” Brooks said they would be studying “peer school student unions to see what they’re doing to stay cutting edge and look at what the students want. We plan to get survey data from Student Government this year.” “We want to see more student activity here in the Student Union. We’re taking steps now to upgrade the South lounge … the new elevator going in will be a good thing for [students] too, and the second-floor restroom was renovated,” Brooks said. “They’re small steps, baby steps, but babies grow, right?” Other projects Kulpa hopes his division will tackle in the coming years include several deferred or preventative maintenance items. “We’re trying to put together a wish list, for example, the building needs a new roof,” Kulpa said. “We’re looking at the [auditorium], looking at replacing the flooring because so many orientations are in there. It’ll take some time, it’ll take some planning because everybody wants to use it.” The number of students living on campus and purchasing meal plans has decreased over the past several years, leading to a decrease in funds for projects such as those currently being undertaken by auxiliary services. In the 2024 spring semester, UT reported an enrollment of 13,951 students, with 1,976 living on campus and 2,175 purchasing meal plans. Conversely, in the 2017 spring semester, UToledo had an enrollment of 19,221 students, with 2,886 living on campus and 3,850 purchasing meal plans. This steady decline has led to a decrease in funds, so UToledo has been hosting various events on campus to supplement lost revenue. “So how do you keep funding all these things, bringing the right services to students? We want to get things really focused on students, but with less and less money. That gets harder and harder,” Kulpa said. “So, you try to look at bringing events to campus – concerts or weddings or camps. People to utilize the space when students aren’t using it during the summer.” “We’ve got people reaching out to us [to host] a lot of camps: band camps, soccer camps, athletic camps, pharmacy camps … getting potentially prospective students here to see the campus,” he said. This shift towards funding university spending through hosting alternative events on campus is not exclusive to UToledo, with both Bowling Green State University and Vanderbilt University taking a similar course of action on their own campuses, among others While Kulpa is working to help fund UToledo alternative sources of funding, he was quick to note “nothing changes from our mission and vision; it’s all about student success.”

Student leaders are taking issue with the University’s decision this summer to eliminate the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and to disperse its functions across the University. “It’s a step back for the university,” said Marquan Denby, vice president of the Black Student Union.  Some of the functions once performed by the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion have been redistributed under the Office of the Provost. The change is an effort to improve success rates for marginalized and underrepresented students, officials said. According to Interim Provost Scott Molitor, the goal is to shift any academic divisions that reported directly to the president, so they now reside under the Office of the Provost, allowing them to “work together in a coordinated fashion." “This was not anything that we did in terms of political pressure. This was looking at our student success, looking at the data and saying, ‘what can we do better?’” Molitor said. The position of Vice President for the Office of DEI, occupied by Dilip Das since 2022, was eliminated. Das was not moved into another position at the University. Efforts to reach him for comment were unsuccessful. Some students feel that they’ve lost a key advocate with Das’ departure. BSU was one of ten student organizations to post a letter to the public on Instagram in late August. The letter states, in part, that Das’ termination has “created a palpable void” within the Black community on campus and has “left a power vacuum that undermines the university’s commitment to critical diversity issues at a time when it is desperately needed.” “There are still students’ voices that need to be heard, that was the position Dr. Das had,” Denby said. “He provided a voice for the students directly to the president. He was there to amplify the voices of students who fall under DEI.” The letter went on to demand financial transparency from the university regarding potential reallocation of former DEI resources and criticized the lack of diversity in upper administration “across various dimensions.” This creates a blind spot to the experiences and needs of marginalized students, according to the letter. “DEI is not only for African American students on campus. It is for all students that fall under DEI,” said Denby. In addition to the vice president of DEI, the university also eliminated the vice president for student affairs and the special assistant to the president for community engagement. The functions performed by those individuals also now fall under the provost’s office. Sammy Spann, who was vice president for student affairs at the time, now holds the title vice provost of student affairs and retains his title of dean of students. Valerie Simmons-Walston is now special advisor to the president for community engagement. Aleiah Jones, director of the Office of Multicultural Student Success, said she was not aware of the change before it was enacted. “It was sort of a surprise to me. But, you know, I am not in upper administration, so I’m not sure what discussions were happening beforehand,” Jones said. “I feel it’s wrong, because diversity is very important,” said Aicha Conde, a social work major. “I just think they should make everybody aware about what’s going on and keep everybody updated.” “[The Office of DEI] had a number of different initiatives and efforts, many of which are still continuing, but they really didn’t have a focus or the ability to impact student success,” Molitor said. “I believe [the proposed changes to advising, student experience, and community engagement] are going to really affect all students."

For just $69.99 plus tax, anyone gets the chance to play football with the UToledo Rockets. When EA Sports College Football 25 was released July 19 – the first major update since 2013 – the UToledo Rockets were now part of the roster. The game is available on Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5. Kevin Taylor, UToledo’s brand and licensing manager, has been part of the process since the beginning. “The university received initial communication from our licensing agency [Collegiate Licensing Company] about the game in January of 2021, with us agreeing to participate,” Taylor said. Taylor spent three years providing details about Toledo Football and the University to EA Sports. Over 2,000 photos of the stadium were taken in the summer of 2021. “The developers asked for various assets over the course of three years leading up to the game release,” Taylor said. The additional photos were sent in June 2023, and included Blue Crew, Rocky and Rocksy, and more of game days at the Glass Bowl. Music assets were also provided, including the school fight song and the songs the band plays throughout game day in the Glass Bowl. Prior to the release, members of the Toledo football team, Interim President Matt Schroeder, Vice President and Director of Athletics Bryan Blair, and any Rocket who pre-ordered the game had a chance to play. In a statement, Blair said “the attention to detail is outstanding. The Glass Bowl and game day atmosphere really comes to life.” “We are very excited about the release of the new EA Sports College Football 25 video game and the incredible exposure it will bring to our football program and our University,” Blair said. “The game is a cultural phenomenon and it’s amazing to see Toledo once again on this amazing stage.”

Starting this fall, Rockets will begin to see a fresh perspective on the Toledo they know. The University of Toledo has recently undergone a rebranding to connect the main campus and UToledo Health under the same brand. In the fall of 2023, the decision was made to rebrand, and in December of the same year, the University entered a $585,000 contract with Milwaukee-based firm BVK. The purpose of this contract was to conduct research including quantitative and qualitative data on the University, and to work with the University to develop the new brand. “We were really looking for an outside perspective who can come in and give fresh eyes to the things that we’re doing,” said Meghan Cunningham, vice president of marketing and communications at UToledo. Starting in January, the University and BVK began work on research, including surveys and focus groups which accounted for opinions of students, staff, and faculty as well as hospital patients, prospective students and parents, and the Ohio public. The University also conducted extensive stakeholder interviews, as well as input from student government and clinical leadership at UToledo Health. In creating the new brand for the University, Toledo has adopted the new slogan, “The Power To Do”, pulling ‘To Do’ from first two and last two letters in Toledo. This slogan will be used for the academic and clinical operations of the University, combining both under the same identity. The University also decided to refresh their secondary color palettes, using the color accent of magenta for academic operations and cyan for clinical operations. “Our colors are always going to be blue and gold. We’re the Rockets, we are blue and gold forever. But we also have secondary and tertiary palettes,” said Jen Sorgenfrei, executive director of marketing and communications. In addition to the new slogan and color palette, the University has refreshed their marketing material, including updates to both the University and Health websites, new admissions materials and billboards, and new social media templates, including updated business cards, fonts, and letterheads. The University as well as UToledo Health have also filmed multiple commercials and promotional videos to highlight the rebranding and the adoption of both sides of UToledo under the same brand. These videos were filmed at the end of June, and featured UToledo students, staff, and alumni. The videos can be found on social media, streaming services, and the Health and University websites. These various videos will be shown throughout the state, targeting local areas for healthcare, as well as parent influencer and prospective student audiences for academics. “I think it’s a step in a great direction… but I think that the traditional blue and gold are a better color palette,” said UToledo sophomore Makayla Richardson. The University has researched and received feedback on the rebrand, and according to Meghan Cunningham and Jen Sorgenfrei, initial reactions have been positive. “We’ve received really positive feedback about the brand, particularly those engaged on the healthcare side are excited to see them so well connected to the university side,” Cunningham said. The rebranding is far from simple, and new materials must be adopted to be up to brand standards for the University and UToledo Health, as well as general upkeep for the new brand and filtering through of old brand materials, which will take time and resources. According to the University, the additional investment for advertising assets which included the video and photoshoots, television commercials, and digital, print, and outdoor billboard materials was $1.3 million, funded by both the university and the hospital. These materials and cost are for both the University and UToledo Health, and will continue to be used for a few years. This step in a new direction for Toledo will affect both academic and clinical operations, and Rockets can begin to familiarize themselves with UT’s new look. “We are telling the story of who UToledo is,” Cunningham said.

It took the University of Toledo Board of Trustees less than a week to pick the person they wanted to lead UToledo once President Gregory Postel announced on April 23 that he was leaving UT to accept a position at the University of Cincinnati. On April 29, Matt Schroeder, then UT’s chief financial officer, was named interim president. More than five months in, it appears the trustees are pleased with their decision, as there is no ongoing search for a permanent president. Meghan Cunningham, vice president for marketing and communications, said a search committee has not been formed and she is “not familiar with those plans” of if and when one will be formed. Either way, Schroeder has every intention of being a candidate. “At some point, the board of trustees will do a search, and they should do a search. When that happens, I have every intention to throw my hat in the ring,” Schroeder said. “I think what I have to offer this university at this time and at this point of need has great value.” Schroeder received his bachelor’s degree in management at UT’s business college and has an MBA in business administration from the University of Michigan. “My vision for the University of Toledo is to be a regional force powering opportunities to learn, care, work, and play,” Schroeder said. In early June, Larry Kelley was hired as the CFO to fill the void created by Schroeder’s new position. Kelley had served as UT’s CFO from 2015 to 2018 but left for other opportunities “I can’t do two jobs, and it would be a disservice to the University to do two jobs,” Schroeder said about the hiring of Kelley. During his brief tenure, Schroeder has dealt with an array of issues. Perhaps the most pressing is the continuing decline in enrollment. On Sept. 10, UT announced the fall enrollment numbers. UT tallied 14,440 students total, which is down 573 from last fall semester, a 3.8 percent decline. Schroeder defended the overall number decreasing, but acknowledged it’s time to stabilize and grow after the recent slide in enrollment, while also saying growing clinical margins is one of his top priorities as acting president. “Just because enrollment is down, there are wins within the overall numbers,” Schroeder said. “Transfers up, pharmacy is up, engineering is up, law is up a record number.” Schroeder said identifying who they are as a university is critical. “Invest in those programs that the students want and need and that the economy wants and needs.” While the fall enrollment numbers may be the most tangible issue the interim president has faced, in July he dealt with the reaction to UToledo’s latest re-branding efforts. On July 16, officials announced the University was adding magenta and cyan to the branding color palette, but stressed that midnight blue and gold will still be the primary school colors. “Our midnight blue and gold is not changing, that is who we are, that is who we will always be,” Schroeder stressed. The introduction of additional colors to UToledo’s marketing efforts is something that Schroeder inherited, as the process was started long before he was named interim president. Either way, he is hopeful that this, along with the new campaign slogan “The Power To Do,” will help UT have a clear marketing plan. “Going back to 2006ish, the University of Toledo lacked a comprehensive marketing campaign,” he said. He hopes the new slogan, aided with the additional colors, might help unify the university’s recruitment efforts.

Top Shelf as seen from the intersection of Secor Rd. and Door St. Top Shelf, a chain of Ohio Liquor stores, has opened a new location at 3303 Dorr St., in the building that used to house Campus Pollyeyes. The restaurant closed its doors in March and Top Shelf opened Aug. 23. Ohio Liquor (OHLQ) is a unique public/private partnership that works to ensure “the safe and fair distribution of high-proof liquor” across the state. It funnels profits from the sale of liquor to economic development initiatives in Ohio, according to the OHLQ. One of the store’s closest neighbors is the University of Toledo Public Safety Center, right across the road. UT’s top cop, Chief of Police Rod Theis, doesn’t expect any issues with the new business on the edge of campus. “I do not feel it will create any type of issue for the campus or campus community,” Chief Theis said. “I typically do not comment on businesses or property not associated with the university.” The chief ’s assessment was shared by at least one UToledo professor. “I don’t think it’s going to have a big difference,” said Dwight Haase, a sociology professor on campus. “My understanding is that with younger generations, they’re consuming less alcohol and more of other substances. “If people are accessing alcohol, they’re already doing it anyway,” he added. Reaction from students was philosophical. Eighteen-year-old film and video major Natalia Wilson has not visited the store, and quipped “I just know it’s there – like heaven.” Cam Taraszka, a 21-year-old marketing major, didn’t think the proximity of the liquor store would have any impact on campus culture. “Truthfully, no. I think it’s inevitable that college kids are going to be drinking,” they said. “If people want alcohol, they’re going to get alcohol. The OHLQ operates under the auspices of the Ohio Department of Commerce, and “advocating for responsible consumption is always [their] top priority.” Top Shelf has state oversight and provides several support resources on their website for those struggling with substance abuse at ohlq.com .