09 autumn reporter 1-20 - Franklin College

Message from the board chair:
Dear Alumni and Friends,
Over the past fiscal year, hardly a day has gone by when the
board of trustees has not thought about Franklin College’s
finances. Chances are you and your family spend significant
time looking at your own financial picture.
Like donors, the board of trustees deliberates extensively
about financial decisions. We take the trust and faith put into
our collective hands very seriously, and we look to Franklin’s
history of honorably serving students through wars,
recessions and economic good times as a guiding principle
for our efforts. In a similar way, individual donors reflect on
the value of their Franklin experiences as a guide for giving.
We are very grateful that the fiscal year fundraising results
indicate the high value supporters place on their college
experience; fundraising for the Franklin Fund totaled
$643,400, which exceeded
the goal, and alumni
participation reached
28 percent. We sincerely
thank you for your loyal
support during a difficult year.
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Your support was significant
to the board of trustees’ work
in doing what we believe is
best for Franklin College. We
are proud of our fiscal year
accomplishments:
The board of trustees approved an increase in Franklin’s
tuition by less than 4 percent and a budget that will give
raises to college employees next year. The incremental tuition
increase helped stabilize enrollment and enable advocacy
for those students whose college of choice is Franklin.
Employee raises are vital to retention and recruitment to
ensure continuation of the caring work that Franklin’s faculty
and staff do on behalf of students every day.
The board of trustees also collaborated with Franklin’s
employees and students during the process of crafting and
modifying a Campus Master Plan, which, coupled with a more
comprehensive Franklin College Plan, will provide a blueprint
for our actions for the next 10 to 15 years. We will keep you
involved and informed every step of the way as we put into
place plans and programs to meet future needs.
As always, the board of trustees operates with a commitment
to serving students, recruiting and retaining outstanding
faculty and staff, securing the quality of the liberal arts and
spreading the word about the Franklin College experience.
As we work toward building Franklin’s endowment,
increasing the Franklin Fund for Student Scholarships,
recruiting and retaining outstanding faculty and enhancing
college programs and facilities, the need for your continuing
support will be of high priority. Thank you for being our
partner and enabling us to look at Franklin’s future with
confidence.
Sincerely,
Susan Johnson DeVoss ’65
Board of Trustees Chair
Message from the president:
Dear Alumni and Friends,
Franklin College is a sound and strong institution, poised to face the
challenges as our nation continues working through tough economic times.
Franklin, as it has historically, perseveres because of its people. Individuals —
past and present — who have invested their hearts and minds in Franklin
College are our greatest resource.
Franklin is doing well in these difficult times
because of the quality and character of our
supporters, those who believe in our college
mission and are committed to serving students.
Franklin’s supporters care deeply about
preparing men and women for significant careers
through the liberal arts. Moreover, Franklin’s
supporters know that learning to think for
oneself, to communicate clearly, and to work with,
for, and on behalf of other people is the true path
to a life of excellence, leadership and service.
Franklin’s career-focused liberal arts experience
coupled with a stable enrollment of approximately
1,000 is integral to effectively fulfilling our
mission. We’re the perfect size for what we do,
making education genuinely interpersonal and
enabling the college to deliver transformative
learning experiences for students.
In these uncertain economic times, the backbone of Franklin College is fiscal
integrity. The Council of Independent Colleges Composite Financial Index
compares 740 colleges in terms of the sufficiency and flexibility of resources, the
management of debt, the performance of assets, and the results of operations.
A score of three is considered the threshold for financial health. In the last six
years, Franklin’s scores have progressed from 5.6 to the current 8.6.
While we’re proud of Franklin’s tremendous progress, there’s still much work to
do. We hope you’ll join us in securing the future of Franklin College.
A key strategy for the future is the Campus Master Plan, crafted collaboratively by
faculty, staff, students, alumni and trustees. The plan will guide our thinking
about facilities and grounds for the next 10 to 15 years. As the Campus Master
Plan is integrated into the overall Franklin College Plan, we will explore ways to
fulfill our distinctive mission more effectively. With your help, we will ensure that
Franklin College remains accessible to the students we serve well.
Eleven current students are featured in this Annual Report to provide you with
a glimpse of the outstanding young people your financial gifts assist; they are our
future, the men and women who will go on to make a difference in the world.
Among the same pages are favorite stories told by 11 alumni, whose memories
of Franklin’s past serve as an important record of college history.
Then and now, it’s Franklin’s people who make this a great time to be a Grizzly.
Thank you for supporting Franklin College and our students.
Sincerely,
Jay Moseley
President