Drury University can take pride in her sacrifices and progress of the past five years. Despite entering the “Great Recession” in a position of flux, uncertainty and financial turmoil, Drury has moved forward with focus and confidence to establish a solid framework for navigating the shifting and transitional world of higher education ahead.

It is not the intent of this review to look at our current condition naively. Our institution’s future, like others of similar mission and history, is fraught with peril. That said, we are positioned to compete and can take ownership in our gains.

Drury University’s future will be challenging, and like the past 140 years, is far from assured. If we continue to rely on our people and their entrepreneurial and competitive instincts, hold tight to historical values, and take risks commensurate with long term rewards Drury University will thrive.

Over the past five years Drury has realized factual progress or regress.
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On August 21, 2012, more than 500 new Drury students and faculty mentors launched a Springfield service plunge providing much needed assistance to organizations as diverse as Ozarks Food Harvest, the Springfield Regional Arts Council and the Dickerson Park Zoo. Before these students ever stepped foot in a formal classroom, they stepped proudly and productively into our community.

In one sense, this understanding of the university as committed to the improvement of our region dates to our origins in 1873 when Drury was created to, in the words of our founders, “help heal the horrid wounds of the Civil War.” Today, the new Drury Core: Engaging Our World general education curriculum delivers on this commitment by requiring students to complete engaged learning experiences. This curriculum delivers on the promise of our founders, integrating service in an organized and intentional way into the college experience for every Drury student. In this way, our students learn most deeply through serving the community, and the Ozarks region benefits as our students learn.

On a broader level, however, the lessons of our founders are encoded into our institutional DNA. While we are proud to be a nationally recognized institution committed to global learning, we are most assuredly in and of the Ozarks. In 2012, Drury launched the Drury Connect initiative that will link the university and the Ozarks in even more obvious ways. Our ability to understand the needs of our community and to demonstrate to our community partners how Drury is already working and can work in the future to meet those needs is at the heart of this initiative. Drury has sought the most influential community leaders to serve on a series of advisory councils organized around topics as diverse as the performing arts, business and economic development, public ethics and the environment. We are engaging them in an effort to advance our shared agenda of improving the quality of life in the Ozarks. We have asked for their ideas. We have listened and, as appropriate, incorporated the needs of our community into the experiences we create for our students and in the choices we make as an institutional citizen.

As our students and faculty volunteer in Springfield’s economically at-risk schools, spark economic renewal through Drury on C-Street, advocate for social policies that make our community more welcoming for future residents and employers, work with non-profit organizations to design more effective communication strategies, harmonize in the Springfield-Drury Symphony Orchestra or slosh through Pearson Creek to monitor water quality levels, they will deliver on our institutional commitment that Springfield’s private liberal arts university, your alma mater, is simultaneously a public trust. This is work well worth doing – and essential work to do together.

Charles A. Taylor
Vice President for Academic Affairs

Panther Pride

Why do we offer athletics at Drury? Why does the University invest its precious and limited resources in this endeavor year after year? Simply put, Drury’s teams and student athletes likely represent the only exposure to the University some may ever experience. Our athletes, coaches and administrators carry a great responsibility to positively represent the institutional mission and to ensure that the tradition of excellence in athletics and academics continues.

Drury student-athletes gain obvious lessons in teamwork, time management and self-discipline, all inherently vital components of post-graduate success. As testament to this commitment, athletes at Drury consistently carry a higher grade point average than their non-athlete counterparts. In 2011-12, the Lady Panther basketball team carried the highest team GPA (3.709) of any program in the nation, at any NCAA level. Recently, Drury swimmer Kelsey Ward ’11 received the prestigious Walter Byers Award and honored as the top female scholar athlete in the entire NCAA.

Both fans and opponents alike are aware of the competitive prowess of Drury teams. Thanks in large part to the strength of our swimming & diving programs, Drury boasts more national championships (32) than any other institution at any level in Missouri. What may not be as readily apparent is the positive impact our programs consistently have on the community. Consider the hundreds of youths positively impacted through interactions with our coaches and athletes through camps and sport instruction. I recall the impact made when the Drury baseball team banded together a group of Drury volunteers to assist in the Joplin tornado relief effort. I stood on the field in amazement before the exhibition baseball game vs. Missouri State played in front of 4,000 fans at Hammons Field on September 29; an effort that raised over $20,000 for local ALS victim Howard Bell and his family.

Athletics at Drury is a flag bearer for the institution. It is a positive representation and a source of pride for students, employees and alumni. But it also represents much more than that. It is a powerful resource for the local community and one that can have tremendous influence. Drury’s mission calls us to create value in the community—to improve the place we call home. We must continue to engage the community and raise awareness of our continued success.

Truly, our athletic teams are living the mission of "Drury Connect" every day. In that spirit, President Parnell has approved the establishment of the first Drury Athletic Endowment. These funds are designated to improve access to our outstanding athletic tradition through the offering of scholarships to deserving students and provide much needed funding assistance to ensure the quality of the student-athlete experience. The endowment will also support our mission to be a diverse, residential campus. For so many reasons this is the right time to make this dream a reality. A formal announcement of this initiative is forthcoming in January 2013, with details of several initial gifts already secured.

Matt Miller
Executive Director of Athletic Administration

New Beginnings

On October 31, 2012, we introduced Dr. David Manuel as Drury's 17th President. Dr. Manuel and his wife Betty Coe will assume their duties on June 1, 2013.

The Drury community has much to be proud of in our year-long process to identify our next president. Our search committee was comprised of representatives from the board of trustees, faculty, staff, the student body, and our alumni. Under the capable leadership of trustee and alum James Bone, the committee invested countless hours in reviewing 65 applications and conducting personal interviews with multiple nominees before presenting the university with three exemplary candidates.

After their campus visits, each of these candidates was effusive in his praise for Drury's students, faculty and staff, commenting on the quality of our university and the refreshing atmosphere on campus. They were also highly complimentary of the Springfield civic and community leaders for the welcoming attitude with which they were received. We all know that both Drury and Springfield are special places, but it's great to hear that sentiment so strongly confirmed by our guests.

In its consideration of our finalists, your board of trustees was given an opportunity to have open and far-reaching discussion about the future of Drury University, and I know each board member felt a keen sense of history in the decision we were making. At the end of the day, the choice was clear, and the board voted unanimously to invite Dr. David Manuel to be Drury's next president.

Dr. Manuel's qualifications are impeccable. He has enjoyed a successful four-year term as chancellor and professor of economics at Louisiana State University–Alexandria, and he previously served as business school dean and subsequently as vice president for academic affairs at St. Mary's University in San Antonio. Throughout his career, he has demonstrated academic accomplishment and leadership skills that will be critical to our success here at Drury.

But beyond that, Dave is Drury—he understands and appreciates the unique culture of this institution and the Southwest Missouri area. I'm confident that both he and Betty Coe will quickly become an integral part of the greater Springfield community as we continue in our efforts to reach out and connect with our broader constituencies.

I know you will all join with me in welcoming Dave and Betty Coe as our next First Family and in wishing them well as we continue to take Drury to the next level.

Lynn Chipperfield
Chairman, Board of Trustees

We continue to be inspired and humbled by the many alumni who stay connected to Drury. Whether you are a recent graduate or a longtime supporter, you are each incredibly valuable and important to the future of Drury.

When you give to Drury, you are making a gift that sustains Drury's vision in perpetuity. Your gift will enhance student living and learning experiences, support and expand our faculty, and assist our undergraduate and graduate students. Gifts to Drury—no matter the size—have an immediate and valuable impact on our institution and the students we serve.

It’s easy to make a tax-deductible gift to Drury University. We accept cash, check and credit/debit cards. Your pledge can also be made in monthly installments. Gifts of stock, real estate and tangible personal property, as well as bequests and other planned gifts, provide tax benefits or even a fixed stream of income for you and Drury. Gifts of all kinds may be designated for immediate or current use or as a long-term investment through an endowment. In addition, your support may be University-wide or allocated to a particular school or program. For more information on how to make a gift, visit http://give.drury.edu.

Many companies match our contributions. Contact your human resource office and inquire about a matching contribution. If so, you could double or even triple your gift.

Questions? Contact the Office of Alumni and Development at 417-873-7217 or alumni@drury.edu.

Make sure you are part of our online directory at http://alumni.drury.edu/login where you can share your exciting life and career happenings while staying connected to your Drury friends.

Throughout the year we host a number of special events. These provide an excellent venue to connect you with your fellow alumni. To view upcoming events and register, click here.