University of Delaware president paints rosy picture to board

University of Delaware President Dennis Assanis offered a grab-bag of ideas to the UD board of trustees at their semiannual meeting on Tuesday.

They include increasing stipends for graduate students (reaching $24,500 to $36,000, depending on how much they teach and other factors), expanding the honors college (“now exceeding 17,000 applications for 600 spots”), “strengthening our entrepreneurship ecosystem” (hopefully increasing licensing fees and royalties, now running about $2.3 million) and creating an office of national fellowships (“We need an official to marshal the troops,” he said).

“More of everything,” he said. “Obviously we are committed to being the flagship university of our state.”

He also went through a laundry list of boosterish news, coupled with his observation on something that’s not happening on campus: divisive protests about the Hamas-Israel war.

He praised the “feeling of safety around campus” during these days of protests across the world.

“Context matters, and I think we’re doing a phenomenal job,” he said.

Applications have been rising in most metrics for the last three years: overall, by Delawareans and by domestic non-white students (a record). Applications by international students are slightly less than they were last year.

Applications, as of Nov. 30: 31,531 overall, 3,167 by Delawareans, 721 by international students and 9,127 by domestic non-white students.

“We’ve been firing on all cylinders” for funding research and development programs, hitting $368 million in fiscal 2022, he said.

“We do great work,” he said.

Thanks to improved reporting of grants that professors have received, its rankings in a National Science Foundation survey are increasing: 78th in total research spending, up from 109th, 52nd among public universities, up from 73rd; and 47th in non-medical research spending, up from 74th.

UD will lead workforce development for the new mid-Atlantic clean hydrogen hub. It could create 20,000 jobs in the region.

He cited a graduate certificate in artificial certificate that started this fall.

Of course, not all news was good: Expenses are going up. Salaries are going up, too.

Delaware sports

And, yes, he talked about UD’s upcoming jump to Conference USA, with the announcement generating huge hits online. Total potential news reach: 2.84 billion, athletics director Chrissi Rawak said.

“Think what will happen next year when we are on national TV” and the school has access to in-game commercials, Assanis said.

The first female ice hockey program in the country that’s partnering with an NHL team is uniting UD and the Philadelphia Flyers, Rawak said.

Two professors – John Morgan and Jim Butkiewicz, speaking as members of the Faculty Senate budget committee – joined the chorus of complaints about the state moving retirees into a Medicare Advantage plan. “Medicare advantage is no advantage to you,” Butkiewicz quoted his sister, a physical therapist.