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LEVERAGING GGU’S

STRENGTHS

INNOVATING FOR THE TIMES

PRESIDENT’S REPORT

GOLDEN GATE UNIVERSITY
DECEMBER 2017

Reaffirming the Value of a GGU Education

A message from President David J. Fike

The value of a Golden Gate University education has been apparent to me since I was a
young child growing up in the East Bay. In the mid 1950s, GGU Law School provided my
father—who had a family and a full-time job—with an opportunity to earn his JD and embark
on a challenging, rewarding new career.

So, when Mark Anderson, the Chairman the creation of a ranking focused on adult
of GGU’s Board of Trustees, invited me to education is prompting important new
become the University’s seventh President, debates in higher education, discussions that
my father’s history and the opportunity to in recent months have reached the pages of
help reaffirm the value of a GGU education the New York Times and Forbes.
for future generations were critical factors in
my decision to accept. In the pages that follow, you can read more
about this good news, as well as learn about
During interviews for the position, it was the newest members of our administrative
clear that stakeholders throughout the and volunteer leadership teams and the
University shared a strong belief in GGU’s curricular innovations that Academic Vice
mission to expand educational pathways so President Barbara Karlin and the Deans are
working people can advance their careers. spearheading to prepare GGU graduates for
It was also apparent that GGU’s faculty, leading-edge careers.
staff and Trustees saw current challenges
—namely the disruptive economic and During my 25 years in higher education,
technological forces that are impacting serving as a college president, provost and
higher education—as an opportunity to faculty member, I have come to understand
strengthen our 116-year-old mission. that a successful educational institution
constantly strives to keep its mission fresh
It should bring satisfaction to them, and to and vital. As I witness the daily commitment
all of us, that GGU’s mission is now being of our Trustees, alumni, faculty, and staff, I
recognized on a national level. For two years am convinced that Golden Gate University
in a row, GGU has topped the Washington is poised to be an educational leader in the
Monthly rankings as the best college in years and decades ahead.
the nation for adult learners. Moreover,

From Gold Rush To Tech Rush

INNOVATING

For The Times

“ The more rapid and disruptive the changes, the more
is required of our institutions to respond and develop
skills, leadership – and most importantly, successful
graduates – for the new world that is being created.
GGU was founded expressly because of a need to
contribute this expertise in an earlier era of radical
economic transformation.”
– President David J. Fike

Our 116-Year History Of
Serving The Adult Learner

1996 2004 2015 2017
GGU launches one of Frederic White appointed David J. Fike Organizational
the first web-based first African-American appointed realignment
learning programs in US Law Dean in Calfornia President complete

1973 1970 2015-2017
Judith McKelvey appointed 1st MS in Taxation Two Years Of Change
Dean of Law school in the West
(only 2nd woman GGU administration restructured
Law dean in US) New Enrollment Strategy & Services division
Restructured Ageno School of Business
1967 New VP of Development & Alumni Relations
School of Taxation established New Law Dean
1950 New Associate Dean of Law Admissions
Northern California's first evening
MBA Program launched Market-responsive programs launched
Masters in Business Analytics
1932 1901 Undergraduate concentration
Graduate School First evening
of Accountancy law school in Business Analytics
established in California Path2CPA
Concentration in Financial Life Planning
Early-1850s Revamped Executive MBA
First night school in San Francisco

Framing Our Future–
The Next Phase

INITIATE INTEGRATE EXPAND IMPLEMENT
new degrees and degree and partnerships with strategic priorities and
programs based credentialing programs the business and
on market demand for life-long learning professional community, capacity building
alumni and trustees for continued leadership

in the future

Meet the New People

Leading GGU into the Future

More than 75% of the leadership team responsible for framing GGU’s future has joined in
the last two years.

ACADEMIC LEADERSHIP ADMISSIONS & ENROLLMENT

Anthony Niedwiecki John Reed
Dean, School of Law VP, Enrollment Strategy
Previously Associate Dean for & Services
Academic Affairs at The John Previously President of
Marshall Law School in Chicago. Trinity Lutheran College, Senior Associate
Consultant at Ruffalo Noel Levitz, and Vice
Dr. Gordon Swartz President of Enrollment Management at
Dean, Ageno School Linfield College.
of Business
John Chalmers
Previously deputy dean at the London Associate Dean,
Business School and associate dean at Law School Admissions
Georgetown University. He received his 27 years experience in law
Doctorate in Business Administration from school admissions; previously at Fordham
Harvard Business School. and Hofstra law schools.

DEVELOPMENT & FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION
ALUMNI RELATIONS
Bill Lee
Mary Ellen McGillan VP, Finance &
VP, Development Administration
& Alumni Relations
Twenty years experience as
More than two decades in leadership roles CFO at Citibank-Asia, Visa International
at Hawaii Pacific University, Oregon State and two local not-for-profits.
University Foundation, University of Notre
Dame, Santa Clara University, and Belmont Jamila Buckner (MSHR ’91)
Abbey College. Head, Human Resources

Previously Director of
Employee Relations at Saint Mary’s College.
Also worked in Human Resources positions
at Comcast Communications, Liberty
Mutual Insurance, Levi Strauss & Co., Bank
of America, and Robert Half International.

At a Glance: GGU Students Today

GGU UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

95% 85% 38% 44%

25+ AND OLDER ARE PART-TIME ARE IN THE ARE STUDENTS

(AVG. 34) STUDENTS MILITARY OF COLOR

55% 48% 66%

ARE WOMEN ARE ONLINE ARE BAY AREA
STUDENTS RESIDENTS

FIRST-YEAR LAW SCHOOL CLASS 2017–2018

62% 64% 47% 11%

IDENTIFY ARE WOMEN ARE FIRST IDENTITFY AS
AS A RACIAL GENERATION COLLEGE LGBTQ

MINORITY OR LAW SCHOOL

A SNAPSHOT OF THE FUTURE INCLUDING A Constantly Changing Workplace.

The university student of the future The skills that employers demand of new
is expected to look a lot like the GGU graduates change at a breakneck pace.
student of today—working adults from To stay relevant, institutions of higher
diverse backgrounds who have modest education must know what the business
financial resources. And like the GGU community needs for its workforce, and be
students of today, they will be seeking able to quickly design and offer curricula
to match those needs.
an educational experience that is
different from the traditional four-year The “Gig” Economy. A study by

program, one that is flexible enough Intuit predicts that by 2020, 40 percent
to meet the rapidly changing of American workers will be independent
contractors, engaged in short-term
expectations of the new economy. assignments. Our students can expect to
They will also bring with them new have multiple jobs over the course of their
learning styles and expectations, for careers, returning to school throughout
which we need to adapt curricular their lives to garner additional degrees or
offerings and methods of teaching. credentials.

GGU Recognized as a Leader
in Adult Learning
“A school like Golden Gate should be
a model for how other institutions can

adapt to the newer, older face of American
college students.”

op-ed, October 31, 2017

The metrics that determined GGU’s ranking include:

• Ease of enrollment
• Flexibility
• Student services
• Percent of adult students
• Loan repayment

“Washington Monthly’s No. 1

four-year college for adult learners,

Golden Gate University San Francisco,

had the highest mean earnings
of adult students 10 years after

college entry: $74,332. The school

calls itself ‘adult-focused’ (89% are

over 25) and offers programs in business,

management, accounting, taxation and law,

with evening and weekend classes and fully

online programs.” September 18, 2017

For the second consecutive
year, Washington Monthly has
ranked GGU the #1 University for
Adult Learners.

Nearly 40 percent of college students
today are adults, yet rankings usually
focus on elite universities that cater
to the traditional 18-year-old student.
Two years ago, Washington Monthly
magazine set out to change that by
publishing their rankings of “colleges
that cater to adult students, the kind
with jobs and families.” GGU is proud
to have received the #1 ranking two
years running, beating out 1,132

other universities.

Curricular Innovations:

New Programs for a Changing Economy

Since its founding in 1901, Golden Gate University’s
innovative programs have kept pace with the rapidly changing
world of business.

Our competitive advantage as a longtime presence in
downtown San Francisco and premier choice for adult
students continues to be driven by:

• Market-responsive programs

• Time-tested expertise in integrating working professionals
as instructors

• Pragmatic programs that are relevant to the community

Building on this tradition, this year we launched new
programs in Business Analytics, revamped our Executive
MBA program, and developed new pathways in Accounting
and Financial Planning.

Applying Analytics for Success

This fall, GGU launched a Master of “In any business, nonprofit or governmental
Science in Business Analytics (MSBA) as organization, business analytics is becoming
well as an analytics concentration in the a critical component,” says Gordon Swartz,
undergraduate program. Dean of the Ageno School of Business.

Professionals with predictive analytics The MS program, which is designed for
skills to address real-world business working professionals, provides students the
challenges are in great demand and, skills to make insights from complex data
according to Glassdoor, typically earn to support company strategy and decision
more than $100,000 a year. According to making. Taught by expert faculty who work
Forbes, demand for new Business Analytics at the many data-intensive businesses in the
competencies in San Francisco and the Bay Bay Area, the courses are offered online and
Area is the highest in the nation. on the downtown SF campus in the evening.

Golden Gate University officially launched its Business
Analytics degree programs at a panel and networking
event on September 25. Entitled “Applying Analytics
to Win in Sports and Business,” it featured a lively
panel discussion with leading business analytics
practitioners including alumnus Glen Schofield
(MBA ’02), co-founder of Sledgehammer Games.

80% of Executive
MBA faculty are active
professionals in the real
world of business.

New Executive MBA Puts

Agility into Practice

GGU’s many strengths are on display in the to put a premium on the skills needed
newly redesigned Executive MBA program. most, with a stronger emphasis on new
Chief among them are our faculty. Our approaches to good leadership and effective
location in San Francisco’s technology management.
and financial hub means that our EMBA
faculty—more than 80% of them—are Another GGU advantage is our long history
scholar-practitioners, active professionals in of educating working adults. The EMBA
the real world of business. curriculum was designed specifically for
working professionals; it is not a spinoff of
Because our faculty know which skills are an MBA program that was designed for full-
in demand in the workplace, they know time students. It is structured to build on the
how to design a curriculum that prepares professional experiences that students bring
students for future success. With that in to the program and to help them quickly
mind, GGU revamped the EMBA program transform ideas into action.

Crunching the Numbers is No Longer Enough

New accounting & financial planning programs emphasize the soft skills

GGU’s faculty kept hearing from employers degree quicker and less expensive. Students
that young professionals need to be can earn a Master of Science in Accounting
better able to actively listen to clients (MSA) in as little as one year after
and communicate clearly and effectively. completing GGU’s Bachelor of Science in
They wanted to see graduates equipped Business with an Accounting Concentration.
with these “soft skills” in addition to their Graduates can also accumulate enough
technical capabilities. GGU’s Accounting, class time to satisfy the 150-hour
Financial Planning and Tax programs— education requirement for CPA licensure.
acclaimed for more than four decades— No “re-applying” or GRE is required.
responded by developing new pathways that
integrate soft skill competencies into their Financial Life Planning
programs. Concentration

These programs are increasing in demand, GGU has also launched a concentration
in part because of the more than 10,000 in financial life planning in the Masters
Baby Boomers who are retiring each day. in Advanced Financial Planning program.
Certified financial professionals need to be Students learn the interpersonal skills
trained both to replace these retirees as necessary to maintain successful client
well as to provide financial planning advice relationships and to work effectively with
to them as they transition to a fixed income. colleagues, individually or in teams. The
curriculum is fueled by emerging insights
Path2CPA from Psychology and Behavioral Finance
and taught by founders and leaders in the
GGU’s new Path2CPA program makes the fields of financial planning, coaching, and
journey from undergraduate to advanced financial therapy.

“Golden Gate University
is poised for a once-in-a-
generation leap forward.”

- Randy Merk, incoming Chair,
GGU Board of Trustees

Meet the Incoming
Chair of GGU’s

Board of Trustees

Randall W. Merk (MBA ’85)

Randy Merk is the retired Executive Vice President of The Charles Schwab Corporation
and past President of Schwab Financial Products. He oversaw all mutual fund, investment
management, insurance and banking activities within Schwab, and from 2004 to 2007 he
reported directly to the firm’s legendary founder and chairman, Charles R. Schwab.

Before joining the Schwab organization in 2002, Merk was President and Chief Investment
Officer of American Century Investments, Inc., headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri.
Prior to that, he was Chief Investment Officer for Fixed Income for two mutual fund
companies: 20th Century Investors (Kansas City) and for Benham Capital Management
(Mountain View, CA).

Merk earned a B.A. degree in Political Science from the University of California, Davis, and
attended Golden Gate University where he was selected the Outstanding MBA Graduate in
Finance in 1985.

Today, Merk consults for financial service firms and teaches at GGU as adjunct faculty. He is
known to his fellow board members for his financial acumen, his penetrating questions and
his faith in the future of Golden Gate University.

GGU BOARD OF TRUSTEES Melinda A. Dunn (MBA ’81) Rosemary Martin (MBA ’83)
Tracey Edwards (JD ’81, LLM ’83) Barbara Mendelson (BS ’84)
Mark S. Anderson (JD ’89), Cynthia Eisenberg (MS ’80) Randy Merk (MBA ’85)
Chair Roi L. Ewell (MS ’85) Jim O’Neil (MBA ’86)
David Arakelian (MBA ’87), Frank Felicelli (MBA ’82) Francis Ryu (JD ’95)
Secretary Scot Ferrell (MBA ’88) Nancy Tully (JD ’92)
Ted Mitchell (BA ’71, MS ’81), Elisha Finney (MBA ’82) Dale Walsh (BS ’81)
Treasurer Michael Goldsmith (BS ’65) Janice Wilkins (MBA ’87)
Bruce Braden (MBA ’73) Bruce W. Hart
Dilmohan S. Chadha (MS ’80)
Chip Conradi (JD ’78, MBA ’81)

Join Us in Welcoming

New Members to the Board

Tracey Edwards (JD ’81, LLM ’83)

Edwards, who recently retired from Deloitte after 31 years,
rejoins the Board and will be serving on the Law School
Task Force. She previously served from 2000 to 2016.

Scot Ferrell (MBA ’88)

Ferrell currently serves as the Chair of the Ageno School of
Business Advisory Board. Managing Director at Marsh since
June 2002, he is a member of the San Francisco Bay Area Red
Cross Chapter Board of Directors and past President on the
Board of Directors for the Fairview Fire Protection District.

Francis S. Ryu (JD ’95)

Ryu has his own law practice in Los Angeles, leveraging trial success
and dispute resolution skills to help clients prevent future threats
to their companies. He has been a member of GGU’s Law Dean’s
Advisory Board since March 2016. In 2013 he was voted GGU Alumni
Association Volunteer of the Year.

“Our alumni are our ‘brand,’ and “In my years of creating community
our diplomas are our ‘share of stock’ coalitions, I know that getting all of
GGU’s partners involved in its future is
in its future success.” where the most impact will happen.”

Richard Jensen Linda Pratt,
President (BA ’74, MBA ’83) Vice President (MBA ’14)

Golden Gate University Alumni

68,000+ Strong—and Growing!

For Richard J. Jensen, President of the Both alumni leaders regard the alumni
GGU Alumni Association, Golden Gate association as the way to support the
University was the right place to complete university through commitment and
his undergraduate degree, earn his MBA in contribution.
1983 and launch his career in banking. For
Linda Pratt, the Alumni Association’s Vice “As an alumni association, there are great
President who earned her MBA from GGU benefits for all of us as we collaborate with
in 2014, the university was the pathway for GGU leadership to advance the university’s
a mid-career “reset” and career transition. vision,” Pratt added. “A great example
is GGU’s annual Women’s Leadership
Today, both are energetic leaders of GGU’s Conference, an event that brings students,
alumni activities because they are inspired faculty and alumni together. With more
by the University’s new leadership and are alumni involved and a more connected
eager to engage other alumni to advance the alumni network, we will create more
futures of other working adults. “From my visibility for GGU, help attract new students
experience in retail banking, I know how and partnerships and ultimately raise more
powerful loyalty is as the starting place for money for the university.”
increased engagement,” said Jensen, who is
now a business management coach.

PMAOKISNGSDIRBEALMES

Our alumni’s inspirational stories
are compelling examples
of the real-world effectiveness
of a GGU education.

These thousands of “proof points”
affirm why we are consistently
ahead of the curve as America’s #1
School for Adult Learners. Your story
is one of them, and your generous gift
to GGU will be a tangible investment in
“possibility” for yet another GGU graduate.

GGU makes it easy by offering
a variety of ways to give.

Gifts with Current Benefits

Outright gift of cash, securities,
personal property or real estate

Gifts with Future Benefits

Bequest
Charitable gift annuity
Other estate gifts
For details, see more at
http://www.ggu.edu/alumni/giving

Your generosity is a gift
that keeps on giving to GGU.

PLEASE JOIN US TO

INCREASE
OUR IMPACT!

Photo credits: Niall David Photography (nialldavid.com);
Jenny LeMaster (jennylemasterphotography.com);
Charlotte Fiorito of Compass Photographers (http://compassphotographers.com).

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“Through economic booms and busts,
GGU has remained impressively
committed to providing a high-quality,
pragmatic and professional education
to working adults. That historic and
ongoing commitment is our mission
and our promise.”

– President David J. Fike