UofL ranked #219 in the nation, one spot behind Eastern Kentucky University and just ahead of the University of Kentucky in the rankings, which take into account how much schools enhance their students’ social mobility. The study “rewards universities that take in the highest proportion of students coming from lower-income families, while maintaining high graduation rates and having a positive impact on graduate salaries and minimizing the costs of attending the college,” according to the publication.

Berea College ranked #3 nationally and led all Kentucky colleges and universities in the rankings.

“Our ranking reflects our strong commitment to our mission as a metropolitan research university and the impact we make not only on Louisville, but on the entire commonwealth,” said President Kim Schatzel. “We take great pride in the difference we are making for first-generation and underrepresented students and others for whom a college degree is life changing.”

Earlier this week, UofL topped all national universities in Kentucky in the U.S. News and World Report’s Best Value Schools ranking, moving up 15 spots to #131 overall.Ěý

The UofL Board of Trustees voted unanimously to appoint Schatzel during a special meeting on Nov. 30. Schatzel has served since 2016 as president of Towson University (TU), one of 12 universities that are part of the University System of Maryland. She also is a professor of marketing.

Schatzel, 66, who previously served as provost of Eastern Michigan University and dean of the College of Business at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, will officially assume the UofL presidency on Feb. 1, 2023. She succeeds Lori Stewart Gonzalez, who has served as interim president since December 2021 and will be returning to her previous leadership role as executive vice president and university provost for UofL.

During her first remarks on campus, Schatzel pledged to start her tenure as president by going on a discovery tour, listening and learning about the Cardinal community.

“Leadership is a team sport, especially when it comes to such a complex and innovative organization like the University of Louisville,” she explained, promising to work closely with faculty, staff, students, alumni, donors, elected officials, businesses and community partners “to expand UofL’s already tremendous impact and address the great challenges of today.”

Schatzel’s track record of leadership includes advancing diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives as priorities. She is credited with building a strong academic profile at Towson University, which enrolls approximately 20,000 students, while emphasizing accessibility, affordability and inclusive student success.

With a 6-year graduation rate of 72 percent, Towson University has the second highest graduation rate in the University System of Maryland. In 2022, 57 percent of its students identified as underrepresented minorities, and TU is one of few universities in the nation where Black, Latinx and Pell-eligible students achieve the same graduation rate as the overall student population.

Schatzel is a member of the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher łÉČËÖ±˛Ą and Immigration and the Presidents’ Trust of the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U).Ěý In 2017, she was honored by Maryland’s Associated Black Charities as their “Champion for More in the Middle” for her leadership in advancing diversity and inclusion at TU.

In 2020, Schatzel was honored with the Whitney M. Young Jr. Award. Given by the Board of Directors of the Urban League affiliates across the country, the award is in memory of the civil rights leader and former head of the National Urban League. The award honors members of the Baltimore community committed to advancing diversity, equity and inclusion in its region and Maryland.Ěý

During her tenure as Towson University’s president, the University System of Maryland, Maryland General Assembly and Maryland’s Office of the Governor supported $1 billion in capital investment to advance academic instruction and research, student life and athletics at TU – the most in its 166-year history. Those investments included a new Science Complex, the renovation and expansion of the University Union, a new College of Health Professions Building, acquisition of an office building in downtown Towson to house several university functions such as IT and Advancement, and new field hockey and women’s soccer stadiums that comprise the largest investment in women’s athletics in TU’s history.

“The University of Louisville is a historic university with rich traditions that provides leadership to Kentucky as the premier metropolitan research university for the Commonwealth,” Schatzel said. “I am incredibly honored to be chosen to lead such a remarkable institution and look forward to working together with our campus and community partners to advance UofL’s reputation as a pre-eminent institution nationally recognized for its excellence in research and scholarly work, education, inclusive student success, innovation, the arts and athletics – all aimed to establish the University of Louisville and the City of Louisville as a nexus for transformative solutions that advance the public good.

“My husband Trevor and I are thrilled to be joining the UofL community and look forward to embracing the university community, the City of Louisville and the Commonwealth of Kentucky as our new home. And we look forward to joining the more than 150,000 UofL alumni from around the globe in cheering on our Cardinals.”

Schatzel, who is a first-generation college student herself, was born in New York and earned a bachelor’s degree in biology and economics at Washington University in St. Louis, where she received significant support in the form of scholarships to complete her degree. She earned a doctorate in business administration, with concentrations in marketing and management of technology, from Michigan State University. She has taught at Boston College and the University of Michigan – Dearborn.

Schatzel currently serves as the Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors for the Colonial Athletic Conference (CAA), a premier mid-major conference that Towson University competes in with 19 Division I athletics teams. She also served as the CAA representative to the NCAA Division I Presidential Forum.

Schatzel navigated a non-traditional path to higher education leadership. She is one of less than two percent of university presidents who have significant business and private sector experience, spending more than 20 years as a corporate leader and serial entrepreneur in the technology and advanced manufacturing sectors. As part of her new venture experience, Schatzel founded and served as the president, chief operating officer, and later CEO of a multinational advanced manufacturing firm, working with the OEM automotive industry, with more than 1,500 employees on four continents.

She currently serves on the Board of Directors for the University of Maryland Medical System’s  Saint Joseph Medical Center (UMSJC) and chairs its compliance committee. She also served in the leadership role of Vice-Chair for UMSJC. Schatzel has served on the Board of Directors for the Health Alliance Plan and the Henry Ford Health Systems, both based in Detroit.

Her leadership contributions have been recognized by Maryland’s business publication The Daily Record, which named her one of the Most Admired CEOs in 2017 and 2022 and recognized her with its 2018 Icon Awards. She has been named to the Most Influential Marylanders list in both 2017 and 2021.

In 2021 and 2022, Schatzel was included in The Daily Record’s Maryland Power 100 list and its Maryland Power 30 Higher łÉČËÖ±˛Ą list.

“Dr. Schatzel brings the best of many worlds to the UofL community,” said Mary Nixon, UofL Board of Trustees chair. “Her impressive climb through the academic ranks, as well as her extensive experience both in the business community and in health care, make her uniquely qualified to lead the university into our next chapter as Kentucky’s premier metropolitan research university.”

Schatzel’s husband of 39 years, Trevor Iles, is a lecturer in the department of marketing at Towson University. They have two adult children – son Matthew, his wife Katie and their two-year-old son Forest, and daughter Katie and her husband Carson, who are expecting their first child in January 2023.

• Read more information about Schatzel on the .Ěý
• View photos from the Nov. 30 presidential announcement on .Ěý
• View the held at the Belknap and Health Sciences Center campuses.Ěý

Robust budget

The board enthusiastically approved a “mathematically and strategically balanced” budget for the 2022-2023 fiscal year. Dan Durbin, executive vice president for finance and administration, presented a budget proposal, which was introduced at the May 2022 budget workshop. At $1.5 billion, the FY 2022-23 budget is the largest in the university’s history.

“Our university’s budget should be a manifestation of our institutional values and priorities,” said Interim University President Lori Stewart Gonzalez. “This budget is comprehensive, transparent, addresses our university’s main priorities – our students, employees and community – and points directly to targets outlined in our strategic plan.”

The budget allows for a 0.0% tuition increase for undergraduate students and the development of a new Cardinal Commitment financial aid program that will supplement other forms of financial aid to help ensure full cost of tuition for resident Pell-eligible students.

There will, however, be a $65 per semester increase in fees to help fund the university’s match for the state’s $81 million in asset preservation dollars which will be used for the ongoing improvement of conditions and safety of classrooms, buildings and infrastructure. An additional $10 per semester fee will support student programming and the Disability Resource Center. The total $75 increase is reduced from an earlier $100 proposal in response to a request from the Student Government Association. The increase is the second smallest year-to-year increase in 21 years.

Commitments to increased student persistence funding and graduate student stipends are also among the financial priorities. The next fiscal year will also see the opening of two new residence halls, the Center for Engaged Learning and the Center for Military-connected Students.

Salary increase included

The big news for employees comes in the form of a 2.5% cost-of-living (COLA) increase effective July 1. Employees will see that increase reflected in their July paychecks. Medical school clinical faculty, who are not eligible for the COLA increase, will receive a one-time bonus — $3,000 for full-time and $1,500 for part-time faculty. Further, minimum starting wages for hourly employees will increase to $14.75. Opportunities for wage increases will be identified in the compensation and total rewards study, which is currently underway.

According to Durbin, good returns on UofL Foundation investments also contribute to the robust budget and the university’s solid financial footing.

A copy of the university’s 2022-23 budget is available .

Focus on the future

In her report, Gonzalez provided an update on the development of the university’s next strategic plan. With implementation to begin in the fall 2022 semester, the plan is currently undergoing reviews and receiving feedback from the university’s key internal and external stakeholders. The UofL community will have the opportunity to review the plan and submit feedback on the strategic plan until mid-July.

Gonzalez said that the ongoing cycle of a three-year plan (the previous strategic plan ran from 2019 to 2022) prompts immediate work toward institutional goals.

“UofL exists to transform lives, not just the lives of our students, but the lives of the society they will serve after graduation,” said Gonzalez.

Presidential search update

Trustee Raymond Burse provided a report on the search for the university’s next president. The search committee has retained the consulting services of WittKieffer to assist with search efforts. Burse reported that several internal and external constituencies have already provided valuable insights on the qualifications and qualities necessary to lead UofL. A leadership statement is in the final stages of development and will be ready to share with potential candidates in early July. This statement as well as other resources and information will be available on the presidential search .

Student leadership

The June committee meeting was the last for outgoing SGA President Ugonna Okorie. Following her recent graduation, Okorie, who majored in public health with a minor in health care management, will continue her studies at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland. Of her service as president, Okorie said that she, along with the other SGA representatives, are proud of their work toward reshaping SGA culture to allow for greater accountability, pushing for progress and anti-racism initiatives.

“Ugonna has been a huge advocate for our student population, and she has an incredible work ethic,” said Board Chair Mary Nixon. “We are so grateful for the work she has done on behalf of the university.”

Dorian Brown, a communications major and Phi Kappa Tau member, is the 2022-23 SGA president and will serve as the student constituency representative on the Board of Trustees beginning July 2022.

The next meeting of the University of Louisville Board of Trustees will take place Friday, July 15, 2022. See the for Board of Trustees updates, information, meeting minutes and more.