President Julio Frenk gives his first annual "State of the U" September 2018 in the Watsco Center. Hundreds of students, faculty and staff gathered for the speech, in which Frenk laid out the details of his 10-year "Roadmap to our New Century." Photo credit: Cameron Tavakoly
President Julio Frenk gives his first annual "State of the U" September 2018 in the Watsco Center. Hundreds of students, faculty and staff gathered for the speech, in which Frenk laid out the details of his 10-year "Roadmap to our New Century." Photo credit: Cameron Tavakoly
University of Miami President Julio Frenk will deliver his second-ever “State of the U” address Sept. 12 as the university inches closer to its centennial anniversary in 2025.
The “State of the U” started in 2018 when UM’s Board of Trustees approved Frenk’s “Roadmap to Our New Century” agenda. According to UM’s website, the Roadmap is the “strategic plan of the University of Miami as it approaches its centennial in 2025.”
The primary goal of the address is to outline the university’s goals in becoming a leading research university.
With the beginning of the university’s second century on the horizon, Frenk has high hopes for what’s to come. Last year, Frenk outlined the top five priorities of the university: a preeminent academic health system, administrative excellence, mission-driven research, hemispheric leadership and education for life.
To reach these goals, Frenk announced that he will improve UM’s STEM programs to ensure that the university is on the path toward becoming one of the most comprehensive research universities in the Americas.
“If I had to summarize in one phrase, the North Star that will guide our rise to the top, I would say, ‘Comprehensive Excellence’ and ‘Selective Preeminence,” Frenk said in last year’s address. “The Roadmap to Our New Century was structured to answer the fundamental questions of every human endeavor.”
As Frenk prepares for this year’s “State of the U,” many students said they are hopeful about what’s to come. Sebastian L. Crist, a student assistant at the Office of the President, said the university’s technological resources have demonstrated the goals Frenk outlined.
“The school has definitely made great technological improvements, particularly with academic resources such as Blackboard,” Crist, a junior studying finance and management with a minor in business tech said. “It might not be much for some students, but it definitely allows us to be more resourceful.”
Other students, such as Estrella Madia, a senior studying film and marketing, are hoping that STEM isn’t the only field being improved in the coming years.
“While STEM is important as we become a research university, I hope that doesn’t deter prospective students outside of STEM majors to apply, especially students in the arts,” Madia said.
On Sept. 12, students, faculty and guests will become a part of the second address as Frenk further explains how his administration aims to transform the future of UM.
To RSVP, please check your UM e-mail with a special invitation from UM Communications.
IF YOU GO:
WHAT: 2019 ‘State of the U’ address WHEN: Sept. 12 at 5 p.m. Doors open at 4:30 p.m. WHERE: Shalala Student Center
