The Fall 2016 semester at Drury has been unusually eventful, with a lot of highlights and some lowlights that affected the University’s community as a whole.  Here’s The Mirror’s take on the most significant moments of the 2016-2017 school year so far.

The Arrival of Dr. Cloyd

Last year was tumultuous for Drury, with big layoffs among core faculty and substantial changes to the university’s business model, and many students and professors felt uncertain about the institution’s future.  Since his inauguration as Drury’s president, Dr. Timothy Cloyd has provided fresh and bold leadership, and his evenhanded decision-making has provided needed reassurance to the Drury community.  Dr. Cloyd had a successful tenure as president of Hendrix College before coming to Drury, overseeing years of institutional growth, and we hope he will bring the same success to Drury.

New Theater Plans

Drury’s theater program was awarded a $150,000 grant from the Sunderland foundation to construct a new “black box” theater in O’Bannon Hall.  This performance space will represent a substantial upgrade to the theater department’s current facilities, and will feature much more seating and room to perform.  This is a significant boon for the theater program, which has suffered staff cutbacks in recent years.

See the above picture for a sample rendering for the look of the new theater, designed by Robin Schraft.

Enrollment Spike

Drury has struggled to maintain enrollment over the last few years, a struggle which came to a head last year when enrollment fell sharply, but this year Drury brought in its largest incoming class since 2010; this represented a 40% increase over last year’s numbers.  Enrollment increased in all categories, including traditional day school students, international students, and students who transferred from other institutions.  It is not clear what prompted this dramatic uptick, but whatever the cause, the spike has reassured many who were in doubt about Drury’s financial future.

Dr. Roy’s Induction

Dr. Rabindra Roy, a professor of chemistry who retired from full-time teaching last May, was inducted into Drury’s Sciences Hall of Fame early this semester.  Dr. Roy taught full-time at Drury for 50 years and developed an innovative model for pre-medical undergraduate research, and his departure was a significant loss for the Colleges of Natural and Mathematical Sciences.  Dr. Roy was joined by 100 of his colleagues to celebrate his immense contributions to Drury during his tenure as professor.

Sigma Pi Wins Big

Sigma Pi, a Drury fraternity and leader among Drury’s Greek Life organizations, received national accolades at the 2016 Sigma Pi International conference held in Las Vegas.  Drury was ranked 3rd in its division, and recognized for its charitable fundraising, high average GPA, and dedication to community service. 

Introduction of Fresh Ideas

After a wave of student complaints about Aladdin, Drury’s previous food service company, the university decided to contract Fresh Ideas, a smaller and more localized provider, for the 2016-2017 school year.  Fresh Ideas had a rocky start early on in the semester, with students experiencing long delays in getting their food and difficulty using their IDs to pay for meals, but those issues were eventually ironed out.  Whether Fresh Ideas can meet the high expectations of the Drury community remains to be seen.

High Marks on National Rankings

Drury earned high marks on two national rankings of colleges and institutions of higher education this year.  The Princeton Review, a leading college admission services company, named Drury as a “Best in the Midwest” college, highlighting its focus on academics and strong community.  US News, which also hosts college rankings, rated Drury at 11th in the Midwest overall and 18th for best value.  These stellar ratings underscore Drury’s identity as an excellent institution of higher education.

The Election and Student Reactions

The dominant topic in the news and on most people’s minds for most of this semester was the 2016 presidential election, which was one of the most divisive in recent history.  Republican candidate Donald Trump, who was considered an underdog for most of the race, pulled a surprise upset victory, to the shock and astonishment of many in the Drury community.  Reactions on campus ranged from surprised to overjoyed to angry to scared, and many are still reeling from the news.  While some Drury students celebrated the outcome, others organized and participated in events to inspire resistance against president-elect Trump.  What then next four years will bring to the U.S. in general, and to the Drury community specifically, remains uncertain.

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