President's Letter

In the academic year following Weber State’s 125th anniversary, there was only one direction in which we Wildcats chose to look: forward.

Signs of progress were all over campus in 2014-15. One sign — a big, yellow crane that marked the continued construction of the Tracy Hall Science Center — was hard to miss. That building, which is at the leading edge of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education design, is now more than halfway complete. It is slated to open for education in fall 2016.

Facilities aren’t the only thing growing on campus. Our numbers at Weber State are growing as well. The 2014-15 school year was a record breaker, with more than 5,330 graduates achieving their degrees. Those graduates included NBA Rookie of the Year and two-time All-Star Damian Lillard, as well as our youngest graduate ever,17-year-old Jessica Brooke. Our student speaker, Shaquille Heath, shared an inspirational story of triumph over life’s circumstances.
 
Our relationship with our surrounding community also continued to grow. Our College Town Initiative with Ogden City expanded to include diversity groups, community partners and other municipalities. Our burgeoning college-town relationship was even recognized with the Larry Abernathy Award during the International Town & Gown Association’s 2015 conference.
 
And, thanks to generous supporters, our bank account is growing as well. You might remember that last year marked the beginning of the public phase of our Dream 125 campaign, an effort to raise $125 million. By the end of the 2014-15 academic year, we had raised more than $121 million. I’m grateful that so many have pushed Weber State so close to its goal, and I’m counting on Wildcats everywhere to lend a last push toward the finish!

The Weber State family is dedicated to securing the university’s future through providing opportunity, advancing knowledge, enhancing campus and engaging the community. In this annual report, you’ll find details on our progress in those areas.

With best wishes,
Charles A. Wight
President
Weber State University