PRATT INSTITUTE
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
PRESIDENT’S REPORT
Museum of Modern Art
Founder’s Room
11 West 53rd Street
New York, NY
Thursday, October 10, 2013
12:00 p.m.
Admissions and Enrollment
Enrollment
The estimated fall 2013 enrollment is 4,634 students of which 3,152 (68 percent) is
undergraduate and 1,482 (32 percent) is graduate. Undergraduate enrollment is up 52 students
over goal and graduate enrollment is down 121 students under goal. Thus, there is a small
decline in overall enrollment of 69 students from our 4,703 goal, a decline of 1.5 percent due to
the shortfall of graduate students.
Pratt had 6,149 freshman applications for approximately 680 positions in the freshman class. The
number of Pratt’s freshman applications is larger than any competitive art school except the
Savannah College of Art. Pratt now exceeds the freshman applications of major schools
including Parsons, Maryland Art Institute, Cooper Union, RISD, Chicago Art Institute School,
Cal Arts and Art Center.
Institutional Research and Strategic Planning
Strategic Planning
The Strategic Planning Committee will summarize the results of the first year of the strategic
plan implementation at its first meeting on October 21. In June 2012, the Strategic Planning
Committee had approved a $1 million allocation for strategic goals of which $900,000 was spent
to achieve the following strategic goals:

$135,000 was spent on improving curricular integration and continuity by reviewing and
rationalizing course credits, integrating the foundation year curriculum with the
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sophomore year curriculum, increasing cross-disciplinary offerings, and reforming
general education.

$43,000 was spent to work on the plan for a complete redesign of the Center for
Continuing and Professional Studies (CCPS) so that the Center plays a strategic role in
realizing Pratt’s vision and future goals.

$147,000 was spent to raise Pratt’s public events profile, create a public events office and
improve Memorial Hall’s audio and video systems.

$195,000 was spent to redesign the Institute’s pratt.edu website in keeping with its new
brand and messaging strategy..

$250,000 was spent on improving administrative practices at Pratt based on
recommendations from consultants the Perrino Group and James McGill..

$100,000 was spent on Innovation Fund grants to encourage faculty collaborations and
initiatives to look for external funding..
Pratt’s divisions did not limit themselves to funding strategic planning initiatives from this $1
million allocation. Many initiatives were funded and implemented using divisional resources.
For example, the Information Technology Division is creating a central 3D Printing Lab for all
Pratt students regardless of major at a cost of $150,000.
Institutional Research Update: Pratt Retention Committee
Improving student retention at Pratt is one of the major goals of the current strategic plan.
Retention rates reported to the government show the persistence of students from freshman to
sophomore year and provide insights into students’ progress through the postsecondary
education system.
The Institute’s Retention Committee will serve as an advisory group to the president and Pratt
community regarding student retention. The committee will be charged with researching
retention issues on campus and nationally, and making recommendations regarding possible
action options. The committee will also monitor and evaluate initiatives related to increasing
first- to second-year retention and six-year graduation rates for undergraduate students.
The Office of Institutional Research and Planning is currently compiling longitudinal data on
attrition based on students’ academic background, demographics, departments and other
variables to be analyzed by the Retention Committee.
The Committee will provide a written report to the president by December 15 of each year. The
report will summarize the Committee´s activities during the prior year, provide appropriate
retention and graduation statistics and data, and outline long-range planning for the following
year.
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Academic Affairs
Deans of Art and Design Searches
We are searching this fall for deans of the School of Art and School of Design, effective July 1,
2014. Consideration of candidates for the dean of Art candidates will begin October 15, 2013,
and dean of School of Design on October 30, 2013. Both searches will remain open until the
positions are filled.
Full Time Faculty Searches
As part of the Board of Trustees approved initiative to hire 40 new full time faculty members
over a six year period (2011/2012 through 2016/2017), we will search this year for eight new full
time faculty lines—four in the School of Art and Design, three in the school of Architecture, and
one in the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences (SLAS). Additional searches will be conducted
for four replacement lines. As of this fall, we have hired 20 new full-time faculty as part of the
40 new full time hiring program.
MSCHE Re-accreditation
Under the guidance of Associate Provost Marianthi Zikopoulos, the Middle States Commission
on Higher Education (MSCHE) Self-Study Steering Committee has been formed, along with five
subcommittees or working groups who will provide the research and initial writing for our selfstudy. Pratt’s draft self-study will be submitted to MSCHE in January 2015 for review. The
MSCHE visiting team will be at Pratt in spring 2015.
Undergraduate Curriculum Committee Report
This was a massive effort focused in the School of Art and Design and led by Acting Dean of the
School of Art and Design Leighton Pierce with the participation of faculty, chairs and Dean
Andrew Barnes of SLAS as well as Pratt administration. This report recommends structural
changes to the undergraduate curricular structure in Art and Design to better serve our students
by:





Creating greater cross disciplinary opportunities for our students.
Creating a structure allowing for more focused and less diffused course scheduling.
Creating opportunities for greater cultural breadth and depth.
Improving retention of students.
Better integrating the entire four-year curriculum, especially the relationship of the
Foundation year to the sophomore year and beyond.
Specific recommendations in this report, which were subsequently adopted or modified by the
Provost include:

Reducing the total credit count for the BFA in all majors in the School of Art and Design
from 134 to 126 (or 120) credits while standardizing on a normative three credits per
course structure. Some one-credit courses may still exist.
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


Increasing integrative education by offering minors and developing an interdisciplinary
major.
Creating a standard scheduling matrix based on 90 minute start times.
Creating an integrated Freshman Year committee in 2013/14.
The Provost considered the report issued by Acting Dean Pierce and Dean Barnes in July 2013
and has created draft guidelines for the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee, which have been
shared with the Chair’s Council, Provost’s Council, Senior Staff, and the Academic Affairs
Committee of the Board of Trustees, and to the IWCC and APPC of the Academic Senate for
review and comment. Both the IWCC and APPC are in the process of review and comment.
GID Program
The Industrial Design department inaugurated an innovative master’s program in Global
Innovation Design (GID). GID is offered in collaboration with two prominent international
partners: the Royal College of Art/Imperial College in London and Keio University's Graduate
Media Design in Tokyo. It is a model of collaborative education that draws on the strengths of
each institution and the dynamism of three international urban locations.
There are currently 12 students at Pratt this fall from London. Eight students will come to Pratt
this spring. Seven Pratt students are now in Tokyo and will go to London in the spring.
SLAS
The School of Liberal Arts and Sciences (SLAS) continues to develop its graduate level
programs. The new MA in Media Studies program has welcomed its first cohort of students – 13
in total – which far exceeds its first year goal of eight students. Recruitment is also underway for
students for the first cohort for the MFA in Writing, which will begin fall 2014. We are also
aggressively recruiting students to our newly revised B.A. in Critical and Visual Studies, which
has reduced the number of credits from 133 to 121, and has been restructured so that students
will have more opportunities to take courses in other departments across the Institute. This fall,
the proposed MFA in Performance and Performance Studies will be filed with the New York
State Department of Education.
This year, SLAS appointed a new chair in the Department of Humanities and Media Studies –
Maria Damon – and four new, tenure-tracked faculty members to its departments.
Center for Continuing and Professional Studies
A cross institute committee was formed to explore the mission, markets and results of our Center
for Continuing and Professional Studies (CCPS). Additionally, Pratt retained LERN as
consultants to return to campus for a follow-up report to their extensive 2009 study of the unit.
Pratt’s administration will conduct a search for a CCPS program director in spring 2014 and
have the director in place for the onset of the fall 2014 semester.
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Library
The Library continues an initiative to expand offerings of electronic resources available to
students, faculty, and staff researchers. In addition to the broad range of full-text and citation
databases made available during the first year of this effort, researchers will now have access
to: Film & Television Literature Index, Psyc ARTICLES, PsycINFO, Urban Land Development
Case Studies, Urban Studies Abstracts, and Arts:Search (formerly DesignInform, which also
includes Design Abstracts Retrospective). In January 2014, researchers will also have access to
Digital Sanborn Maps 5 Boroughs Geo Edition, and Sanborn current Queens Borough.
Center for Sustainable Design Strategies
The Center for Sustainable Design Strategies (CSDS) will be launching the Brooklyn Fashion
Accelerator (BFA) in late October in the former Pfizer Building at 630 Flushing Avenue near the
Flushing Avenue G Train stop in Brooklyn. The ribbon cutting ceremony is scheduled for
October 29. Funding of $1.13 million was awarded by the New York State Empire Development
Corporation (Ken Adams) and Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz.
We will be downsizing the Pratt Design Incubator and bringing it back onto 1,000 square feet on
campus as an entrepreneurship center in the basement of the Engineering Building.
The fourth annual PALS Summit took place in Los Angeles October 2-5 and was hosted by Art
Center and Otis College of Art and Design. PALS stands for Partnership for Academic
Leadership in Sustainability and was founded in 2010 by Pratt Institute in collaboration with
AICAD.
SAVI Lab (GIS)
Planning is well underway for our Spatial Analysis and Visualization Initiative (SAVI) to be
housed in the lower level of the ISC Building. SAVI is a Geographic Information Systems (GIS)centered initiative that will provide geographic mapping and analysis services to our community,
corporate sponsors, and community organizations.
The GIS Lab was made possible by an $860,000 from the New York City Council for
construction and equipment. Jessie Braden, formerly with the Pratt Center, has been appointed
acting director, and construction is expected to begin by the end of October. Opening of the
facility is expected in February 2014.
Pratt Center
The Pratt Center’s Made In NYC initiative to link local designers with local manufacturers and
to encourage consumers to shop for local products took off with more than 1,050 registered
companies. In November, the Center will launch a 20,000 square foot Made In NYC pop-up
store for approximately 100 emerging fashion designers.
In August, Pratt Center released a comprehensive industrial policy for New York City which was
endorsed by a number of elected officials including Democratic Mayoral candidate Bill de
Blasio.
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The Center is completing its collaboration with New York State to develop a new strategy for
retrofitting low-income housing to reduce energy costs and carbon emissions.
The City agreed to pilot a Pratt Center strategy for helping homeowners impacted by Hurricane
Sandy. City agencies will create hubs in impacted communities to make it easier for homeowners
to get necessary rebuilding permits and benefits.
Academic Senate Update, October 2013
In the spring 2013 semester, the Senate conducted general elections for the 2013-2016 term,
following nominations in fall 2012. The Student Government Association tallied the votes and
reported on the results. On April 23, 2013, the Senate elected the following officers to the
Executive Committee (EC):
Jenny Lee
Paul Dambowic, PT SLAS
Chris Allen Sula, FT SILS
Cecilia Almeida, UG Chair
President
Vice President
Secretary
Treasurer
Finance and Administration
FY 2012-2013 Financial Results
Our pre-audit final operating results for 2012-2013 are $203,667,342 of which $183,096,662 is
unrestricted revenues and $10,570,680 are restricted revenues. Our June 20, 2013 operating
budget is three percent greater than the previous year, 2011-2012.
Our estimated excess of revenues over expenses at this time and prior to the completion of our
audit is approximately $6 million. Pratt’s financial aid expenses for 2012-2013 are $40,041,451,
an increase of $2,516,713 over the previous year, 2011-212. The tuition discount for financial aid
last year was 23.2 percent. A six year historical review of our discount rates ranges from 21.1
percent to 23.6 percent.
FY 2013-2014 Operating Budget
Our new 2013-2014 operating budget is $210,716,338 of which $199,785,146 is unrestricted
revenue and $10,931,192 is restricted revenue. This year’s operating budget is $7.1 million
larger or 3.5 percent greater than last year’s. The following is a list and percentage of Pratt’s
major Educational, General and Auxiliary Expenses for 2013-2014 as categorized by
NACUBJO, a college and university financial association.
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Instruction 1
Public Service
Academic Support 2
Student Services 3
Institutional Support 4
Operation and Maintenance
Plant
Capital Repair & Renovation
Principal, Interest & Fee
Payments
Federal – PELL & SEOG 5
Auxiliary Enterprises
Total
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
NACUBO Category
$ 60,687,740
$ 2,607,026
$ 15,227,216
$ 14,175,266
$ 30,883,232
Percentage of Total
35.81%
1.54%
8.99%
8.44%
18.22 %
$ 17,993,846
$ 5,000,000
10.62%
2.95%
$ 8,000,000
$ 3,957,222
$ 10,810,398
4.72%
2.34%
6.38%
$169,471,308
100.00%
Instruction: Expenses related to activities that are part of instructional programs.
Academic Support: Expenses incurred to provide support services for research, library, and information
technology.
Student Services: Expenses incurred by Offices of Admission, Registrar and all student activities and
services outside context of formal instruction.
Institutional Support: Expenses for central, executive-level activities including Board of Trustees,
president’s office, planning, finance and administrative functions, development and fund raising.
Federal – PELL & SEOG: Federal dollars to support low income students.
For the start of our new financial year we will incur several unanticipated operating expenses
that are not yet currently budgeted. While these expenses are only preliminary and are not final
we are hoping that we will be able to reduce some of these items through negotiation and more
finite estimates as follows:
1. Health Insurance. Oxford health insurance seeks a 15.2 percent increase in our current
rates, down from an original request for a 23 percent increase. The estimated 15.2 percent
cost is $800,000 of which $400,000 would impact this fiscal year since the new rates
would not be effective until January 1, 2014. We are seeking only a 10 percent increase.
2. Property Insurance. Hartford Insurance Company has reviewed our current property
values of all of our buildings since the Main Building fire. We believe we will be charged
an additional $100,000 premium for our property insurance renewal.
3. Hartford Improvement Recommendations. Hartford conducted an audit of all our
buildings to determine if there was a need to improve our fire protection systems
throughout the campus. This audit included improving or installing sprinkler systems,
and improvement or replacement of fire alarm systems in certain buildings. Hartford
Insurance will permit Pratt to make these improvements over a three-year period. The
estimated cost for the first year to Pratt is $740,000.
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4. Main Building. There are costs associated with the restoration/reconstruction of Main
Building which will not be covered by our fire insurance. While relatively modest these
costs include building upgrades required by code, fixtures that cannot be replaced at
original prices, and upgrades in electrical and IT. The estimated cost is $2.8 million.
5. Financial Aid Program. A program review is underway to determine the amount of over
awards and adjustment to financial aid after completion of the review. This audit review
covers fiscal years 2010-2011, 2011-2012 and 2012-2013. Our current estimate of the
funds required to be repaid to the Federal Department of Education is $750,000 to
$1,000,000.
The total estimated unbudgeted adjustments to the 2013-2014 operating budget is $5,063,000.
Main Building Recovery
As of September 23, 2013 the estimated costs for restoring, reconstructing and renovating the
Main Building from the February 2013 fire is $14,115,000. These include $2,823,000 for out-ofpocket costs not covered by insurance calculated at 20 percent of the total budget for
construction, restoring and renovation.
Endowment
The August 31st performance is $124,606,035, up 12.5 percent over the last 12 months.
PrattStore
The PrattStore officially closed its doors as of June 30, 2013. Sales activity of remaining
inventory continued through September 30, 2013. Textbook sales were finished as of June 30,
2012 when Pratt entered into an agreement with Follett Virtual Bookstore, a division of Follett
Company. This fall, students, faculty and staff were provided with information regarding the
operations of the Virtual store. Faculty were able to place orders for books via the internet
connect with Follett and students were able to place orders for books and related materials
utilized the internet to access the Virtual store. Art supplies and related materials continue to be
available through an agreement with the Utrecht Store which is located in the retail level of
Myrtle Hall.
Campus Master Plan
Master planning firm Cooper Robertson (CR) has provided a draft 10-year update to the Campus
Master Plan. CR also developed feasibility studies for the Classon-Emerson site to exploit the
concept of a North Campus and provide for Pratt’s long term expansion. This latter project was a
comprehensive assessment of broader opportunities for real estate acquisitions, land use,
circulation, and program organization in the area north of Willoughby and Myrtle Avenues.
Additionally, CR met with the president and provided Pratt with Phase 1 (Campus Profile), and
Phase 2 (Assessment of Conditions, Program Interview Notes, Enrollment Projections, Space
Assessments and Campus Analysis Drawings). CR is finalizing Phase 3 (Concept Alternatives:
Near, Intermediate and Long Term Options, Pro / Con Assessment and Selection of Preferred
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Approach) deliverables.
Main Building Fire and Recovery Actions
Since the February 15th fire in Main Building, the cleanup phase has been completed. Restoration
and occupancy of floors one through four of the six-story Main Building is estimated to take six
months until March 2014, assuming completion on an expedited schedule and the cooperation of
the appropriate municipal agencies. Additionally, our engineering firm Thornton Tomassetti is
designing and preparing permanent roof contract documents for a new reinforced green roof.
Our consultant team is completing contract documents for the interior renovations. The
reconstruction work will include new wall, ceiling and floor surfaces, new or enhanced electrical,
IT, mechanical, security and fire safety infrastructure, as well as new lighting.
The schedule, subject to unanticipated conditions, including weather delays, and coordination
with municipal agencies, anticipates the major portion of the work will be completed by early
2014. At which time we will begin a phased move back into the Main Building. Initial
indications are that the basement, second and third floor will be available on or about midFebruary, the first and fourth floors on or about the end of February and the fifth and sixth floors
in mid-March 2014.
Townhouse Renovation Project
Recognizing the historical character of the NYC Landmarked townhouses, this multi-year project
will reconstruct and complete the restoration and renovation of all 27 townhouses. Thirteen
townhouses are completed. We are completing four more this fiscal year. Each townhouse
accommodates six seniors.
Craig Sullivan, Supervisor of Campus Grounds and Landscape Services
Craig Sullivan, our new supervisor of campus grounds and landscape services was hired in July.
Craig is responsible for the planning and management of grounds maintenance and landscape
programs at Pratt Institute. He oversees grounds personnel and all the planting, cultivation,
fertilization, and maintenance of lawns, flowers, trees, shrubs, and related landscape plantings.
Craig has a master’s of landscape architecture and bachelor’s degree in history. His first year’s
salary is being funded by Bruce Newman. We are hoping Bruce will consider funding Craig next
year.
Information Technology
Fiberoptic Project
The entire Brooklyn campus has an aging fiberoptic network that is in need of total replacement.
A new fiberoptic network will bring high-speed fiberoptic capability to the campus via a unique
system of conduits in which high pressure air blasts the thin cabling to each segment. Phases I
and II of the plan were approved as part of Pratt’s Strategic Plan and work began over the
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summer with trenching from North Hall to the ISC building.
Brooklyn Labs
The introduction of fabric printing services in the Digital Output Center has been a great success
and is being used by many students from various majors.
IT’s new Specialty Output Center (SOC) houses an array of photo plotters and large format
printers. This major expansion of print services will speed up the flow of student print jobs,
especially during periods of high demand.
Development
Fundraising
Pratt had one of the largest and best fundraising years ever last year (2012-2013). Pratt
completed the second year of its seven-year comprehensive capital campaign of $100 million.
We raised a total of $8.1 million in year one and $15.3 million in year two with a two-year grand
total of $23.4 million. Our goal for this fiscal year, 2013-2014, is to raise $16.6 million towards
the capital campaign for a total three-year result of $40 million.
The following chart shows our capital campaign summary of funds raised for (1) Pratt Institute
Operating, (2) Pratt Center, and (3) Qualified Planned Gifts for FY2012, FY2013, and our
current grand total.
Capital Campaign Summary
(as of 9/30/13)
Year One
FY12
Pratt Institute Operating
Pratt Center
Qualified Planned Gifts
Year Two
FY13
$5,831,614
$1,929,105
$386,000
$8,146,719
Year Three
FY14 to date
$10,010,908
$3,744,929
$1,538,048
$15,293,885
$1,252,347
$527,950
$0
$1,780,297
CAMPAIGN
TOTAL
$17,094,869
$6,201.984
$1,924,048
$25,220,901*
* cumulative goal by end of Year Three is $40 million
As of September 30, the capital campaign has achieved a cumulative total of $25.2 million,
which includes nearly $1.8 million in in new gifts since the close of the last fiscal year on June
30, 2013.
We are in our second year of formally encouraging our Pratt faculty and staff to participate in the
capital campaign. Last year, this effort helped to double the numbers of faculty and staff who
made a donation to Pratt. This success came as a result of hard work by our staff leader for this
initiative, Michael Sclafani, Director of Alumni Relations and Annual Giving, and the dedicated
group of committee co-chairs:
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Anita Cooney – Chair, Interior Design
Christopher Shrum, Assistant Professor, Arts and Cultural Management
William Swan, Director of Undergraduate Admissions
Last year’s 2012-2013 fundraising results brought some historic records:
1. $15,293,885 is the largest amount Pratt has raised ever in one year.
2. Largest amount ever raised from a Pratt benefit event, the 125th Anniversary Gala at
the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.
3. First endowed professorship in Pratt’s history, the $2.5 million Sirovich Family
Professorship of Mathematics for the Arts.
4. Highest percentage of alumni giving at six percent.
The following chart shows last year’s 2012-2013 fundraising results by sources:
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FY13 Funding by Source
(for fiscal year ending 6/30/13)
FY13
FY12
(as of 6/30/13)
(as of 6/30/12)
Board
Individuals
Bequests
Corporations
Government
Foundations
$ 979,243
3,997,172
2,834,975
905,937
1,136,000
192,775
$ 574,588
2,191,427
79,188
1,168,527
1,572,634
245,250
SUBTOTAL
10,046,102
5,831,614
Planned Gift
Intentions
1,538,048
In-kind Raised
FY13 vs. FY12
(as of 6/30)
FY09
FY13 vs. FY09
(as of 6/30/09)
(as of 6/30)
+ 70%
+ 82%
+3,480%
- 22%
- 29%
- 21%
$ 330,019
821,578
2,001,560
671,265
0
236,775
+ 197%
+ 387%
+ 42%
+ 35%
+ 72%
4,061,197
+ 147%
- 19%
70,239
Last year, 2012-2013, we increased Pratt’s annual fund raising by 72 percent, with its climbing
from $5,831,614 in 2011-2012 to $10,046,102 in 2012-2013. This was especially made possible
by nearly $1 million in giving from trustees, nearly $4 million in major gifts from individuals,
nearly $3 million in realized bequests, and nearly $1 million from corporations. The largest yearover-year fundraising increases came from bequests (+3,480 percent), individuals (+206
percent), and the Trustees (+70 percent). Planned giving intentions also grew from $386,000 in
2011-2012 to $1,538,048, an increase of 298 percent.
The Pratt Center increased its annual fundraising from $1,929,105 to $3,744,929, a 194 percent
increase, a near doubling.
Following last year’s overall fundraising records, the first quarter of 2013-2014 brought
continued success. Pratt has raised $1.25 million as of September 30, an increase of 37 percent
over the same period last year.
As part of an ambitious effort to grow Pratt’s endowment we have embarked on an aggressive
promotion and solicitation program in planned giving and inclusion of Pratt in wills and
bequests. In 2012-2013 new planned gift commitments of more than $1.5 million were made by
alumni, faculty, staff, trustees, and friends. There were 76 members in the Renaissance Society
in 2012-2013, a 21 percent increase over 2011-2012. As a timely reminder of how important
these planned giving efforts can be to our fundraising, Pratt recently received a $3 million
bequest from Fern B. Macchi, the widow of Charles Macchi. The Charles Macchi Scholarships
will be awarded to outstanding undergraduate students in architecture.
Special Events
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Through a focused effort over the past few years, Pratt has also achieved significant success in
elevating the effectiveness of event fundraising. In the last three years, our scholarship
fundraising events have raised the most support in the school’s history. These top-ranking benefit
events raised the following gross amounts:
1. 125th Gala (2012)
2. Legends 2010
3. Legends 2011
$1.1 million
$564,000
$420,000
Our upcoming Legends 2013 on November 11 at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel has already raised
$475,000 as of October 4, 2013, and is now poised to join this list of the Institute’s most
successful fundraising events. Major chairs and lead supporters of this year’s Legends gala are
Sondra and David Mack, Judith and Bruce Newman, Susan and Mark Stumer, and David and
Jane Walentas. Our honorees are David Easton, Pete Hamill, Margaret Russell, and James
Turrell. Award presenters will include Martha Stewart and David Rockwell, and our emcee will
be Ted Allen. We anticipate a capacity crowd of 400 guests at this year’s event.
Alumni Relations
Significant alumni engagement activities are also helping Pratt to reach new highs in alumni
contributions. An expanded range of programs are focused on alumni career development and
networking, which are top interests indicated in our alumni surveys. Last spring, we also
launched a series of regional alumni events in Boston, Philadelphia, and Washington D.C., and
an additional summer event in Roxbury, Connecticut.
Our Annual Alumni Day was held on Saturday, September 28. The all-day event had an
extensive number and variety of activities from receptions, faculty talks, tours, class reunions for
the 50th, 40th, 45th, 25th, and 10th years, and the second annual Art and Design Fair. Alumni Day
also featured a dedication ceremony honoring Bruce Newman, ’53 and Trustee Emeritus, for his
generous support for the landscaping design of the Engineering Quad. More than 600 alumni
attended Alumni Day, the second largest turnout for this annual alumni event on campus (the
largest was for our 125th Anniversary Kickoff in 2011).
Academic Fundraising Initiatives
Pratt has begun a major effort to encourage and develop research and projects throughout the
academic programs, and to raise funds in support these academic priorities. Fundraising goals
are being set with the deans for each of our professional schools to help drive our priorities. We
are also expanding fundraising support assistance to help faculty prepare and write grants as well
as search and seek the necessary funding for their projects. We anticipate our faculty research
and project based program will afford rich opportunities for student participation and learning.
Communications
Pratt has continued to receive industry accolades for the materials created for the Institute’s 125th
Anniversary. The most recent notable honors have included the CASE Circle of Excellence
2013 Silver Medal and the American Inhouse Design Award 2013, both for the 125th
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Anniversary Issue of Prattfolio magazine. Pratt’s 125th Anniversary Website also received a
Bronze Anvil Award of Commendation for 2013. These award-winning designs were part of
Pratt Institute’s 125th Anniversary visibility campaign that resulted in more than 60 million
media impressions in Fall 2012—an amazing result in visibility that included such top sources as
the Associated Press, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, New York Daily News, New York
Post, Entertainment Weekly, Time Out New York, Women’s Wear Daily, CNBC, WNBC, and
NY1 television.
Pratt has now completed its year-long brand strategy development work with Ologie, and the
new brand platform has been launched with a broad range of projects, including a new stationery
system, capital campaign materials, posters and brochures, admissions bulletins, and marketing
materials. New brand guidelines also informed a major redesign of Prattfolio magazine with the
Spring/Summer 2013 issue. Ologie is now working with Pratt to complete a redesign of the
pratt.edu website, which will launch in early 2014.
Press placement has continued to be strong in the first quarter of FY2013. Highlights have
included:
New York Daily News: Feature article on the Pratt Design Incubator, with mention of
Certificate in Design Entrepreneurship program and quotes from Debera Johnson,
(6/5/13)
The New York Times: A Clinton Hill real estate story where President Schutte discusses
the significance of Myrtle Hall in the neighborhood, (7/7/13)
New York Post: Article on alumnus Charles Pollock includes quote from President
Schutte on the famed designer’s legacy, (8/21/13)
Time Out New York: Pratt’s Sustainable Building, Infrastructure Design, and
Management certificate program profiled in a feature article “Career-boosting courses,”
(8/1/13)
Downtown Brooklyn Partnership: Preview of new master’s degree programs in Media
Studies and Writing, with quote from Dean Andrew W. Barnes, (8/15/13)
WABC-TV, Ch. 7: Industrial Design alumna and Adjunct Professor Lucia DeRespinis
discusses the design talent of the late Charles Pollock, (8/21/13)
The Chronicle of Higher Education: Dean Barnes writes op-ed piece about massive open
online courses (MOOCS), advocating for a higher education movement that emphasizes
local knowledge at small institutions, (9/19/13)
Associated Press: Provost Barna provides context on the mid-century light sculptures of
Isamu Noguchi, (6/6/13)
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The New York Times: Chair John Shapiro contributed to a piece on redevelopment plans
in the Lower East Side, (9/17/13)
The Daily Beast: Industrial Design Visiting Assistant Professor Kevin Crowley and
alumnus Horatio Yuxin Han were interviewed about Han’s foldable footwear designs,
(9/20/13)
The Chronicle of Higher Education: Maria Damon’s appointment as Humanities and
Media Studies Chair appeared in the “Gazette” section, (8/19/13)
The New York Times: Fine Arts Adjunct Professor Ann Messner explores the potential
disadvantages of crowdsourcing campaigns in the arts, (6/11/13)
Student Affairs
Diversity Initiatives
Vice President Helen Matusow-Ayres continues as a co-chair, along with Human Resources
Director Tom Greene, of the Diversity Committee. Consulting firm Cambridge Hill recently
presented their recommendations to improve the hiring process in increasing diversity in faculty
hiring.
Athletics and Recreation
Men’s tennis won the 2013 Hudson Valley Intercollegiate Athletics Conference title. This year,
the most male student-athletes ever were selected for Hudson Valley All-Academic Team – two
from men’s basketball, and two from men’s tennis.
Center for Career and Professional Development
Internship registrations increased this summer (133) from summer 2012 (121), with placements
that included: Apple, BCBG Max Azria, Carnegie Hall, Inside Edition, Marina Abramovic, LLC,
New York Foundation for the Arts, NYC Department of Health, Penguin, and the World
Monuments Fund.
The May 2013 Pratt Show drew 620 professionals on the industry professional event night. In
total, 274 graduating students from undergraduate and graduate programs were accepted to show
their work.
With the assistance of Vladimir Briller, executive director of institutional research, CCPD
completed the annual employment survey for the class of 2012. 256 alumni responded producing
a 20 percent response rate for the survey. They reported an 87 percent employment rate.
CCPD noted increases in new employer registrations, job postings, internships and full time
postings through Pratt Pro Usage:
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NEW EMPLOYER REGISTRATIONS
Summer
2012
2013 Variance
New
Employer
Registrations
790
1158
368
NEW JOB LISTINGS
Summer
2012
2013 Variance
Internships
1038
1185
147
Full-time
558
692
134
Part-time
250
299
49
Freelance
236
236
0
Volunteer
55
60
5
Summer
29
33
4
TOTAL*
1914
2204
290
International Affairs
There are 1,134 international students this fall, up from 1,015 last year. Our percentage of
international students is now 24.7 percent, the highest in nearly 20 years.
Pratt’s international student body has increased because (1) more international students are
applying, especially from China, and (2) admissions is recruiting more international students to
increase enrollment, especially on the graduate level. Growth countries include China, Canada,
Turkey, Thailand, Colombia, Mexico, Israel, Singapore, and Venezuela.
This academic year there are 16 Pratt students on international exchange and 13 coming to Pratt
from partner schools.
Residential Life and Housing
Currently, 1,700 students, or 37 percent of the total student body reside in campus housing, the
largest number and percentage ever. This fall, 51 percent of all undergraduate students and five
percent of graduate students reside in on campus housing. All new freshmen housing requests
(593) were accommodated along with all new transfer requests (69) that were received before
June 1.
Student Union
Campus Master Planners Cooper Robertson (CR) are finalizing plans to renovate the current
Student Union to create and/or improve lounges, gallery space, student club organization space,
meeting rooms, and office and event space. The building has approximately 10,000 square feet.
The preliminary cost estimate is $3 million which is part of the capital campaign.
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Community Affairs
International Downtown Association’s (IDA) World Congress
On October 8, Pratt hosted a plenary session for the International Downtown Association’s
(IDA) World Congress and 59th Annual Conference. The event featured New York City Mayor
Michael Bloomberg and other local city and nonprofit leaders.
More than 500 people attended the event, which garnered press coverage in the Brooklyn Daily
Eagle and am New York.
Myrtle Avenue Revitalization Project (MARP)
The vacancy rate on Myrtle has remained low at five percent over the last quarter. Construction
has begun on a new seven story rental building on the site that formerly housed the Associated
Supermarket at the corner of Myrtle Avenue and Hall Street. Upon completion, which is
estimated to take one year, Associated will return along with a branch of TD Bank. The future of
the US Post Office on Myrtle is undecided. With their lease up in May 2014, MARP has been
working with the owner to help find a suitable new location on Myrtle.
Multiple bids have been received and are being reviewed by the city for the $6 million Myrtle
streetscape and pedestrian plaza project. The city will be selecting a contractor shortly with the
groundbreaking to take place in spring 2014. MARP is working actively with all of the
merchants in the future construction zone to ensure that they are well-prepared and can remain
opened throughout the 18-month construction period.
Over the past year, eight new businesses have opened on Myrtle including three restaurants and
bars, three new food retail establishments, an apparel store, and a new pharmacy. An electronics
store, two wine shops, two more restaurants and a specialty prepared foods business have signed
leases and will open shortly.
As you can see, the 2013/2014 academic year has gotten off to a terrific start. I greatly
appreciate and look forward to your continued commitment, support and enthusiasm as we
address the many challenges and exciting opportunities the year ahead will offer.
Sincerely,
Thomas F. Schutte
President
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