September 07, 2016
It was an up and down year for Temple University. The school started the 2015-16 academic year with the football team having its best season to date and the unveiling of plans for major developments on its North Philadelphia main campus.
That, however, preceded a series of shakeups among the university's leadership that saw the ousters of President Neil Theobald and Provost Hai-Lung Dai. Additionally, plans to build a football stadium have reportedly stalled amid community backlash and skepticism in City Hall.
While it remains to be seen how the latter developments affect the school's fundraising efforts, the school says its haul was above expectations this past year. Temple announced Tuesday it had raised more than $79 million for the 2016 fiscal year, surpassing its goal of $75 million.
The university highlighted several key numbers in a news release, including that more than $15 million had been raised for scholarships — the highest total in the last five years — and that this year was the second-highest total in school history. The highest was last year with $84.2 million, which included a $25 million donation, the largest in school history, from late trustee Lewis Katz.
The fundraising totals are the sign of a school in many ways on the up and up. This past May, Temple graduated its largest class ever. A new library, health and wellness center and sports complex are among several new facilities that are either underway or have been completed on campus.
But with the school's rising stock has come a fair share of drama and complications. According to reporting from The Temple News, the school's student-run newspaper, many questions still remain about the circumstances of Theobald's exit and the future of his position, and the results of a feasibility study on the proposed football stadium are still months away.
