SU alumnus donates $1.25 million to Whitman’s IMPRESS program
Corey Henry | Senior Staff Photographer
The alumnus, Kenneth Goodman, donated to the program, which enrolls newly-admitted Whitman students in one of four IMPRESS houses — Waverly, Adams, Harrison or Marshall.
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A Syracuse University alumnus made a $1.25 million donation to the university’s Forever Orange Campaign and the Martin J. Whitman School of Management.
Kenneth Goodman, Class of 1970, made the donation to expand the college’s Goodman IMPRESS program, according to an SU news release on Monday.
The IMPRESS program, which he helped launch in 2014, stands for “Initiating Meaningful Partnerships and Responsibilities to Encourage Student Success.” It began as a professional and personal development program that targets first-year students who want to pursue their careers in business, Goodman said in the release.
Goodman previously served as the vice chair of the SU’s Board of Trustees, and he is now serving as a life trustee. He is also on the Whitman Advisory Council.
Each year, newly admitted Whitman students will be enrolled in one of four IMPRESS houses — Waverly, Adams, Harrison or Marshall — each led by a faculty mentor who guides students through their first business course and in extracurricular activities, the release said.
Students receive points through community engagement and the exploration of career opportunities. Each year, the group with the highest points wins the Goodman Cup. The points and experiences pursued will also be reflected on student cocurricular transcripts, according to the release.
“If we ensure our students are better trained in the non-academic side of things, more of them will be hired into great jobs at better pay, improving the university’s overall ranking and reputation,” Goodman said in the release.
The new donation will significantly expand the program, said Alex McKelvie, Whitman’s associate dean for undergraduate and master’s education, in the release.
“The new Goodman gift essentially creates IMPRESS 2.0,” McKelvie said. “Just as we are preparing our students to be adaptable to rapidly changing circumstances in our world, we are adapting and customizing the program to make it more accessible to more students and for a digital work environment.”
Published on October 25, 2021 at 10:03 pm
Contact Francis: btang05@syr.edu | @francis_towne
