02/26/2026
Message to the Ferris Board of Trustees
Delivered on February 13, 2026
Hello, my name is David Pilgrim, and I am the Vice President of Diversity, Inclusion, and Strategic Initiatives—still.
When I say “still,” I do not mean it to sound brazen, combative, or flippant. I say it with pride. I am proud to serve at a university that was engaged in what we now call “belonging work” more than 140 years ago. Today, belonging is a pillar of our strategic plan and central to our Academic Plan and other major university initiatives. That commitment is not new to us; it is woven into our institutional DNA.
Have we always lived up to our founder’s vision? No, absolutely not. At times, we drifted. But we also corrected course. We returned to our principles. And today we stand firmly rooted in the conviction that education should uplift, include, and create opportunities for everyone, not just those with significant wealth.
While others debate labels and language, we stay centered on our purpose: creating and maintaining a campus environment where our students are supported, challenged, and positioned for success.
A couple of generations ago, when I was a student, if you were hungry, you would stay hungry. If you were poor, you wore whatever you had to class presentations and job interviews, and hoped it was enough. There were few safety nets and little acknowledgement of what students were carrying beyond the classroom.
Here at Ferris, we have chosen a different path. We provide food assistance and access to professional clothing for a student body of which nearly 40 percent are Pell-eligible. We understand that academic success is tied to basic needs, dignity, and opportunity.
Our commitment does not stop at access. It extends to persistence and completion. Today, full-time student retention averages 72 percent, and we have set a clear goal to increase that to 77 percent over the next five years. We are working to raise full-time bachelor-degree retention to 83 percent and associate-degree retention to 74 percent. For our transfer students (who already persist at an impressive 80 percent), we are pushing toward 85 percent.
Completion matters just as much. We are focused on increasing our overall degree completion rate to 56 percent, with bachelor’s completion reaching 62 percent. We are also working to ensure more students complete 30 or more credit hours each year — building momentum toward graduation.
These goals are not abstract. They reflect coordinated, data-informed retention efforts, proactive outreach, and campus-wide responsibility for student success.
A heartfelt thank you to Lina Blair and Kavaris Sims for reimagining and strengthening our approach to student care. I also want to recognize Jason Bentley, Mandy Seiferlein, Dani Hiar, and many others for their leadership in the Navigate FEI program, which equips all of us to better support our students. It is not an accident that the graduation gap has been closed between Hispanic students and White students. We still have more gaps to close, but we’ll keep our shoulders to the wheel.
I should also mention the Jim Crow Museum. It will reopen this fall. Thank you to the dozens of volunteers who are stepping forward to help with the move. They are discovering what I’ve long known: Cyndi Tiedt runs a tight ship.
My role is to determine where nearly 30,000 artifacts will be housed in the new space. It’s a formidable task, but an exciting one as we prepare to welcome visitors into this next chapter. The old facility focused on hate; the new one focuses on healing, understanding, and overcoming it.
The new museum will stand as a bold expression of who we are and what we value: truth-telling, education, and the courage to confront difficult history. The museum will not only be a place of learning, but a destination, drawing students, scholars, educators, and others from across the country. By providing space to examine the painful realities of racial injustice, the museum will foster dialogue, reflection, and growth. It will be a source of pride for Ferris and a beacon for those who believe that understanding history is essential to building a more just society.
I am not good at segues. Here is an example. The International Festival of Cultures returns for its 36th year on Sunday, February 15, in this room and the ones attached. I invite you to join us for an afternoon filled with international cuisine, performances, and games. This event celebrates the diversity of our campus. It brings together students, faculty, staff, and volunteers. It’s inspiring to see our students proudly share their cultures and traditions.
Finally, I want to extend my sincere gratitude to Bobby Fleischman, our retiring provost, for his unwavering support of Diversity, Inclusion, and Strategic Initiatives. His leadership has been marked by a deep commitment to equity and to the meaningful work we share. All of us in DISI wish him the very best in his retirement and remain deeply grateful for his friendship, partnership, and enduring dedication to our collective mission.
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