Criterion Five: Engagement and Service Core Component 5d: Internal and external constituents value the services the organization provides.

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	As the previous core components in Criterion 5 demonstrate, UMKC is actively engaged on a number of levels with its various constituents. While some of the work of individual programs can be attributed to one or two faculty members or to a specific academic unit, center or institute, UMKC houses a wealth of resources for the community.
Although most people in Kansas City were once unaware of the extent of UMKC’s involvement in the community, this is an evolving dynamic. Certainly we are an institution of many parts, not only reflecting the nature of other complex universities but also reflecting our history and early acquisition of stand-alone schools. In some instances, the parts – the individual academic units and programs – are better known than the whole. While this has served us well in many ways, it is the extraordinary, cumulative impact of the whole that is often overlooked by our constituents, both internal and external. With new leadership, a University-wide strategic planning initiative and a more focused communications strategy, UMKC is poised to become a more widely recognized presence in the community. Some specific areas of improvement are an increase in interactions with alumni and a more engaged Board of Trustees. In both cases, results have been positive. Alumni giving increased by 37 percent in 2008 and individual Trustees have begun to take leadership roles in important programs such as the Institute for Urban Education [IUE]. Enrollment figures are also up. Applications for Fall 2009 show a 31.1 percent increase (521 applications) compared to Fall 2008, and Fall 2009 admissions are up 76.3 percent for first-time college students. Both of these figures can be attributed to increased alumni gatherings and an active student recruitment program.