STATE OF THE UNIVERSITY
08/26/08
ON THE MOVE
(Slide 1)
(In Memoriam, slides 2, 3 & 4)
(Slide 5)
Good morning and welcome to a new academic year. Last year was an eventful, exciting and record breaking year. Whether it was in the classroom, in a foreign country, on the stage, the court or the field, our students, faculty and staff excelled in ways that taken together helped to make 2007-08 a year that we will not soon forget. We are a dynamic public university on the move and I’m pleased to say that we enter this new academic year with a determination to not only build upon the successes of the past, but to foster the innovation and creativity needed to help our students, our region and the state of Wisconsin flourish in the 21st century.
What does it mean to be “on the move?” (slide 6) One answer is going in circles: I guess I just illustrated that one as you watched me riding in circles. (slide 7) Clearly I was on the move butnot getting anywhere.
There are some other ways of being “on the move:” (slide 8) Thisillustration showsan organization that is clearly on the move, but where is it going? It is going in all different directions. Some might say that it is attempting to go everywhere and in the end getting nowhere.
Next we see (slide 9) an organization that is on the move but in lockstep. I’ll argue that this is not an ideal model for a university.
Finally, we see a representation of (slide 10) an organization that is on the move but in a more appropriate way, especially for a university. In this case, we can all be on the move in the same general direction but not in identical ways. This approach seeks to maximize the contribution of each individual or group by recognizing that while there are variances in our approaches, we are guided by a common set of goals. This final graphic, I assert, shows how we are “on the move” and need to remain “on the move.”
While admittedly we face challenges, I am pleased to report that the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater is moving in the right direction, the State of the University is strong and that we are well positioned to maintain our momentum as we begin a new academic year.
Last year, I described how UW-Whitewater blends teaching/learning, research/creative activity and service in a unique way: A way that provides knowledge, understandingandpractical applications for our students, our region, and the state of Wisconsin. This blend of the essential elements of a university is critical to the fulfillment of our strategic plan. That plan refers to regional leadership, national presence, and global vision. I am happy to say that we are “on the move” toward achieving regional leadership, national presence, and global vision.
What do I mean by “on the move?” We are a public comprehensive university that’s proud of its past, clear in its mission, and squarely focused on providing the knowledge and tools needed to succeed in the 21st century. Simply put, we are a university that’s moving to the forefront in public comprehensive higher education.
This morning I will elaborate a bit more on UW-Whitewater as a university on the move by focusing on our (slide 11) accomplishments and our aspirations. We begin, of course, by addressing the most important component of a successful university: Its people, specifically our faculty, staff and students.
We are a university blessed with talented faculty, dedicated staff and high achieving students. We are a university on the move because of the devotion to learning demonstrated day in and day out by our faculty and staff. This devotion, this commitment, this enthusiasm for learning is epitomized by those who received our highest honors last year (slide 12):
W.P. Roseman Excellence in Teaching Award: Robert Gruber, Professor of Accounting
Outstanding Research Award: Praveen Parboteeah, Associate Professor of Management
Faculty Service Award: Ed Erdmann, Assistant Professor of Languages and Literatures
Non Instructional Academic Staff Excellence award: Jan Bilgen, Coordinator of Student Involvement, Leadership and Development
Instructional Academic Staff Excellence award: Bill Lowell, Department of Communication
Academic Advising award: Giuliana Miolo, Lecturer in Communication Sciences and Disorders
Everett Long award for the Advancement of General Education: Chris Henige, Associate Professor of Art
We are a university on the move because of the excellent working relationship among our governance organizations and thus I am pleased to introduce our governance leaders (slide 13):
Hepsi Kumpaty, Chair of the Faculty Senate;
Denise Ehlen, Chair of the Academic Staff Assembly and
Allison Rygh, President of Whitewater Student Government.
We are a university on the move because of the successful working relationship between our governance organizations and our administrative team. Our administrative team continues to evolve and I am pleased to announce that . . .
(slide 14)
Christine Clements has been appointed Interim Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs;
Steve Summers has agreed to serve as the Interim Assistant Chancellor for Student Affairs;
(slide 15)
Lois Smith has assumed the duties of Interim Dean of the College of Business & Economics and
Jeff Janz will serve as the Interim Dean of Students.
Beginning next month, we will initiate searches for the positions of Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Assistant Chancellor for Student Affairs. These are key positions. We hope to be able to make the permanent appointments early in 2009. Once these two positions are filled, we will move quickly to fill several other key positions on their staffs.
The true measure of a university on the move can be found in the accomplishments of its faculty, staff and students whether they are acting alone or in concert with others.
Here’s just a few examples of those accomplishments (as you leave the auditorium, representatives from Marketing and Media Relations will be distributing copies of UW-Whitewater Excels, a small publication that highlights even more accomplishments):
The College of Business and Economics was again named a “Best Business School” by the Princeton Review.
For the last seven years, graduate students have earned a 100 percent pass rate on the national exam in Speech Pathology and Audiology.
(slide 16) Professor Robert Benjamin, with assistance from current and former students, was recognized for three major findings regarding the Milky Way Galaxy.
(slide 17) David Cartwright, Ed Erdmann and Jo Ellen Burkholder of the College of Letters and Sciences received $185,000 in grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the most awarded to any university in the state. Cartwright and Erdmann received their award for translations of the works of Schopenhauer. Burkholder’s award is for a survey and excavation of a Peruvian archaeological site.
(slide 18) Sue Messer, Teresa Faris and Ben Strand from the College of Arts and Communication received grants from the National Endowment for the Arts totaling $38,000. These are the first NEA grants to be awarded to UW-Whitewater. The Women of Metal exhibit will be hosted on our campus from September 9 until October 13 in the Crossman Gallery.
(slide 19) Katy Heyning of the College of Education was instrumental in setting upthe College’s newest international student teaching program in Oaxaca, Mexico. As a part of this project, Susan Huss-Lederman of the department of Languages and Literatures has been providing professional development opportunities for teachers in the Oaxaca schools.
(slide 20) Our student chapter of the American Marketing Association earned a perfect score on the Service Grant Application – a first in AMA history.
Our Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization won three awards at the National CEO conference including first place in the Web site competition.
The Chemistry Club received an honorable mention from the American Chemical Society for its fundraising, community interaction and school involvement.
Our voice students stole the show at the Wisconsin Chapter National Association of Teachers of Singing Student Auditions when Sophomore Michael Roemer was named Outstanding Male Performer and Janalyn Bump placed first in the Senior women category. Six other UW-Whitewater students were semi-finalists.
Delta Pi Epsilon, UW-Whitewater’s honorary graduate business society, swept the awards at its national conference.
And, of course, as noted in the video, (slide 21) our intercollegiate athletic program was recognized as the 6th best program in the nation according to the Director’s Cup competition. The program’s808 point total is the most ever accumulated by a member of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in the history of the Director’s Cup.
Another indication of a university “on the move” is the quality of its facilities. I am pleased to report that our campus continues to experience significant facility upgrades: These include:
The University Center (slides22 & 23)
College of Business and Economics-Hyland Hall (slide 24)
Bookstore/Textbook Rental-Moraine Hall (slide 25)
Disabled Student Services-Anderson Library (slide 26)
Wyman Mall (slide 27)
Perkins Stadium (slide 28)
The Multisport complex (slide 29)
In addition to these major improvements to our facilities, we will soon see construction begin on a new suite style residence hall, the remodeling of Carlson hall and other campus upgrades.
At the same time that we are constructing new buildings and remodeling existing facilities, we are also moving to enhance energy conservation through the installation of LED lights and the replacement of a police cruiser with a vehicle known as a “mule,” (slide 30) saving fuel as well as purchase costs. I am also pleased to announce that we received statewide recognition for the recycling of 98% of the building materials removed during the demolition of Baker, Sales and Salisbury Halls. We are striving to continue that example in the construction process.
Last year when I met with you we discussed a number of opportunities. They includedimplementing our strategic plan, considering whether and how to grow, becoming more entrepreneurial, building on a sense of community, expanding our commitment to diversity, becoming a model of sustainability, adjusting to a changing physical environment, and welcoming new colleagues. I am happy to say we have taken advantage of these opportunities. Here are some examples:
As a university on the move, we are guided by a dynamic strategic plan. And while our individual contributions differ, collectively we are moving toward our agreed upon goals. Our strategic plan highlights the five themes of Programs and Learning, the Educator/Scholar Community, Diversity and Global Perspectives, Regional Engagement and Personal and Professional Integrity.
As part of helping us implement our Strategic Plan, we identified $250,000 in one-time funding to support strategic plan efforts for 2007-2008 and another $250,000 for 2008-2009. This funding has been used for such projects as:
A faculty research release program
The appointment of a sustainability coordinator
Increased support for international education
Purchase of a Neighborhood Electric Vehicle (NEV) for Facilities Planning and Management
Supplementing a grant to diversify facilities work crews
This funding will continue to support projects that require only one-time funding or to serve as start up funding while more sustainable sources are sought.
As a university on the move, we are expanding our commitment to diversity. This last year, Elizabeth Ogunsola, Jodi Hare-Paynter, Barbara Monfils and Eric Barber led an effort to communicate to the campus information related to the Equity Scorecard. They visited more than 40 departments and other units on campus to discuss the results and to ask these departments and units to identify how they are going to work with these results. Reports on progress toward addressing the Equity Scorecardresults were reported in annual reports this spring. I am happy to say that departments/units are seriously addressing these results and establishing department/unit-based goals for change. This use of the Equity Scorecard results is a good example of moving toward an agreed upon goal in ways that are appropriate to the individual departments/units. We are also applying the principles in the Equity Scorecard to look at other areas on campus. For example, this summer the Women’s Issues Committee worked with Institutional Research and others to identify existing data related to the status of women, following a format similar to that used with the Equity Scorecard.
We continue to seek ways to enhance our students’ appreciation of global perspectives and their understanding of global economic, political and social issues. As a campus, we must continue to find ways to increase awareness of, and discussion about, global perspectives in our classrooms and to enable our students to study abroad. I compliment the faculty and staff who have developed travel/study courses like the one highlighted in the video. Clearly, study abroad is an enriching experience that we wish all of our students could experience.
Our efforts toward establishing a sense of community and promoting entrepreneurship are combined in our increased presence within the community and the region. We are working with the city of Whitewater to investigate the establishment a new technology-focused business park (slide 31) on the west side of the city. We are also working closely with the Whitewater Arts Alliance on several art-related projects this fall. The Young Auditorium continues to have a notable impact on Southeastern Wisconsin through its Horizons program and through its involvement in the national program known as “The Big Read.” (slide 32) We have met with officials from UW-Rock County and Madison Area Technical College. We have made contacts in Janesville related to economic development. We are part of the Walworth County Economic Development Alliance.
Our success in taking advantage of the opportunities noted last year is gratifying. At the same time, we have aspirations to do better. If we are truly are an institution on the move, then we need to strive to meet those aspirations.
First, given the needs of the state of Wisconsin, the strengths and talents of our faculty and staff, and our new and improved facilities, I believe the time is right for UW-Whitewater to grow.
As I am sure you know, Wisconsin trails the nation and our neighboring states of Minnesota and Illinois in the percentage of its population with baccalaureate degrees. It also trails these states in per capita income. The UW System has developed a Growth Agenda, intended to help change this situation. The Growth Agenda seeks to develop more talented workers for the knowledge economy and to help develop the jobs that will employ them. In conjunction with the UW System growth agenda, we propose to add an additional 500 students and thus assist the state in its goal of increasing the number of citizens with bachelor’s degrees. In the case of UW-Whitewater, many of these additional students will come from our region and especially the five counties (slide 33) that now supply many of our students. Our growth agenda proposal involves a three pronged approach:The global economy, science and technology, and increased access via on-line instruction. Specifically, we seek to . . . (slide 34)
Increase 180 students in majors relevant to the global economy.
Increase the number of majors in science and technology related fields by 160 students and
Add another 160 students whose studies will occur mainly through on-line classes.
Our growth agenda proposal for the next biennium is ambitious and it is dependent upon new funding from the state. It behooves us all to encourage our fellow citizens, and especially our elected representatives, to support the UW-Whitewater and UW System growth agenda in particular, and Wisconsin’s public universities in general.
Second, as part of being on the move, we aspire to play even a greater role in our community and region. While these efforts involve all aspects of the university, we are especially concerned with economic development.
Given the recent announcement regarding the closing of the GM plant in Janesville and the economic difficulties facing our state and the nation, it is paramount that we step up and provide the leadership and assistance that will help Wisconsin thrive in the 21st century. With this goal in mind, we are working with the City of Whitewater to develop the Whitewater University Technology Park. We are also reaching out through the Small Business Development Center to the Janesville community. I represent our campus on the Walworth County Economic Development Alliance and I represent Walworth County on the Milwaukee Seven. Both of these groups are focused on helping to develop the economies of the region. It is important that our campus increasingly be seen as a significant contributor to Southeastern Wisconsin.
Third, as a campus on the move, we are working to improve our physical environment through a commitment to sustainability. We are engaged ina complete review of our carbon footprint and the implementation of measures to reduce that carbon footprint. I would like to thank Greg Swanson and his committee and Eric Compas and his class for assisting us with efforts in this area. This summer, we hired a sustainability coordinator to help us with this task.
We are a campus on the move. I call upon each of you to identify the part you can play, individually or in a group, in helping us continue our progress toward regional leadership, a national presence, and global vision. As we implement our strategic plan, pursue our growth agenda, become more of a presence in the region, and do so in ways that are sustainable, we need to understand where we are going and as a university on the move how to work together toward those commonobjectives (slide 35).