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Good morning and welcome to the 2009-2010 academic year at William Paterson University. Thanks for joining us today. I hope that your summer was all that you had hoped it would be and that you are eager to begin the new academic year.
Please join me in welcoming our new colleagues:
Avinash Arya in the Department of Accounting
Loretta McLaughlin Vignier in the Department of Communication
Jim Tsiamtsiouris in the Department of Communication Disorders
Sue Mankiw in the Department of Elementary and Early Childhood Education and also welcome
Stella James, associate director, Financial Aid
Isabel Tirado has decided to return to the faculty after serving 10 years as Dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. I am very grateful for her stellar stint as dean and wish her the best during her sabbatical. Please welcome Kara Rabbitt who has graciously agreed to serve as the interim dean and Andy Barnes who has agreed to serve as interim associate dean.
Would Professor Sue Godar, chair of the Faculty Senate, and Professor Sue Tardi, President of AFT Local 1796, please stand and be recognized. Provost Ed Weil and I look forward to continuing to work with you and your colleagues this coming year.
As we’ve done in past years, today has been planned as a day to collectively reflect and re-engage as an academic community. I encourage you to take part in the day’s activities. At 10:30 a.m. in this ballroom, we offer an unusual and interesting program. Faculty members who joined the University in the 1960s, 70s, 80s, 90s and 2000s will reflect on their careers here and the events that have shaped our institution’s history. The program is designed to stimulate discussion about moving the University forward as the institution transitions to a new president.
I must admit that I begin my talk this morning with a different frame of mind than previous years. While the future is our most important focus, I can’t help but think back to my many experiences throughout nearly 40 years on this campus. I’ve spoken with many of you about my plans for retirement and, needless to say, I’m grateful for all the good wishes from you -- my colleagues.
I am still in the process of determining my professional and personal plans to follow retirement from William Paterson University and I’ve been receiving scores of good, heartfelt suggestions. I thought I’d share a few as I envision our marketing agency Lipman-Hearne might see them:
SLIDE -- My next friends for life
SLIDE -- My Next team effort
SLIDE -- My Next mentor
I must admit that I feel that there is much more to be accomplished before I actually move on to the next chapter of my life. Consistent with previous years, I begin this academic year with a strong sense of eagerness and anticipation for what promises to be a productive and, of course, challenging year.
In recognition that the fiscal situation mandated that each of us stretch our comfort zone, I required that all administrators with academic rank teach one class this semester. That of course resulted in a few unintended consequences…I’ll be teaching the first-year experience course this semester. The last time I taught, Herbert Hoover was president.
I used Hoover’s name to provide a segue to the current budget situation. The economic crisis continues to impact so many of our personal and institutional plans for the year.
Last spring the University began planning for the new fiscal year with a projected $10 million budget gap. I had announced that steps would have to be taken to close the university for a couple of weeks to create necessary savings as a means to narrow that projected deficit. As a result of negotiations between the Governor’s Office and the various unions representing all state employees, an agreement was struck which significantly helped the University balance its budget. I am acutely aware that the cancelling of low enrolled classes, deferral of salary increases and furloughs in particular impose a hardship on all of us but with the state and the nation facing these unique economic conditions, extraordinary steps had to be taken.
Additionally the University will be the recipient of some federal stimulus funding as part of an agreement to maintain affordability for our students by capping tuition and educational and general fees at 3% -- the lowest increase in 17 years. This new revenue that corresponds to the original cut in our budget, in combination with salary savings and non-salary cost reductions, enables us to continue support for the programs and services that carry out the University’s mission.
What remains unclear is how the State will be able to balance its budget for next year and what the consequences will be for us and for higher education throughout the State. Since this is a gubernatorial election year, it’s unlikely that we will get a sense of fiscal reality until early next year.
Despite the budget crisis and the persistent recession, future alumni will think about William Paterson in terms of the impact that the University has had on their lives in the classrooms, athletic fields, laboratories and studios. Rather than thinking about Self-Directed Furloughs or Paid Leave Banks or departmental budget constraints, they will characterize their college years as a time of personal growth and development resulting from the opportunities and experiences that you have created. They will undoubtedly think about faculty members who sparked new ideas, took the time to work with them individually, and developed programs that prepared them for their careers and lives.
There are countless examples of the unique student mentoring opportunities that you have created. I’d like to share just a few that are representative of what you have achieved:
• Last spring, Allison Dobrick of Educational Leadership and Professional Studies led her Teaching Strategies in Social Studies and Global Issues class in a social action project to benefit the Martin Luther King Charter School, which had been devastated by Hurricane Katrina in the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans. Working and communicating with the administration of the New Orleans school, our students developed a needs assessment, collected educational materials and organized pen pal relationships between the children in New Orleans and children in the schools where our teacher candidates did their student teaching.
• Mulgrew Miller, director of Jazz Studies, David Demsey, coordinator of Jazz Studies, Peyton MacDonald, director of the percussion program, and Karen Demsey, professor and flautist traveled with student jazz and percussion ensembles to perform in several venues in China last fall. The students performed brilliantly as both musicians and cultural ambassadors. I was honored to accompany the group, along with Dean Torres-Santos. The reactions of our students tell the story better than I could. David Pollack, an alto sax player, reported, “After the concert it was really wild,” he said. “I had never had an experience like that before. I signed so many autographs and programs. It was the first time many of the people in the audience had heard jazz. It was great to know that the first time these students heard jazz, it was from us.”
• Kathleen Torsney of Psychology conducted research -- assisted by student Amira Badaan -- for a paper, “Analyzing Team Effectiveness in Long-Term-Care: Lessons from the Front Line Workers,” published in the International Journal of Knowledge, Culture and Change Management. Amira also assisted Kathleen with data collection as part of an independent study project. Amira, who won psychology department awards in research, scholarship and service, plans to pursue a doctoral degree.
• With support from the National Science Foundation, Linda Kaufman of Computer Science worked with nine students on projects to create an algorithm and to determine the chemical composition of the layers of an optical fiber so that it would exhibit specific physical properties and performance. In efforts at making a 35,000 line computer program more efficient, some of the students have been working on actual fiber optic design while others have been working on the structure of the linear system.
• Tim Werkley of Professional Sales coached Josh Schiller, who won first prize in the Sales Role Play at the 2008-2009 National Sales Challenge that we hosted. Sales executives from major national companies served as judges for the Challenge, which includes a series of selling competitions and workshops. The hands-on mentorship was crucial in the competition, which was sponsored by the Russ Berrie Institute with participation from 19 universities, including one from Australia.
Despite our fiscal challenges, we have moved forward and, certainly, will continue to build on a foundation of accomplishment and collaboration. We have much to be proud of. And we have a full agenda to address by working together as a campus community focused on the success of each and every student.
There are a number of important initiatives now underway that will help to shape the University’s future.
Many of you will be involved this year in the development of the Middle States accreditation self study and materials for our decennial visit in spring 2011. Steve Hahn and Jane Zeff began the Middle States process in the spring with the organization of a steering committee that met several times during the summer to provide direction for the effort. An array of subcommittees will be organized to support the various elements of the self-study or, more specifically, the fourteen standards for accreditation. Ed will provide more detail of this effort at the fall faculty meeting on September 17.
As always, any discussion of plans for General Education attracts much attention, and spurs a wide range of ideas and proposals. The discussion about renewal of our General Education continued through the summer. It is my understanding the Faculty Senate’s General Education Council worked with an extended group of colleagues to review and clarify the proposal that went before the Senate last spring and also developed an alternative model for future Senate deliberations. GE renewal is always a challenging process, but I am confident that because of the ongoing discussions and the extensive involvement of many of you throughout our process, we will arrive at an innovative approach worthy of broad recognition. Related to this, of course, are our undergraduate graduation degree requirements.
As you will recall, the Faculty Senate recommended, and the Board of Trustees approved, changing our graduation requirement from a minimum of 128 credits to a minimum of 120 credits beginning with the incoming class of 2010. Ed and I have asked that the Faculty Senate take this up early this semester so that if program modifications need to be made, they can be enacted before next fall. We realize that this may require an intermediary phase prior to the implementation of the new General Education program but it will also provide the context for finalizing GE and other graduation requirements.
After a thorough review, the Faculty Senate passed the Academic Plan on to the Board of Trustees for review and acceptance for implementation. I am confident that the plan, developed with the leadership of the Provost and a committee of faculty and academic administrators will serve as a blueprint for continued academic innovation and achievement. Major components of the Plan, particularly in the areas of curriculum, have been moved forward already. The Faculty Senate approved several new programs for initiation during the current year, or the following year, pending approvals by the New Jersey Presidents’ Council and/or Commission on Higher Education. At the undergraduate level these included the BA in Chemistry and the BA in Music Studies with an emphasis in Popular Music. At the graduate level, Senate-approved programs included the MA in Professional Communication, the MFA in Creative and Professional Writing, the MA in Clinical Health Psychology, the MBA concentration in Entrepreneurship, a Certificate Program in Assessment and Evaluation Research Skills, and a new M.Ed. Special Education concentration in Advanced Studies.
In addition, the Faculty Senate approved a Nursing Education Track in the MSN Program, Nurse Faculty Scholars Program Track in the MSN, a Post-Master's Nursing Education Certificate and, finally, the University's first doctoral offering, the Doctor of Nursing Practice. This is a dramatic step for our institution. Among other new programs just mentioned, the DNP will be reviewed by the Academic Issues Committee of the New Jersey Presidents’ Council which will also require documentation supporting an exception to our mission. As with other institutions in our sector of New Jersey higher education, our first doctorate will require jumping through a few extra hoops. But it will get done.
Now that the Academic Plan has been accepted, other programmatic elements will be accelerated. The policy as modified by the Faculty Senate on the initiation and development of centers and institutes will be implemented. The new cycle of seven-year program reviews will take effect with a new means of addressing resource allocations. The viability of low enrolled programs will be tested.
Consideration and direction will be given to enhancing the place and role of graduate education as essential to our institutional image and reputation. For the first time, as part of the University’s branding initiative, we are working to establish a distinct image for graduate studies and have included it in the integrated marketing campaign.
With the recently approved Faculty Senate guidelines on undergraduate internships approved, we hope to expand such opportunities as internships, undergraduate research, and service learning so that all students have the opportunity to enhance their academic experience and, at the same time, their professional credentials.
I am pleased to report that our enrollment numbers are very encouraging as we progress toward our goal of 12,000 students. Applications, acceptances and deposits are running ahead of last year by double digits. As of yesterday, the number of registered students has increased by nearly 500 compared to this time last year. We now have 10,480 registered students – 8,984 undergraduate and 1,496 graduate. That was the good news. Unfortunately, the increase in numbers resulted in a slight drop in the combined SATs for incoming first year students.
Across the campus, we are successfully working to build a stronger image and to get the word out about William Paterson University. Undergraduate Open Houses and other recruitment activities have greatly surpassed previous years with record attendance, and summer orientations, which are now designed to play a role in the conversion process, have attracted the largest attendance in recent years. Thank you to all the faculty and staff who have been helping to move us in the right direction.
After completing a recent search for a vice president for enrollment management, I concluded with counsel from the search committee that there was no compelling case for appointing any of the individuals who had been considered. The Enrollment area will continue to report in Student Development and Jonathan McCoy has been asked to continue in his current role as Information Specialist while assuming increased daily responsibilities in Undergraduate Admissions. The Cabinet will continue to focus on enrollment management among its key strategic objectives.
Along with the ongoing efforts of our enrollment management staff, supported by the integrated marketing campaign, we are looking at innovative ways to increase enrollment goals. At the request of colleagues at Mercer County Community College, we are implementing a degree completion program for students who have achieved their Associate of Arts degree. This agreement will enable Mercer graduates to earn a bachelor’s degree from William Paterson by taking all courses on the county college campus in West Windsor or online. Beginning this semester we will be offering the BA in Early Childhood Education, the BA in Psychology and the BA in Liberal Studies. Programs in other disciplines may follow. This is an opportunity to address a documented need in another part of the state but also provides a new revenue stream for us. At this time, we have at least 23 students enrolled in the program.
Ed and I are both cognizant of the importance of maintaining quality offerings and administrative agility at such a remote site and are working closely to address those issues with the Deans, department chairs, faculty members and administrative units involved. As many of you are aware, we attempted such a connection earlier with the county colleges in Morris, Sussex and Warren Counties with mixed results. Thanks to all of you who were involved with these early efforts. They helped to crystallize our approach to Mercer and to concretize arrangements with them.
Our efforts to project a stronger and clearer image are paying off. Over the course of time, we will continue to integrate the new University brand concepts throughout the full range of University marketing. We anticipate the unveiling of a new University home page on our web site later this fall.
We are now in the planning stages of an exciting event that will also help to generate vast visibility. As the result of a competitive process, we have been named as a host site for a gubernatorial campaign debate presently scheduled on October 16. We established partnerships with WWOR TV, WTXF TV in Philadelphia, Fox News, The Star-Ledger, The Record and The Herald News for the debate to be held in Shea. We’ll have details about tickets soon. A number of tickets will be reserved for students, faculty and staff and we anticipate that several students will be able to ask questions of the candidates during the debate.
Across the campus, in a wide range of departments through a wide range of strategies and activities, we are working to generate revenue that supports our institutional mission, enhances your ability to teach, conduct scholarship, create and innovate, and maintain higher education access for qualified students.
As I noted in the spring, 2009-10 was a record year for new grant awards to the University. Congratulations to all who worked in this area. By the end of June, new grant awards to the University totaled close to $11.5 million, far exceeding all previous years. That is simply outstanding. More than 35 awards were received including several among the largest awards in recent memory -- $3 million from the US Department of Education to Ana Maria Schuhmann for the New Vistas Transition to Teaching Project; $2.5 million from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to Kem Louie for the New Jersey Nursing Collaborative and $1 million to Sandy DeYoung from the US Department of Education for the Math and Science Teachers (MAST) program.
Other major awards were received by Sandy DeYoung from the NJ Department of Education for the REFORMS Program to support our collaboration with the Paterson School District on science and math education; by Isabel Tirado from the US Department of Education for the Center for Critical Languages; by Kate Muldoon from the Paterson Urban Enterprise Zone and the NJ Small Business Association for expanding the Small Business Development Center in Paterson; by Stephanie Koprowski-McGowan from the NJ Department of Education for the On TIME Program; by Jonnine DeLoatch from NJ After 3, Inc., for the Rising Stars Academy; by Eileen Gardner from the National Science Foundation Robert Noyce Scholarship Program to support science students; by Glen Sherman from the Division of Addiction Services of the NJ Department of Human Services to support substance abuse education and by Bernadette Tiernan in Continuing Education from the US Department of Labor working with the Newark Alliance for workforce development.
And we have begun to receive several new awards already in this fiscal year including an award from the NJ Department of Education to Dean Schuhmann for Sheltered English Instruction, support for our gallery and theatre activities, a new additional award to Glen Sherman for the substance abuse recovery support from the U.S. Department of Education, and two awards for the NJ Council for the Arts. Several new proposals have been submitted to agencies such as the National Science Foundation, the US Department of Education, the New Jersey Department of Education, the National Endowment for the Arts, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the US Department of Justice.
In this time of diminishing state appropriations, we have seen that other funds are often available to support research, programs, and outreach and cultural activities. These dollars provide support for:
• students seeking graduate education in nursing and education and for undergraduate students planning to teach science and math
• the development of new curricula in foreign language education and teacher training
• enhancing our lead in providing programs on substance abuse education
• enhancing our library archives
• strengthening our relationships with our neighboring communities
• faculty research in the sciences, and
• opportunities for our students to work with you on your research activities.
With many of these cases, our timing has been excellent. Despite the recent state of the economy, some of these awards are the direct result of government attempts at economic recovery, whether supported by State economic recovery funds or federal stimulus funding, we have already benefited from responding to such opportunities. I encourage you to speak with Martin Williams in the Office of Sponsored Programs regarding grants that might support your initiatives. And since I mentioned his name, please join with me in recognizing Martin’s stellar contribution to our success.
We’ve also achieved a remarkable year in Institutional Advancement, under Vice President Sandra Deller’s leadership, despite one of the most challenging climates for philanthropy in history. The Annual Fund raised more than one-half million dollars and we generated an increase of 37 percent in scholarship dollars. Our staff, along with the Foundation Board, orchestrated a Legacy Gala that closely approximated the prior year’s net revenue of $130,000 in support of scholarships and academic resources. Planned Giving continues to be an area of growth. In the past five years, we’ve generated $685,000 in Gift Annuities and Bequest Intentions.
During the past year, philanthropy has provided scholarships for the Math and Science Teachers Program, supported the new Institute for Teaching and Learning Leadership, provided lecture funds for Professional Education for nurse managers, helped launch the Music in Schools program in Paterson middle schools and gained Hudson City as a new partner for the Financial Learning Center. Overall, our endowment has increased by 25 percent.
Our development staff, in conjunction with marketing and public relations, launched an official William Paterson University fan page on Facebook and we already have 1,386 members. We also started a fast-growing group on LinkedIn. Social networking keeps growing as a mechanism to engage alumni.
Under Vice President Steve Bolyai’s guidance, our Division of Administration and Finance continues to create cost effective improvements to the campus – and to our budget. Many of the achievements and plans are highly visible. Many are behind the scenes.
I hope you have had a chance to take a look at the Science Building construction. It’s impressive. The addition to the building is on target for completion by next summer and the renovation of the existing building is scheduled to be completed by the summer of 2011. Yesterday, I had the opportunity to tour what was Science 200 A and B. The transformation of that space is amazing.
As recommended in our Facilities Master Plan, work to extend our central pedestrian path through campus continued this summer. The Raubinger Plaza pedestrian artery has been extended to Shea and Morrison with landscaping and a new seating area. This is now a safer, vehicle-free area.
Construction and modifications in Morrison Hall will begin in 2010 to facilitate the relocation of the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, the Office of Graduate Admissions and Services, the Registrar’s Office, Financial Aid and Student Financial Services into a pedestrian accessible, on-campus “one-stop” location for student services. This project will also include the relocation and consolidation of several academic support services programs to Raubinger Hall.
We’ve also created our own student payment plan, rather than outsourcing the program. This translates into financial savings for our students and their families.
To simplify navigation of the campus for visitors, particularly prospective students and their families, we have installed new exterior signage throughout campus with new maps installed at key entry points.
We have made a commitment to energy conservation that has already paid off and will continue to pay off through the years. In fact, overall conservation efforts have already saved nearly $11 million in operating expenses. In January, construction will begin on the installation of a solar panel system that is expected to save more than $4 million in energy costs over the next 15 years. Not only will it save money, but it will greatly reduce our output of carbon emissions. In addition, we have received a grant from PSE&G for the installation of outdoor induction lighting. Over the course of time, this will reduce our outdoor lighting energy costs by 50 percent.
With the leadership of Vice President John Martone, we continue to develop and implement innovative programs that help our students meet their full potential and ensure that learning, and the creation of beneficial experiences, extend throughout the campus.
Our initiative to control alcohol abuse has created a national best practice program and it continues to expand in scope and impact. In fact, Dean Glen Sherman has earned a national award for professional accomplishment in this field.
We are working to provide the resources and support to students in recovery. This helps students who have committed to a substance-free lifestyle take a big step toward a healthy and productive life. With this in mind, we are now the second university in New Jersey to offer special housing for students in recovery. The program is funded by the previously cited $650,000 grant from the state Division of Addiction Services and now a second grant from the U.S. Department of Education. These grants also provide funding for alcohol-free social and recreational programming for late nights and weekends.
The emotional well being of our students has also been addressed through a campus-wide suicide prevention program that trains faculty, staff and student leaders to recognize and intervene with distressed students. In addition, a campus committee has been established to focus on prevention and early intervention in university situations involving students manifesting extreme distress or engaging in harmful or disruptive behaviors. I encourage you to be observant but also to deal immediately with any issues of concern to you by contacting Glen Sherman.
Unfortunately, the H1N1 virus continues to be a concern throughout the nation. We have all been reading and hearing much over the past few weeks about the potential for a widespread outbreak of the flu. A campus H1N1 Emergency Team, including representatives from academic affairs, student affairs, academic departments, campus police, facilities, telecommunications, residence life, human resources and public relations, has been meeting during the summer to prepare for the possibility of increases in both seasonal flu as well as H1N1. We are initiating a number of strategies aimed at prevention and have assembled contingency plans designed to guide faculty and staff in the event of an outbreak that would lead to extensive absenteeism. Our student health services are prepared to accommodate large numbers of students and we’re awaiting information from authorities as to whether the H1N1 vaccine will be available on campus later this fall. Our website will be updated regularly and a campus hotline has just been established. The phone number is 720-H1N1 (4161).
Maintaining a healthy – and secure – campus is a crucial component of all of our planning. We have expanded the electronic alert system and we now mandate that all resident students sign up to receive the notifications. For any of you who have not signed on, I urge you to do so.
During the summer, our ongoing and extensive training of public safety personnel included 150 officers from the county and surrounding towns who participated in a mock hostage situation in one of our residence halls. Chief Horvath ensured that the exercise was all-encompassing.
SLIDE -- My Next Big Adventure
Only Mike Horvath could get me to wear a bullet proof vest …and no, I wasn’t the hostage.
The success of our athletics teams attracted much attention last year on the fields and courts where many advanced in conference tournaments. The men’s soccer team won the ECAC Metro Tournament and their coach, Brian Woods, was named NJAC coach of the year.
Softball won the NJAC tournament and advanced to the final game of the NCAA regional tournament. Many of our athletes also achieved great success in the classroom. In fact, 38 of our student-athletes were members of the 2008-2009 New Jersey Athletic Conference All Academic Team and six members of the field hockey team were named to the National Field Hockey Coaches Association National Academic Squad.
Last year was a very constructive year for the Student Government Association and, with president Jess Pepe back for another year, we look forward to continued growth and achievement. For quite some time the SGA Executive Board has been interested in designating a new mascot as a way to enhance school spirit at a variety of campus activities. The SGA sought input from a wide range of campus organizations and held a student referendum that led to the selection of a black bear that will be outfitted as a Pioneer – complete with buckskin pants, boots, hat and, of course, an orange shirt.
An effort is underway to select the person who will wear the new bear suit.
SLIDE – My Next Gig
I told you that I was still thinking about my possible future professional paths.
While I’m sure that I will give you many more opportunities to laugh as I “transition” away, it is a serious and important point in time for me, but no more important and serious than my FIRST important professional decision. It was a decision that has expanded in importance to me through the years and it was a decision that has held up as the best possible move I could ever have made. Pursuing the opportunity to teach at Paterson State College back in 1970 continues to affect who I am on a professional level and on a personal level. I joined an institution that places the highest possible value on the success of its students in an environment that is inspiring, invigorating and encouraging.
The pride I felt in connecting with students as a first-year chemistry professor is the same as I feel now as I begin my final year as president. I have always been energized by interactions with students and with colleagues. I knew that William Paterson was a special place when I joined the institution almost 40 years ago and know it now more than ever.
Of course, I’m more conscious of my professional history at this point in my journey, but I’m not quite ready to get nostalgic. There’s no time for that. We have too much to accomplish together during this new year. The agenda for the academic year is substantial and I embrace the challenges that it presents. I embrace the chance to meet these challenges as part of a campus community that provides opportunities for students to thrive and with your help for students to achieve their full potential.
I marvel at all that has been accomplished on a campus that demonstrates the value of collaboration on a daily basis. The future for our students and for William Paterson University will bring great rewards because of your ability to touch lives as teachers, as role models, as human beings dedicated to preparing young people for life.
Our students are fortunate to have you in their lives. I wish you all a productive, creative and wonderful new year.
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