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State of the University Address Requires RealPlayer G2

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State of the University Address Booklet Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader

Good afternoon. Before I begin my formal remarks, I would like to take a moment to say what an honor it is to have been invited to join you in this community of scholars. My career has taken me to several campuses, but nowhere have I found an institution with so much history and so much future. Nor a community as welcoming to my family and me.

And speaking of my family, I'd like to introduce my wife Gale. We hope you will be our guests at our home for some refreshments and conversation at the end of my remarks.

Last night, I was remembering how many times I sat through a state of the university address as a faculty member hoping I'd gain some insights into the future of my university. I remember a couple of those speeches were quite long and a little short on specifics. At that time, I decided I preferred to the point. So, here goes ...

No universities are better positioned to meet the challenges of change than land-grant universities. More than 125 years ago, Justin Morrill and Abraham Lincoln envisioned a new paradigm for higher education in which study of the classics was combined with education in applied disciplines. Land-grant universities were born of the desire to make higher education available to all classes of citizens, not just society's wealthy and elite. Some observers have noted this is very much a North Dakota concept. I believe it is very much an NDSU concept, as well.

A model for higher education change was offered last February by the Kellogg Commission on the Future of State and Land-Grant Universities. The Kellogg Commission argues that land-grant universities should think beyond traditional outreach and service to a concept they call "the engaged university," where teaching, research and extension become even more integrated with the greater community in a two-way exchange of information.

I believe North Dakota State University has the right mix of programs to be a good fit with the Kellogg model. Across our campus, I see examples of engagement in all areas: student affairs, academic affairs, extension, research, and more. This summer, as I traveled across the state meeting with alumni, agricultural producers, community, and business leaders, the fit became even more apparent as I heard firsthand how the needs of this region are matched by NDSU programs.

In June, I wrote to many of you about some administrative initiatives to build on North Dakota State University's efforts at providing service relevant to the people of this region. To this end, the President's Council, made up of senior administrators from across the campus, has been reactivated following an inactive period of some years. This group exists so that people in all campus units have a better idea of what's going on in other units.

I have also formed an Outreach Council with representation from campus units which have specific outreach missions. Through this group we will be better able to integrate our outreach actions across organizational and disciplinary lines.

Finally, a major source of ideas and statewide perspective for me will be the President's Advisory Council of alumni and business leaders, which will begin meeting again. During my administration, I will look to the engaged university model and ask "how can every campus unit--academic and service--be the best it can?" Together as a university, we do so many things right. This afternoon, I will discuss four major initiatives which offer expanded opportunity to help take NDSU to that next level of excellence. The time is right to take this campus to the next level.

First, I will share some initiatives involving students, they are the foremost reason we are here. Second, I will discuss how we will make significant progress on faculty and staff salaries. Third, I'll share how we are bolstering our efforts in the research arena and moving toward becoming a Carnegie Research II university. Finally, as part of our research and outreach efforts, it's time to move ahead with plans for a research/technology park. This may be a full agenda, but it will not be complete until every campus unit has the opportunity for growth. This institution has all the requisites to be a national model of the engaged university. We have many of the right programs, many of the right facilities, the right location in a community that is our eager partner, and most importantly, the right people. Now, let's begin with the right plan.

This afternoon, as we discuss specific steps that are underway now, we must acknowledge that for every unit, the methodology for going to the next level is still being evaluated. In other words, we may not know how we're going to get there, but we know where we want to go. Together, we will develop a shared vision for the future of NDSU.

Before we go any further, let's talk about the primary reason we're here ... students. The student experience in the classroom, in student organizations, and in campus life in general is at the core of NDSU's mission. We are about learning and personal growth. We encourage a campus community where students, faculty and staff are immersed in a continual learning experience and where there is satisfaction gained from intellectual and personal growth. Finally, we are a community where students leave NDSU with the necessary knowledge and skills for meaningful careers and a hunger to continue to learn throughout life. For the future of this state, this means an increasing emphasis on programs of national and international scope. We cannot expect our graduates to live in isolation from the world, and so we have an obligation to prepare them to do business in North Dakota, across the nation, and around the world. Nor does it make sense to ignore a world full of potential students, hungry for the knowledge found on this campus.

This week, by the way, we are continuing to count students for our official fall enrollment numbers. The official third week numbers will be out next week, but I can say that, as of today, all indications are that we will establish a new record enrollment, or will be very close to that record. One encouraging area of our fall enrollment is that we have increased the freshmen class two years in a row by some 200 freshmen.

A major challenge for North Dakota State University will be maintaining student enrollments in the face of declining numbers of young people in some of our traditional recruiting areas. As Professor Richard Rathge has shown on many occasions, we can expect another couple years of moderate growth in the number of students graduating from high school. But then, we can look to drops of two percent a year for the next decade. Once more, let's go back to my premise that we have the people and facilities that make this an outstanding educational opportunity. How then do we maintain student enrollment? Let me outline some steps being taken now ...

Starting this month, NDSU has moved an admission counselor from our admission office here in Fargo to the Twin Cities. In this way, we have a full-time presence to enhance central and southern Minnesota recruitment where we have more than 8,000 alumni.

In addition, this fall, we are focusing on developing our recruitment efforts in Denver, Seattle and eastern Wisconsin. These are areas where we have existing compacts which make our programs more affordable. They are also areas where we have strong alumni chapters, and I believe our alumni will continue to be powerful tools in our recruiting efforts. Finally, while there are areas of decline in the number of young people in certain parts of our region, Denver, Seattle and Wisconsin are areas of growth in these demographics. I am confident that North Dakota students will remain the core of our student body. But recruiting out-of-state students is simply good institutional policy.

A year ago, you heard of the university's advertising plan that was put together by the Office of Admission, University Relations and Flint Communications. Let me give you an update on those efforts. We are in the second year of a three year advertising program. Our primary audience is high school sophomores and juniors, and so we are hopeful to see the biggest impact in a couple of years. Our goal is to find talented potential students and then ask them to visit NDSU. Once they've come here, I think they'll be persuaded when they see the strength of our programs, the fine facilities including the new animal care facility and health and wellness center, and - most important - when these potential students see the people of this intellectual community.

Every person on this campus has an important role in student recruitment. Potential students are making an important life decision. We need to respond accordingly. Perhaps it's taking time in a busy day to talk with a high school student here on a visit. Perhaps it is just a smile to a tour group. Whatever it takes, it will be worth the effort. Student recruitment is, in fact, everyone's job. We are all ambassadors for NDSU.

Recruitment, of course, involves enrolling new students. The other half of the equation is retention, guiding the students already here to a successful outcome. We have several programs to assist in this effort. Programs including Super Tutor, Project Success, the Living and Learning program in Residence Life, the University 199 course, and some 200 recognized student organizations which help students become fully involved with university life.

In addition, on this campus and across the nation, universities are confronting the problems of underage and binge drinking, which can be seen in dropout rates, crime statistics, and academic failures. I look forward to working with the findings from last year's Commission on Alcohol and other Drugs.

I believe it is important for everyone at NDSU to remember that retention, like recruitment, is more than an assignment for a single office. Each of us has contact to some extent with students. It is important we all make the most of opportunities to help students succeed. Students assume the ultimate responsibility for their education. But they can't do it alone. That's why we're here.

I believe there are programs and facilities not yet in place on this campus that we need to provide maximum service to students. Clearly, our libraries need greater resources and I am committed to finding those resources. Discussions are underway on an executive MBA program. The colleges of Agriculture and Human Development and Education are together strengthening the food service minor. We are exploring new doctoral programs in communication and experimental psychology. The role of non-traditional students is increasingly important to this campus as we evaluate our programs and services. And certainly, when we talk about the College of Business Administration, we recognize the inadequacies of their facilities. Putnam Hall is a wonderful campus treasure, but a college of some 1,200 students needs a building with more than one classroom. During the last legislative session, we asked for and received permission to conduct a feasibility study on a fund-raising drive to build a new facility for the college. With a steering committee of campus and business leaders, we are proceeding, and I expect to be able to ask the Chancellor, the Board of Higher Education, and the next legislative session for permission to begin the fund drive.

Another area for growth is in our off-campus facilities. The North Dakota Extension Service has brought university expertise to producers, community leaders, and families across this state. Together with the College of Agriculture, the Agricultural Experiment Station, the College of Human Development and Education, and so many other campus groups, we have made contributions to this state beyond any measure. Now, as the needs of our state are changing, the services are changing, too. One example is the Learning Centers at Carrington, Hettinger, Langdon, Minot and Williston, where rural economic issues are now added to the mix of programs and services. These centers put this institution in the forefront of the state's economic development future. In matters of agricultural services, the advice and counsel of the State Board of Agricultural Research and Education gives our efforts statewide credence.

Now, let's shift our focus back on campus. In order for this institution to further model the behaviors of an engaged university, we can begin by bolstering faculty development opportunities and other incentives. By many measures, NDSU faculty are incredibly productive, averaging some 59 hours of work each week contributing to student learning and our greater society. This productivity needs to be matched by an institutional commitment to making compensation the overriding issue before us. We made some modest progress during the last legislative session. Now let's assume campus responsibility to build on that progress.

I can't imagine anyone entered the professorate thinking their salary would rival the corporate world. Yet, NDSU faculty and staff salaries should, at least, be on par with salaries at other institutions of higher education. To that end, we are taking several steps to enhance faculty and staff salaries.

• We will address compensation by enhancing equity and merit.
• We continue to shift faculty from 12 to nine month contracts to expand summer research opportunities.
• This fall, I invite your proposals for a professional development grant of up to one thousand dollars to be used for travel to professional conferences or software for professional use. The process for evaluation will be simple, just write a one-page proposal telling what you need and why, and send it to my office.
• I am using my discretion to reallocate funds internally, as authorized by the Chancellor and State Board. I have also asked the vice presidents to redirect funds to faculty and staff salaries so that we will achieve at least three percent increases next year.