STATE OF THE UNIVERSITY ADDRESS

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Good afternoon, everyone, and welcome to the 2007 State of the University Address. Thank you for making time in your day to attend this address, which will become a new tradition for Kennesaw State University during my presidency-- even as it is at many other colleges and universities around the country. The State of the University address provides a president an opportunity to share his or her views of how the university is doing across a wide-range of activities and undertakings, and to discuss plans for the near and mid-term future for the university.

This address is part of our on-going efforts to enhance communications within the KSU community. Related to this, earlier this week, I began another round of visits to academic departments and operational units to receive feedback from the campus community about the performance and direction of the university. I’ll continue these visits for the rest of this semester and on into Maymester. As you may recall, after I was named president in the Spring of 2006, I visited many academic departments and operational units to discuss with faculty and staff their views of what was going well and what needed improvement at KSU. Like the annual State of the University address, I will continue these important visits throughout my presidency and as appropriate incorporate the feedback I receive in our planning efforts.

I’ve been at KSU as president for nine months now, and each day I am more impressed by the willingness and dedication of our students to learn … by the quality and commitment of our faculty and staff … by the beauty of our campus … and by the interest of the community in this university. We are fortunate to be in Cobb County, in Northwest Georgia, and near Atlanta. Our location gives us a host of advantages that many other universities do not have.

Before I begin the actual State of the University address, I also would like to introduce three people who are taking on new responsibilities here at KSU.

First, for the last few months, Dr. Randy Hinds has operated in a dual capacity as Vice President for Information Technology and Interim Vice President for Business and Administration. This combination has worked superbly, and I am now combining these positions permanently into a single new position, Vice President for Operations. Congratulations, Randy.

Second, about two weeks ago, Dr. Frank Butler joined us as Interim Dean of the Bagwell College of Education. Before joining KSU, Frank had an exemplary career in Georgia and beyond. For example, his Georgia posts included serving as Vice President for Academic Affairs and Interim President at Armstrong Atlantic State University, and in the University System Office as Vice Chancellor for Academic, Faculty, and Student Affairs. Welcome aboard, Frank!

And finally, in a new position that reports to the Provost, I’d like to introduce Dr. Barry Morris, KSU’s new Director of Cabinet Strategic Projects. With a doctorate from Emory University, Barry has been a professor on the faculties of Georgia State and Georgia Tech, and served as Dean for a new university in Nigeria. Barry will sit on the Council of Deans and will be responsible for coordinating activities that cut across numerous units on campus, for example our Quality Enhancement Plan, the development of off-campus educational locations, and participating in multi-disciplinary fund-raising activities.

Please join me in welcoming them to their new positions.

Probably the best way to begin this State of the University address is to spend a few minutes talking about last week’s visit to campus by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools’ nine-person Re-accreditation Team. As you know, once every ten years, every accredited college and university in the country must have its accreditation reaffirmed by its regional accrediting association.

Our year was this year. The process is a long and detailed one that includes a three-day visit to campus by a team of accreditation experts. Last week, the accreditation team was on campus and gave us the details of their analysis, and we performed with flying colors. For Kennesaw, the review was divided into three primary parts.

The first part of the review examined KSU’s compliance with a host of Southern Association rules, regulations, and guidelines that cover an incredibly wide range of activities that take place at a university. This is the heart and sole of re-accreditation. We came through this part of the review without a single recommendation for improvement from the visiting SACS team.

This is a tremendous accomplishment. Many contributed to this achievement, but here let me say thanks to the man who coordinated and directed KSU’s overall SACS effort, Dr. Ed Rugg. Ed, thank you for a job not just well done, but done superbly!

The second part of re-affirmation of accreditation is the Quality Enhancement Plan. This is a new aspect of the re-accreditation process – put into place only four or five years ago – that requires each college or university undergoing re-accreditation to identify and implement an area of operation whose quality will be enhanced. We selected “Global Learning for Engaged Citizenship” as the focus of our QEP. Over the next five years, we will expand opportunities for students, faculty, and staff to understand and participate in global affairs.

Since QEPs were initiated four or five years ago, universities have averaged approximately five recommendations for improvement from the visiting teams for their QEPs. We received only two recommendations. Again, we have many people to thank for KSU’s superlative performance, but the folks who led it are Drs. Akanmu Adebayo and Val Whittlesley. Bayo and Val, thank you for all of your hard and successful work.

The third part of re-accreditation was a substantive change review. All universities that introduce new types of degree programs must go through a substantive change review. With KSU bringing on board its first doctoral program – an Ed. D. in Educational Leadership in the Bagwell College of Education – we had to go through a substantive change review.

Now, you only have to undergo this substantive change review the first time you introduce a new type of degree program, so the folks in the Bagwell College were in essence “carrying the water” for all KSU departments and colleges that aspire to offer doctoral programs. I am pleased to report, once again, that our performance was stellar. Usually, universities that go through substantive review have multiple recommendations. Again, we had only two.

As with both the compliance review and the QEP, many people contributed to this outstanding achievement. But let me here salute the professor who led us past the finish line, Dr. Nita Paris. Because of the success of Nita and her team, the path to doctoral programs in other colleges will be much easier. Thank you, Nita, and everyone else who had a hand in bringing KSU’s first doctoral program to fruition.

A second major reference point vis-à-vis the state of the university is our newly adopted 2007-2012 Strategic Plan –copies of which were distributed as you entered. Our new Strategic Plan has been in development for many years, long before I arrived on campus. As you will see when you have a chance to peruse it, our newly completed plan has a new vision statement for the university . . . a new mission statement . . . a detailed discussion of our strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats . . . and, most importantly, five main goals and 50 actions steps. These action steps are where the rubber meets the road.

Approximately 2,000 people played a role in the Strategic Plan’s finalization, but I’d like to single out just a few who drove this home to completion. Throughout the last six months, the Planning and Budget Advisory Committee met under the leadership of Professor Dick Gayler to craft this document. Dr. Theresa Joyce and her team played a masterful role in making sure that Survey Monkeys went out on a regular basis to help guide the process. And Provost Lynn Black loomed large in the background to make sure we stayed on task and on time. Thanks to everyone for a job well done!

This Strategic Plan is ambitious. It will require hard work, tight focus, tough decisions, and additional resources.

The first goal is straightforward. It addresses a key responsibility for KSU and every other university and college in the University System of Georgia: to enhance and expand academic programs and delivery. Let me address just a few of the 11 action steps under Goal 1.

First, we intend to decrease the student/faculty ratio. Put simply, this means we must add faculty at a faster rate than we have in the past.

Second, we intend to fully implement the QEP. This is required not only for re-accreditation now, but also for our SACS mid-term evaluation in five years. And of course, the QEP will be a central focus of KSU’s future re-accreditation in 2017.

Sixth – yes, I know that I skipped 3, 4, and 5; but I figured I’d try to convince you to read the plan, and I knew that you didn’t want to be here the rest of the day – we intend to ensure that faculty and staff salaries are competitive with appropriate peers. That means we will compare our salaries to those at other universities and in the marketplace, identify issues of equity and compression, and work to address these issues where they are found. This will be a multi-year process.

Action Step 8 – adding degree programs that are strategically important to the local community, to Georgia, and to the nation at both the undergraduate and graduate levels – also is a key part of KSU’s future. Possibilities include offering new programs at the undergraduate level in environmental sciences and policy. Indeed, a faculty group has been working diligently to develop concentrations in these areas to start up this fall under the auspices of Interdisciplinary Studies in the University College. Possibilities at the Master’s level include a Master’s in Fine Arts, and at the doctoral level, doctorates in Business Administration, Nursing Sciences, Computer Sciences, and Leadership and Policy.

Tenth – and, again, I skipped 7 and 9 – we will work to increase the proportion of courses offered off-site and on-line. For example, the Coles College of Business is already offering its MBA program at the Galleria and in Dalton. Now they are working to develop a site in the southern suburbs of Chattanooga – but on the Georgia side of the border. Faculty in the Coles College also are working hard to bring a completely on-line Bachelor of Business Administration degree to fruition within the next year.

At the same time, we are exploring with Paulding County officials the possibility of offering coursework in downtown Dallas. We also are discussing with Appalachian Tech about the possibility of offering nursing programs in Jasper. And, we are talking with Georgia Highlands College about possibly using its facility in Bartow County to offer junior- and senior-level courses leading to degrees there. In addition, KSU’s Continuing Education division is considering the possibility of offering some of its courses at the Galleria.

Finally under Goal 1, Action Step 11, we will work hard to realign KSU’s strategic marketing efforts to emphasize our academic quality, the successes of our faculty and students, and the overall strengths of the university.

If you had a chance to see The Atlanta Journal-Constitution yesterday, you saw on Page One a discussion of our second goal: improving retention, progression, and graduation rates while maintaining high quality. Without discussing in detail the 10 action steps under this goal, suffice it to say that this must be a high priority for this university over the next five years and into the future. There are many reasons why our graduation rates are not better than they are, but by implementing a host of programs such as mandatory and improved advising, multi-semester course planning, expanded residence-life programs, an early identification and intervention program for at-risk students, and expanded merit-based and need-based financial aid, I am confident we will raise KSU’s graduation rates.

As Goal 3 states, we also intend to expand campus resources and enhance the campus infrastructure. We need to do this both to better serve the 20,000 students and 2,200 faculty and staff we currently have, but also to accommodate the additional growth we expect … and the Board of Regents expects us to grow to meet the burgeoning demands of Northwest Georgia and Atlanta. Let me discuss a few of the multiple ways we plan to expand resources and enhance infrastructure.

First, later this year, we will kick off Kennesaw State’s inaugural comprehensive capital campaign. It will be an ambitious plan, with numerous facets and multiple targets. We will seek student scholarships and endowed chairs, and funds for faculty and staff support and development . . . bricks, clicks, and mortar projects . . . and student programs and athletic support.

Similarly, we already are working with the University System Office to make the case to increase KSU’s allocation of state funding per full-time-equivalent student. We are optimistic in this regard; although, we recognize that if we are successful, it still will be a multi-year process.

I also need to comment on the wave of construction that will shortly take place on campus. As you know, we brought the new Social Sciences Building on-line earlier this year, and in just a few months we will open the new Performing Arts Center. But these are just the start. If things continue to go well, later this year we will begin construction of the new Health Sciences Building – funding for which is currently before the Georgia General Assembly. If we are able to break ground on the Health Sciences Building later this year, we may be able to move in as soon as January 2009.

Again, if things continue to go well, at the April meeting of the Board of Regents we will win approval from the board to begin construction of new residence halls that will add another 900 beds to our current inventory of 2,200 beds. This will continue the transformation of KSU into a true “destination campus,” a campus of first choice for students. We also hope in June to gain approval to begin construction of a dining hall and an additional 2,500-car parking deck – all of which, if things again go well, will be completed in time for Fall Semester 2008.

This growth and construction will carry with it cost and inconvenience. We will have construction cranes and noise on campus. We will have to increase parking prices, develop satellite parking sites, re-think transportation strategies, develop a campus shuttle, and improve traffic patterns.

This will be a challenge for all of us, but the reality is we have no choice. We are growing, and we are both expected –
and mandated – to grow more. We live and work in a growing urban area. We have limited space, and increased demands are being placed on us. Such is the reality of life at Kennesaw State University. But, given the quality and dedication of the people we have, KSU is more than up to the challenge.

Goal 4 in the Strategic Plan addresses student life and preparing students to be leaders. All of the 10 action steps identified here are of paramount importance to KSU, for they will enhance the quality of student life and add to the vitality of the university. Activities as diverse as expanding study-abroad programs, increasing the percentage of students participating in internship and cooperative programs, and developing collaborative faculty/student community action activities are addressed here. So, too, are intramurals, club sports, and intercollegiate athletics. With all of the attention recently paid to sports, let me dwell for a few moments on athletics in their various iterations.

I’ll begin with intramurals and club sports, which aid in retention and graduation by keeping students engaged in campus life. Indeed, our ice hockey club – which by the way just won the Division III Ice Hockey Club National Championship — attracts up to 1,500 students to its home games. As other intramural and club sports become more firmly established, they too will attract both participants and fans.

But, with 20,000 students, we have only one small outdoor intramural and club sports field and a small indoor activities facility. To meet the needs of active and energetic students, we must find ways to expand intramural and club sports.

As for intercollegiate sports, KSU moved to Division I last year. For many, the magnitude of the jump regarding the quality of competition, the resources required, and the facilities needed came as a surprise. Indeed, just looking at the dollars KSU spends on athletics – which by the way, come almost exclusively from student fees and non-state sources – KSU spends only about half as much as the average that is spent by other Division I non-football universities.

Even so, we have done well, with a championship women’s soccer program and highly competitive teams in the other sports we field. In fact, we are the State of Georgia’s reigning baseball champions, having defeated UGA, Georgia Tech, and Georgia Southern over the past few weeks.

Recognizing our modest funding, the Athletic Department initiated a feasibility study several months ago to explore the possibility of increasing external funding for intercollegiate athletics, both to better fund current sports and to add more sports – including possibly football. That study should be completed in April, and its results will be shared with the campus community. Any fund-raising effort initiated for athletics will be part of the over-all KSU Comprehensive Capital Campaign.

I’ll now turn to the fifth and final goal in our Strategic Plan, to improve service, strengthen accountability, and establish a stronger sense of community. Though the last of our five goals, its action steps are critically important to the success of this university. Let me again discuss a few of the action steps.

Important initiatives are underway to establish and foster a stronger sense of community. One such step is the creation of the President’s Policy and Budget Advisory Committee, which already has played a key role in creating the Strategic Plan and in making current end-of-year budget recommendations. Another is the increased emphasis on shared governance, including but not limited to the establishment of faculty advisory committees to the chairs and the deans. A number of departments and colleges have moved in this direction, and this will become a standard feature of the KSU environment. Similarly, our new over-all campus governance structure – not yet one year old – is working quite well.

Another important action step points to the need to assess, refine, and implement review systems for personnel, programs, and processes to assure accountability. With this in mind, at the Cabinet level, we have initiated both a “management by objectives” system and the beginning of a 360-degree personnel review system. These accountability tools also will be introduced over time throughout KSU.

In another step to strengthen accountability, I have instructed the Vice President for Operations and our auditors to review and strengthen our internal financial and process control structures. We need to do this to protect the integrity of our operations, processes, and financial reporting. We also must make sure that we comply with Board, state, and federal policies, laws, and regulations. These steps are underway.

What, then, is the state of Kennesaw State University? The university is doing a phenomenal job with the process of re-affirmation of accreditation. We have hard-working and impressive students, and a strong faculty and staff. Our new Strategic Plan is in place. And later this year, we will kick-off our first comprehensive capital campaign. Needed degree programs are on board, and more are just over the horizon.

To be sure, there are some areas in which we must improve, from graduation rates and internal controls to traffic and parking. But I am confident that we will succeed. KSU’s future is exceedingly bright. Every parameter of measurement is on an upward trajectory.

As I said earlier, each day I am at KSU, I am more and more impressed by the willingness and dedication of our students to learn … by the quality and commitment of our faculty and staff … by the beauty of our campus … and by the interest of the community in this university.

We are fortunate to be here at this time, and at this place, at Kennesaw State University … one of the best learning-centered comprehensive universities in the country.
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Listen to the State of the University Address
Download the State of the University Address (Word Document)