Office of the Chancellor
State of the Campus Address
Linda P. Brady, Chancellor
August 19, 2009
Welcome to the 118th opening convocation of The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. I am delighted to be here with you, celebrating the beginning of a new academic year. I stood before you this time last year as a rookie chancellor, excited about embarking on this new adventure, humbled by the trust you had placed in me, and (admittedly) a bit nervous about all that I needed to learn.
My first year as chancellor was an exciting, challenging, and enlightening year – a year in which I have learned a great deal about the UNCG community, about the spirit of our faculty, staff and students, and about the opportunities we have to shape, together, the future of this great university. It was a challenging year for the campus as well, as you welcomed this new chancellor and we have gotten to know one another. I want to especially thank members of my Executive Staff for their support in ensuring such a smooth transition.
For all of us, it was a year marked by uncertainty and a difficult and constantly changing budget situation, during a period in the history of this community, state, and nation that has been personally challenging, for us, our families and friends, and many of our neighbors. Little did any of us know that we would be facing the most serious economic crisis of our lives – a crisis that has forced us to clarify what is truly important in our lives and in our institutions.
National Recognition for UNCG
But this also was a year marked by ambitious steps toward the future through our response to UNC Tomorrow and the development of UNCG's Strategic Plan for 2009-14.
It was a year marked by significant contributions by faculty, staff and students to the campus, and to the Greensboro community. Your work has been recognized nationally – Princeton Review has included UNCG in its list of "Best Colleges," in recognition of our commitment to student learning and success inside and outside of the classroom. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has designated UNCG as an "Engaged University," based on our commitment to curricular engagement and outreach and partnerships.
UNCG received other accolades for excellence. For example, UNCG's production, The Revenger's Tragedy, was the play selected from Region IV of the Kennedy Center/American College Theater Festival. A cast and crew of more than 60 UNCG faculty and students traveled to Washington, DC to perform at the Kennedy Center in April. The School of Nursing received the National League for Nursing Center of Excellence in Nursing Education award – one of four schools nationally to receive this award twice. And one of our iSchool courses, Political Issues, won the prestigious Bronze Award for online programming from the U.S. Distance Learning Association.
Thanks to all of you for being a part of this university and playing such significant roles in our current and future success.
Personnel transitions and organizational changes
This also has been a year of personnel transitions and organizational changes. As we search for a Vice Chancellor for Research and Economic Development, we welcome the talents of Dr. Terri Shelton, Interim Vice Chancellor for Research and Economic Development, and Mr. Jerry McGuire, Interim Associate Vice Chancellor for Economic Development. In conjunction with a restructuring of positions and assignments in Academic Affairs, Dr. Rebecca Adams has assumed the position of Associate Provost for Planning and Assessment. I am pleased to announce that we have removed the word "interim" from Dr. Penelope Pynes' appointment as the interim Associate Provost for International Programs, and have made her a permanent member of our UNCG team effective immediately.
I would also like to welcome two newcomers to our campus today, Dr. Steven H. Roberson, Dean of Undergraduate Studies and Mr. Mike Tarrant, Special Assistant for Federal Relations. As you know, Nelson Bobb has retired following 26 successful years as Director of Intercollegiate Athletics. Rod Wyatt has done an outstanding job as interim director. We are making good progress in the search for a permanent director and expect to conclude the search in early fall.We have 47 new faculty members this fall – 29 tenure-track and tenured faculty and 18 non-tenure track including instructors. We also have new staff members who have joined our community since last August. May I please ask all of you to stand so we may welcome you to UNCG. You have become part of an outstanding institution, and we look forward to working with you and learning from you in the years to come.
The budget factor
I’d like to begin by taking a few minutes to discuss what has weighed so heavy on all of our minds in 2008-09 and still continues to do so – and that is the budget. Today I want to share with you the current status of the budget, what we believe lies ahead, and the process we have put in place to continue to engage the university community in discussions regarding the budget this year and next.
Last Friday the UNC Board of Governors approved the budget for the University of North Carolina system for 2009-10. As you know, the 2009 General Assembly made a number of reductions to the University's base budget. The reductions assigned to UNCG total $5,777,885, or approximately 3.4 percent of our State appropriated budget for 2009-10. These cuts represent several different categories of reductions, including reductions to the continuation budget and cuts to Centers and Institutes. The single largest component of the cuts is a management flexibility cut of $5,143,342.
We also should expect additional reversions of up to 5 percent in 2009-10, based on the recent announcement by Governor Perdue of expected holdbacks pending additional tax revenue, and further reductions of between 1.5 and 2 percent in 2010-11.
The General Assembly also reduced the number of free courses that UNC faculty and staff can take per year from three to two as well as additional tuition waivers. GA has mandated cuts, hold backs, and internal reallocations totaling 10 percent.
Let me provide some specifics on the management flexibility reduction that represents the largest element of our cuts. The General Assembly provision regarding implementation of the management flexibility cut reads as follows: "The management flexibility reduction for The University of North Carolina shall not be allocated by the Board of Governors to the constituent institutions and affiliated entities using an across-the-board method but in a manner that recognizes the importance of the academic mission and differences among The University of North Carolina entities. Before taking reductions in instructional budgets, the Board of Governors and the campuses of the constituent institutions shall consider reducing budgets for senior and middle management personnel, centers and institutes, low enrollment degree programs, speaker series, and nonacademic activities."
Student financial aid will not be reduced
UNC General Administration and the Board of Governors considered a number of key principles in calculating the amount of the management flexibility reduction for each campus, including:
- To the extent possible, protect the university's academic core.
- First look to reduce administrative expenses; percentage reductions in administrative budgets will be disproportionately larger than those of instructional budgets.
- Recognize the difference in economies of scale; administrative budgets at schools with less than 3,500 students will not be disproportionately impacted.
- Activities not central to the academic mission will receive disproportionately larger budget reductions in determining the percentage of total reductions for a campus.
- Student financial aid will not be reduced.
Record enrollment for the fall
Within the next two to three weeks, after we have received feedback from UNC General Administration on our plan, we will implement cuts of 10 percent, per direction from President Bowles, taking into account both permanent cuts and one-time reversions, and consistent with the budget principles posted on our website. This will be extremely difficult as we face record enrollment for the fall semester. As of early this week, UNCG expects to welcome more than 2,600 first-time freshmen and 1,500 transfer students. These numbers represent record enrollments. We will continue to update the campus community on the budget as we move forward.
Early in the spring we put in place a process designed to engage faculty, staff and students in our deliberations about the budget and to ensure that the university community received up to date information. We created the UNCG Budget Information web site on which all information is posted. The site includes information received from UNC General Administration, from the Governor's Office, and from the General Assembly, in keeping with our commitment to transparency. The web site allows you to subscribe to a listserv which notifies subscribers of all updates to the site. We will continue to use this site as an important means of communication, and I encourage you to check it often.
We also created a Budget Sounding Board, which is made up of faculty, staff, and student representatives, the chair of our Board of Trustees, and a member of the Greensboro community. This group has met regularly and, especially during the critical summer months when many are away from the campus, enabled discussion of approaches to implementation of budget cuts and the timing and format of communications to the campus.
We convened additional HR liaison meetings to keep staff informed and encouraged PACE ideas and posted the suggestions and responses so that the campus would know what we are trying to achieve in the way of savings. We will convene these groups on a regular basis during the coming academic year.
New budget items that support our academic mission
While the budget cuts will be difficult, I want to emphasize several other elements of the budget passed by the General Assembly that will benefit UNCG in the near term. First, the General Assembly fully funded the Board of Governors' request for enrollment change funds in 2009-10 and 2010-11. In 2009-10, UNCG will receive $2,821,590, which will be allocated across the divisions, with primary emphasis on supporting the academic mission of the university.
Second, the budget passed by the General Assembly approved the campus-initiated tuition increases requested by system campuses for 2009-10. These funds will provide additional need-based financial aid and support for the recruitment and retention of the very best faculty. In 2010-11, however, the House proposal for tuition applies – this will mean an increase in tuition across campuses, but no direct return of that tuition revenue to the campuses that generate the revenue.
Third, UNCG and North Carolina A+T received $1,000,000 in recurring funds for the Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering, to continue phase-in of faculty and staff for the joint school. This project is extremely important to future research in areas such as drug design and delivery, nanobioengineering, and genetic screening.
Fourth, the General Assembly increased the University of North Carolina's allocation of repair and renovation funds, which will mean $1,485,300 to support projects on the UNCG campus. The Governor and General Assembly were faced with an extraordinarily difficult economic situation and I am grateful for their continued support of higher education in North Carolina.
Working together, we will rise to the challenge
But make no mistake about it – this will be a very difficult year for UNCG. Students will feel the impact in larger classrooms and greater difficulty in getting the classes they need to graduate. In addition, they will face longer lines and waiting times for a range of services. Faculty and staff will feel the impact in increased workloads as a result of personnel reductions across the university. Already faculty and staff are stepping forward to take on additional assignments. More than 50 percent of the faculty in the College of Arts and Sciences will teach an additional course, over and above their normal workload. Faculty in other schools will assume additional teaching assignments and increase class sizes. Staff members across the university are being called upon to expand their level of responsibility and workload. Yes, this will be challenging, but working together we will rise to the challenge.
Strategic Plan 2009-14 will define our focus
No matter the hurdles that the current economic climate places in front of us, we must keep our focus squarely on where we are going and what we must achieve in the next five years and beyond. We must remain determined to move UNCG forward. With that in mind, I want to share with you our strategic planning initiatives for 2009-14 and describe how the strategic planning committee, over months of work and discussion and information gathering, came to define the focus of our vision and mission.
You can view the full plan by going to a link from the UNCG Tomorrow item on the home page. For our purposes today, I want to share with you the values and initiatives of the plan as well as the priorities that will receive focused attention in the coming year.
When I stood before you at this time last year the question I posed to the campus, and in framing the strategic planning process, was "How can UNCG help?" I am pleased to report that our new strategic plan engages this question in a forceful and ambitious way.
The plan was developed during 2008-2009 by a committee including more than 70 faculty, staff, students, alumni, and members of the community. Working under the direction of Provost Dave Perrin, this committee was charged to develop a strategic, transformative, dynamic, value-driven, and outcome-based plan – a plan that will ensure the university's values are infused throughout and that UNCG has a positive impact on the lives of the students and the communities we serve. If you are one of the members of the Strategic Planning Committee or played a part in providing your personal feedback during the drafting stages, let me sincerely thank you for taking the time to help create this very important document, for it is so much more than just a document. It is a roadmap, a living, breathing guide that will enable us to chart a promising and productive future.
The strategic planning process was led by our new Associate Provost for Planning and Assessment, Dr. Rebecca Adams. Let me ask Professor Adams and other members of the Strategic Planning Committee who may be with us today to stand so we can thank you.
We will redefine the public research university
UNCG’s mission is:
"The University of North Carolina at Greensboro will redefine the public research university for the 21st century as an inclusive, collaborative, responsive institution making a difference in the lives of students and the communities it serves."
So what does this mean? It means that UNCG is:
- A learner-centered, accessible, and inclusive community fostering intellectual inquiry to prepare students for meaningful lives and engaged citizenship;
- A research university where collaborative scholarship and creative activity enhance quality of life across the lifespan;
- A source of innovation and leadership meeting social, economic, and environmental challenges in the Piedmont Triad, North Carolina, and beyond; and
- A global university, integrating intercultural and international experiences and perspectives into learning, discovery, and service.
We, as a thriving campus community, will continue to demonstrate our commitment to inclusiveness, collaboration, sustainability, responsibility and transparency. These are UNCG's core values as outlined in the Strategic Plan. I know you know them well. They are not new to our campus culture, but what can be new is how we see our role and our potential with these values as our foundation and the Strategic Plan as our guide.
The plan commits us to invest our energies in support of five strategic areas in coming years:
- Access and Student Success
- Health and Wellness Across the Life Cycle
- Education and Leadership Development
- Economic, Cultural and Community Engagement
- Internationalization
Twelve specific goals for this next year
This summer, in their respective retreats, members of the Deans Council and Executive Staff identified twelve initial goals for focused attention in 2009-10:
- UNCG will meet the student success goals (retention and graduation rates) established with UNC General Administration.
- UNCG will increasingly attract highly qualified students of all backgrounds and socioeconomic status.
- UNCG will provide accessible online degree programs and the institution will expand services as needed for online students to promote their success.
- UNCG will increase graduate enrollment
- UNCG will expand and enhance its programs for student populations at risk of not performing at potential.
- UNCG will develop programs that enhance leadership and professional expertise in response to the changing expectations for Birth-12 education professionals.
- UNCG will ensure that critical thinking, communication, and information literacy is infused throughout the undergraduate curriculum.
- UNCG will enhance health sciences and translational research by establishing a School of Pharmacy to provide innovative, exemplary professional and doctoral level education in collaboration with university, regional and national health research and delivery systems.
- Consistent with UNCG's history of recognizing the inextricable linkage of intellectual, physical and mental well-being, UNCG will be a leader in the UNC system in enhancing the health and wellness of students and employees.
- UNCG will promote an inclusive culture of engaged scholarship, civic responsibility, and community service.
- UNCG will increase the visibility, availability, and competitiveness of its Division I athletics programs.
- UNCG will ensure qualified faculty, staff and students will have access to an international experience.
In keeping with this emphasis, I have asked the Provost and other members of the Executive Staff to give special attention to the strategic areas included in the UNCG Plan 2009-2014 and the dozen goals mentioned above that we have agreed to focus on during 2009-10.
It is extremely important for every department, office, and program to develop a plan, monitor progress in achieving the goals in that plan, make changes to enhance effectiveness, and document the changes that have been made. I have been trained on WEAVE and have begun reviewing the goals that have been established for administrative departments, academic programs and student learning. I expect to see well-developed plans for achieving continuous improvement, as well as evidence that assessment data are being used constructively and with integrity to improve organizational functioning and to enhance student learning. These plans will be taken into account as we make decisions regarding future budget cuts, allocation of new funds as they become available, or the internal reallocation of resources to support strategic priorities. You will be hearing more about planning and assessment as the year unfolds.
Marketing UNCG to the external community
Let me now turn to how UNCG markets herself to the external community. In the coming year we will launch the Integrated Marketing and Strategic Communications Initiative. Co-chaired by Provost Dave Perrin and Vice Chancellor for University Advancement Patti Stewart, this effort will help us focus our communications around the goals of the Strategic Plan. It will enable us to present a stronger and more compelling UNCG story to external audiences, a story of which all of us are a part, and a story we all can share. This effort is critical for raising the profile of UNCG nationally and internationally.
UNCG's Strategic Housing Plan
Let me turn next to campus housing issues. Following a presentation to the Board of Trustees concerning campus housing and the future of the Quad in April, 2009, the Board requested a longer-range view of the future and potential impact of campus housing. Since April, Vice Chancellor Carol Disque and the Division of Student Affairs has led an ambitious process designed to reinforce UNCG’s character as a residential community. Based on goals in the UNCG Strategic Plan, 2009-14, analysis of enrollment projections, and a review of the status of existing housing stock, UNCG’s first Strategic Housing Plan supports four strategic directions:
- Support and enhance the university's enrollment management strategy.
- Be the first-choice living environment of undergraduate students at all class levels.
- Enhance the learning potential of residence hall living.
- Reinforce the special attribute of being a strong residential community of common purpose in a metropolitan environment.
27,000 students by 2020
UNCG's enrollment is expected to grow to nearly 27,000 students by 2020. The Strategic Housing Plan recommends we strengthen the residential character of the campus by continuing to house at least 80 percent of first-time freshmen on campus, and to increase and modify inventory mix to achieve an "intergenerational" class-level mix of approximately two-thirds freshmen and sophomores and one-third juniors and seniors. To achieve this goal UNCG will need to approximately double our housing capacity over the next decade, through additional construction on the core campus and the development of a "new neighborhood" to the south or west of the core campus. We also will need to change the mix of housing options, in order to provide the suite-style and apartment units that students prefer. On August 17, the Board of Trustees approved the Strategic Housing Plan.
When the Board of Trustees meets on September 10, I will present several recommendations regarding implementation of Phase I of the Strategic Housing Plan. These recommendations will address the future of the Quad as well as additional projects on the core campus and in a new neighborhood.
Campus improvements this year and beyond
I also want to acknowledge other major accomplishments and plans with regard to facilities. Last year, this marvelous auditorium reopened after an extensive renovation, along with the Alumni House renovation, Forney renovation, and a number of other projects. This year, in addition to implementation of Phase I of the Strategic Housing Plan, we look forward to progress on the School of Education building, scheduled to open in the fall of 2011, launch of Phase I renovations of Jackson Library, begin construction of the baseball training facility and renovations of the HHP locker rooms, design needed renovations to the Dining Hall, begin renovations to Mary Foust and Guilford Residence Halls, complete design of an underpass to create a pedestrian connector at the intersection of Forest Street and Oakland Avenue with East Lee Street, and officially break ground for the Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering on the Gateway University Research Park South Campus.
As UNCG considers how best to accommodate growth in the next decade and beyond, it is important for us to keep open lines of communication with residents in the neighborhoods surrounding our campus. Last spring we established the UNCG Neighborhood Consortium, which includes representatives from the university, neighborhoods (including College Hill, College Park, Greater Glenwood, Lindley Park, Mayflower, Sunset Hills, and Westerwood) and merchants in the vicinity of UNCG. The City of Greensboro also participates.
Coordinated by Mike Byers, assistant vice chancellor for business affairs, the Consortium will meet three times a year and will consider the UNCG Master Plan Update, the railroad right of way, crime prevention, traffic control and land use. Many UNCG faculty, staff, and students live in these neighborhoods and we have a vested interest in working together to improve quality of life for all residents of the area.
Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion to be established
One of the most important characteristics of UNCG is our long-standing commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion. In August 2008 the Faculty Senate and Office of the Provost jointly established the Inclusive Community Initiative. A Task Force of 26 members from across the campus and the Greensboro community was appointed and co-chaired by Professors Sue Dennison and C.P. Gause. In the course of the last year, the Task Force developed a UNCG endorsed definition of an inclusive community, conducted a campus climate assessment of the UNCG environment, formulated a plan to better coordinate, communicate and support all programs that contribute to campus inclusiveness, identified additional ways we can become an even more inclusive campus and included these recommendations in the UNCG Strategic Plan, 2009-14. A rationale for creation of a senior executive staff-level position dedicated to advancement of this agenda was also developed.
This fall I will create a new Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion within the Office of the Chancellor. I will also re-establish the Task Force as the Chancellor’s Advisory Committee on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, which will be housed within this new office in 303 Mossman. A graduate student has been assigned to support the work of the Office and the Committee.
Professors Dennison and Gause have agreed to reprise their Task Force roles and co-chair the Committee. Provost Perrin and I will meet with the group in mid-September and will rely heavily on its members for guidance and advice on these issues. In the coming year we expect to clearly define the roles and responsibilities of the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion with the goal of launching a national search in spring 2010 for a senior executive-staff level position to lead this office.
A family-friendly and inclusive workplace
Also in keeping with our commitment to improving the work environment at UNCG, last year the UNCG Benefits Committee completed a comprehensive study to identify the needs and priorities of our faculty and staff. The Committee presented a number of recommendations designed to make UNCG a more family-friendly and inclusive workplace. Three major milestones were achieved related to benefits last year:
- Implementation by Human Resources of a flexible Work Schedules policy for SPA employees
- Opening UNCG's first Nursing Mothers' Room in the Jackson Library to support nursing mothers who return to work or school, spearheaded by a committee through the UNCG Center for Women's Health and Wellness, led by Lea Leininger of the Jackson Library
- Offering UNCG-sponsored Auto, Home and Life insurance to domestic partners through MetLife, beginning this fall.
Another initiative under development is Spartan Savings: Values for Valued Employees Program, which includes a number of discounts to campus-based events and services. The committee plans to work during 2009-10 to expand this program to include discounts to local businesses and services. I want to thank Christine Murray, Committee Chair, Deb Carley from Human Resource Services, and their colleagues for their impressive work on behalf of all of us.
Employee Health Promotion Program
I am also pleased to announce that in response to the North Carolina Office of State Personnel's Worksite Wellness Policy, this year we will launch a UNCG Employee Health Promotion Program. This initiative, one of the priority goals in support of the Health and Wellness Across the Life Cycle strategic area within our new Strategic Plan, will provide a comprehensive employee Wellness Program that promotes health and prevents disease. We have formed a committee of UNCG employees to guide the program, and more than 1,200 faculty and staff have responded to a survey of employee interest in the program. Among our initial goals will be to offer health risk appraisals to employees. I know the constantly changing budget situation has increased the stress among our employees. This situation makes it even more critical for UNCG to develop a program that will create and sustain a culture of health promotion and disease prevention within our community. I am grateful to Professor Dan Bibeau for his leadership of this program. Please watch for more details in coming weeks.
H1N1 virus response
We remain concerned about the H1N1 influenza virus. Students are returning to campus and we can fully expect to learn of more cases. As you are aware from media reports, the H1N1 virus continues to spread across this country. UNCG has a planned phased response in place that is being coordinated by the Emergency Preparedness and Response Team (EPART). You can find up-to-date information about H1N1 on the UNCG web site by either visiting "Messages from the Chancellor" on the Chancellor's web site or by visiting the student health services site.
UNCG is continuing to monitor the activity of the H1N1 virus. Dr. Tresa Saxton, Director of Student Health Services, is responsible for coordinating our response on this public health issue. I am in continuous communication with her and UNCG's Emergency Preparedness and Response Team (EPART) to ensure that we are prepared to address the health and safety of our community. She and others maintain close communication with the Guilford County Public Health Department and UNC General Administration. Members of the University community, faculty, staff and students can help by paying attention to your personal health habits.
Students First Campaign a resounding success
You should all now be aware of the completion and success of the Students First Campaign, which officially concluded on June 30. Thanks to the generous support of campaign leadership and more than 22,000 donors (including a high percentage of UNCG faculty and staff), UNCG raised more than $115 million. This is history-making for this institution, especially because the initial goal of the campaign was $78.2 million. UNCG raised more than $35 million over that goal, including the largest single gift in the university's history – a $6 million anonymous gift for need-based scholarships and faculty support. This success translates into, among many other outcomes, 155 new program funds, 14 professorships, 42 graduate fellowships, and 203 undergraduate scholarships.
I want to congratulate all who worked on this campaign, including the staff within University Advancement and development officers across the university, those who contributed their treasure to support the dreams of our faculty and students, and the corporate partners who enabled us to take the campaign to a new level. Faculty and staff should be especially proud because this success is a direct result of your commitment to quality teaching, research and service. Donors give because they share our values and have confidence in our people. This campaign represents the margin of excellence that is critical for our future.
Relying on UNCG's sense of community
Finally, as we are poised to begin another academic year, let us remember these are challenging days – for the university and for each one of us. In times of great stress, personal and social, we must care for each other. UNCG's sense of community has brought us through difficult times in the past, and will sustain us in the difficult weeks and months ahead.
I am looking forward to visiting each of the academic units and other departments in the coming year to address any questions or suggestions the faculty and staff might have, and to working closely in the spirit of shared governance with the Faculty and Staff Senates.
Thanks for all you do, each and every day, to advance this great university. Welcome to another exciting year at UNCG. I believe we have a moment for a couple of questions before we move to our annual community luncheon in the Caf.