FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 13, 2009

            Shawnee State University alumnus, Brandy Chandler, received a prestigious Kiplinger Fellowship at The Ohio State University.
            Each year the program only awards the fellowship to five journalists across the country.
            The program is a 24-week fellowship for mid-career U.S. citizen journalists based at the John Glenn School of Public Affairs at The Ohio State University that offers a $20,000 stipend plus excellent benefits, including tuition. It is dedicated to helping talented journalists combine rigorous reporting with multimedia storytelling and demonstrate the value of innovative public affairs projects that inform wider audiences about critical issues.
            “Being a part of the 2009 Kiplinger program is an amazing honor,” said Chandler. “The opportunity to spend six months on a single story is a luxury for journalists and it is an opportunity I am grateful to have.”
            The program will begin with a graduate-level, ten-week introductory course on digital media and how it affects public affairs, how digital stories are produced, how newsrooms are affected by the transition to electronic journalism and how to produce and edit basic audio and video. The Kiplinger Program covers tuition for up to nine credit hours per quarter in any of these areas.
            The foundation of the Kiplinger Program was established in 1912 by W.M. Kiplinger who became one of the first two graduates of the journalism programs at OSU.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 13, 2009

            Shawnee State University has scheduled a week full of events for students, alumni and SSU supporters in preparation of Homecoming 2009.
The events will start for students at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 20, with “Inflatable Fun” in the Frank and Janis Waller Gymnasium at the James A. Rhodes Athletic Center.
            There will be a “T-shirt Exchange” from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 21, in the outdoor tent on the Bookstore lawn. Bring a T-shirt from another school and trade it in for a new SSU T-shirt.
            Trivia Game Night for students will be from 8 to 11 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 22, at the University Center. Video, board and card games will be available as well as free food.
            “This is always an exciting time of the year for the university because there is just so much happening all over campus,” said Tiffany Weaver, coordinator of Student Activities.
            The pep rally will be held at 12:30 p.m. on Blue Friday, Jan. 23, in the outdoor tent on the Bookstore lawn. The Big Blue Bonfire will be later Friday at 7 p.m. on the Townhouse lawn. All students, faculty and staff members are encouraged to wear blue on Blue Friday in support of SSU.
            The Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Brunch is scheduled at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 24, in the Selby Grand Lobby at the Vern Riffe Center for the Arts. SSU will be inducting the 1999 National Championship women’s basketball team. Reservations are required and can be made by calling (740) 351-3285.
            A Homecoming Tailgate Party follows the Induction Ceremony at 12:30 p.m. in the outdoor tent on the Bookstore lawn. There will be free food and free T-shirts.
            There will be a Greek Alumni Dessert Social at 1:15 p.m. in the Charles Student Lounge in Kricker Hall for Greek alumni and their families. Attendees must RSVP to msimms@shawnee.edu.
            The Athletic and Sports Studies Alumni Reception will be at 3:30 p.m. in the Warsaw Natatorium of the James A. Rhodes Athletic Center. The event is open to all alumni of SSU athletic teams and/or sports studies program.
            The SSU women’s basketball team will play against Northwestern Ohio at 2 p.m. and the Coronation of the Homecoming king and queen will follow the women’s game at 3:45 p.m.
            The SSU men’s basketball team will play against Northwestern Ohio at 4:30 p.m. in the Warsaw Gymnasium at the James A. Rhodes Athletic Center. The Hall of Fame inductees will be honored during halftime of the game. The men and women alumni basketball games will be at 6:30 p.m. immediately following the men’s game.
            In the evening, two events are planned, the 1999 National Championship Game Celebration will be at 8 p.m. in the Scioto Room at the Ramada Inn. The 1999 National Championship game will be shown at the celebration and is open to alumni, family and friends.
“It was a big collaborative effort this year with all the activities,” said Angela Henderson, assistant director of Development and Alumni Affairs. “It is great to have so many people involved and this year is going to be great.”
            The Homecoming dance will be at 9 p.m. in the University Center. Alumi are eligible to receive two free tickets but must get them in advance. To receive tickets, call the alumni office at (740) 351-3182 or e-mail ahenderson@shawnee.edu by Jan. 16. For the latest updates on Alumni events, go to http://alumni.shawnee.edu.
            The SSU Alumni Association, Association for Greek Life, Blue Crew, Department of Sport Studies, Sodexo Dining Services, Special Events Committee, Student Government Association, Student Programming Board and SSU Athletic Alumni Association sponsor the homecoming events.
For more information on the student activities, contact Tiffany Weaver, coordinator of Student Activities, at (740) 351-3115 or e-mail at tweaver@shawnee.edu.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 14, 2009

            Shawnee State University welcomed students on Monday, Jan. 12, for the start of the spring semester. The University now offers associate degrees in 13 major fields, baccalaureate degrees in 18 major fields, master degrees in two major fields, licensure in teacher education, and is in the process of developing additional majors. In the photo are SSU students walking to their classes.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 15, 2009

            The Shawnee State University Development Foundation reported that it has reached more than 30 percent of its $750,000 goal for The Ohio College Access Network (OCAN) scholarship and internship fundraising initiative during its annual board member meeting Saturday, Jan. 10, at the Vern Riffe Center for the Arts.
            “OCAN is one of our areas of primary focus for the coming year,” Rita Rice Morris, Shawnee State University president, said. “Our goal is to make sure that every student who wants a college education can get one.”
            The SSU Development Foundation board members also welcomed new members, Jim Warren, Connie LeMaster, Steve Mowery, Julia Coll, Mark Morgan, Eric Bloomfield, and Missy Ankrom. These new members joined current and past board members as they reviewed the university’s endowment fund activities and recent developments at SSU.
            “The annual meeting is a time for all of our board members, past and present, to come together and hear how we’re doing on many fronts,” Morris said. “Our board members have run several extremely successful campaigns to increase the SSU endowment fund. The annual meeting was a good opportunity for us to discuss our strategies for protecting these funds during the challenges of the current investment market.”
Foundation members also discussed the recent gift of a Mobile Health Unit to the SSU Nursing Department and plans for a community unveiling in February.
            Dr. Morris provided a president’s report covering increases in enrollment, construction and expansion on campus, and new student programming.
Board members whose terms ended Dec. 31, 2008, were honored, including Debbie Morgan, Matthew Rawlings, Kitty Linde, Lani Wong, Jay Prosch and Tanya Pullin. A special recognition was given to Susan Warsaw for her 25 years of service as the SSU Development director. Warsaw retired in November 2008.

Cutline:
Shawnee State University President Rita Rice Morris addresses current and past board members of the SSU Development Foundation during its annual meeting held Saturday, Jan. 10, at the Vern Riffe Center for the Arts.
 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 16, 2009

            In China, it’s the Year of the Ox for people born in 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973 or 1985. Whether an ox or not, come celebrate Chinese New Year at Shawnee State University on Friday, Jan. 23, from 3 to 6 p.m. in the Micklethwaite Banquet Hall at the University Center.
            For the first time, SSU is offering a celebration of the Chinese New Year with entertainment and educational presentations.
According to legend, the beginning of Chinese New Year started with the fight against a mythical beast called the Nian or "year" in Chinese. The beast would come on the first day of New Year to devour livestock, crops and even villagers, especially children. To protect themselves, the villagers would put food in front of their doors at the beginning of every year. It was believed that after the Nian ate the food they prepared, it wouldn’t attack any more people.
            After villagers saw the color red scaring the beast, before each New Year, they would hang red lanterns and red spring scrolls on windows and doors. They also used firecrackers to scare the Nian. After that, the beast never came back.
            Many customs and traditions are observed during the New Year, including putting all cleaning equipment away on New Year’s Eve. No one cleans on New Year’s Day so that good fortune will not be swept away.
            The festivities begin at 3 p.m. with students from the Teacher Education Department who went to China last spring for student teaching assignments and students who traveled to China for the Olympics will present stories and photos of their adventures.
Dr. Xiaodan Huang will talk about his experiences in China and Dr. Kejing Liu will make a presentation on Chinese culture. James Huang will introduce Chinese music.
            Shirley Crothers-Marley, director of the Shawnee State Community Choir, will sing a traditional Chinese song, in Chinese. Stanley Workman, director of the Shawnee State University Chorus and Chorale, will play a Chinese folk song on piano as will his student 13-year-old YuanYuan Huang. Dr. Rhoni Maxwell-Rader will sing “Reflections” from “Mulan.”
            At 5 p.m. a dinner will be served that includes traditional dumplings, a main Chinese New Year food. It is believed to resemble ancient Chinese gold ingots and symbolizes good fortune for the New Year.
            Besides dumplings, egg rolls, sweet & sour pork, vegetables, stir-fried shrimp and General Tsao’s Chicken will be served. Dinner is by reservations only and must be made by Tuesday, Jan. 20. To make reservations or for more information, call Marcia Tackett at (740) 353-3688.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 16, 2009

            Shawnee State University has announced its candidates for the 2009 Homecoming court. There are a total of 10 candidates for queen and 8 candidates for king. Students will be voting for a king and queen and there will be one runner-up for each one. The candidates for queen are:
Whitney Bell, of Wheelersburg, is a junior at SSU majoring in early childhood education.
            “It was a total surprise to me when I got nominated at an EC Smiles meeting, but I feel so honored to be one the 2009 Homecoming court,” Bell said. “The game and dance will be a blast and I’ll have the memories forever.”
            Gina Cistone, of Grove City, is a fifth-year senior at SSU majoring in early childhood education.
            “I feel honored to have been nominated through my sorority,” Cistone said. “The girls mean everything to me and I’m flattered they chose me to represent them on court.”
            Alea Crosby, of Wilmington, is a senior at SSU majoring in early childhood education.
            “It feels great to be nominated and it’s such an honor,” Crosby said. “Homecoming week at SSU holds all my favorite memories and this is sure to be on top of the list.”
            Halea Hatten, of Wheelersburg, is a senior at SSU majoring in psychology.
            “I feel honored to be on court because it made me realize people notice your character and how you present yourself,” Hatten said. “I’m proud to have this chance and wish all the candidates good luck.”
            Brooke Miller, of Tremont City, is a senior at SSU and is majoring in business administration.
            “It's been an honor to be nominated for Homecoming Court through the Student Government Association which has played an enormous role in my career at Shawnee State,” Miller said.
            Christine Moore, of Greenup, Ky., is a sophomore at SSU majoring in sociology.
            “I feel that the homecoming court allows several individuals to represent themselves and Shawnee State University in a positive manner by exemplifying that hard work and dedication do not go unnoticed,” Moore said.
            Kendall R. Mitten, of Chillicothe, is a sophomore at SSU double majoring in physical therapy assistant and exercise science.
            “It’s truly an honor to be on the 2009 Homecoming court, and I know this will be an experience I’ll always remember,” Mitten said.
            Amanda Nichols, of Chillicothe, is a senior at SSU majoring in international relations.
            “It’s an honor to be nominated by the Student Success Center for the 2009 Homecoming court,” Nichols said. “It’s a great feeling to be involved on campus and I wish all the candidates the best of luck.”
            Casey Smith, of Chester, is a senior at SSU majoring in business administration.
            “Being nominated is like someone saying that you could be the Shawnee State poster student. It is an honor to be nominated and I just feel privileged to be part of Shawnee State tradition,” Smith said.
           Whitney Stricklet, of Manchester, is a senior at SSU majoring in AYA English education.
            “I am honored to be nominated for the 2009 Homecoming court,” Stricklet said. “I’m very excited for the upcoming events and I hope everyone attends the homecoming game to support the SSU athletics.”
            The 9 candidates for king are:
            Ryan Collins is a junior at SSU and is majoring in exercise science and represents the TKE fraternity.
            “It’s an honor to be nominated for homecoming and I am very excited to represent the TKE fraternity,” Collins said.
            Nick Compton, of Groveport, is a junior at SSU with a double major in game and simulation in the fine arts and computer aided drafting and design.
           "It’s unreal to actually be nominated for my college’s homecoming court when kids at my high school wouldn’t have even given me the time of day,” Compton said.
            Dustin Ferguson, of Summerfield, is a sophomore at SSU majoring in business management and health management.
            “Being on the 2009 court has added to all the great times I’ve had here at SSU,” Ferguson said.
            Rodney Hook Jr., of Fostoria, is a sophomore at SSU and is majoring in sports management.
            “It is an honor and a privilege to represent the university as well as the organization and students who nominated me,” Hook said. “It feels good to get the opportunity to inspire other students to get involved and make a difference. I wish all the candidates the best of luck.”
            Duston Osborn, of Bethel, is a senior at SSU majoring in visual arts/Web design.
            “It means a lot to me to be nominated by fellow resident advisors and it just shows me that they appreciate my work as a RA and the friendships that have evolved through this job,” Osborn said.
            Jordan Potts, of Pleasant City, is a senior at SSU majoring in athletic training.
            “I feel privileged to be a member of the 2009 Homecoming court,” Potts said. “It’s a great honor to represent SSU and I am grateful for this opportunity.”
            Blake Prather, of West Union, is a junior at SSU majoring in psychology.
            “I greatly appreciate being nominated by my friends and will do my best to represent the resident advisor staff,” Prather said.
            Kenta Sato, of Fukuoka, Japan, is a senior at SSU majoring in sports management.
            “When I first found out I had been nominated, I thought it was a joke,” Sato said. “But now I feel honored to represent the athletic department.”
            The photos are of the 2009 SSU Homecoming court candidates for queen are, from left to right, Whitney Bell, Alea Crosby, Gina Cistone,       Halea Hatten, Brooke Miller, Kendall Mitten, Christine Moore, Amanda Nichols, Casey Smith and Whitney Stricklett.
            The candidates for king are, left to right: Ryan Collins, Nick Compton, Dustin Ferguson, Rodney Hook Jr., Duston Osborn, Jordan Potts, Blake Prather and Kenta Sato.
 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 20, 2009

            Eight international students have arrived at Shawnee State University for spring semester from Morocco, Germany and Kenya. On Friday, Jan. 7, the students participated in orientation to learn about the university and they took a tour of the campus. In the photo from left to right, front, are Kenza Dahak, Rabab Choukr-Allah and Salwa Ainaqi, all from Morocco. In the back, left to right, are Moncif Moqtad, Morocco, George Kamau, Kenya, Jens Ulrich Eisert, Germany, Youssef Afkir, Morocco, and Peter Kraft, Germany.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 21, 2009

            Shawnee State University resident advisors hosted “Game Show Night” for SSU students at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 14, in the University Center. In the photo, SSU students are participating in “Game Show Night” answering trivia questions. Winners received prizes including blankets and movies.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 22, 2009

            Applying for financial aid for education beyond high school can be confusing, especially with the forms that are required for federal and state aid programs.
            Students and their families searching for financial aid for college can get help through a free statewide workshop, “College Goal Sunday,” at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 8 at the University Center at Shawnee State University.
            The event is presented by the Ohio Association of Student Financial Aid Administration and endorsed by the Ohio Board of Regents to assist students and parents with completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.
            The FAFSA is a federal application required to receive federal financial aid such as the Federal Pell Grant, student loans and other forms of public and private support.
            OASFAA offers resources to students, families and high school advisors to promote higher education.
            The goal of this state-wide financial aid event is to help students and families complete the FAFSA to receive federal student grants and loans to fund their college education.
            The FAFSA is the key to funding a college education and helping families to overcome financial barriers that otherwise prevent students from attending the institution of their choice. Studies show that a student is 50 percent more likely to attend college when they complete the FAFSA.
            Because of the great demand expected for assistance in completing the FASFA, families are encouraged to register for the free event at www.ohiocollegegoalsunday.org or by calling Nicole Montgomery at (740) 351-3140 or e-mail nmontgomery@shawnee.edu. While walk-ins are welcome, registration is encouraged. Record numbers are expected to be in attendance.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 22, 2009

            Prominent jazz flutist Galen will present a free concert at Shawnee State University from noon to 1:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 6 at the University Center’s Main Lobby. For more than 40 years, Galen has been performing throughout the United States and abroad.
            He plays the flute and he is a former student of the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Mass., and a graduate of Rutgers University in New Brunswick, N.J. Galen has a master’s degree in Fine Arts and Education and he is an arranger, composer, director and educator.
            He has performed and recorded with some of the world’s greatest recording artists such as pianist Billy Taylor, Sonny Phillips, Gwen Guthrie, Jimmy Heath, Melba Moore and Sun Ra.
            Galen is considered one of the most popular artists on university and college campuses in the country.
           The concert is open to the public and sponsored by SSU’s Student Programming Board and Multicultural Student Affairs.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 23, 2009

            To promote literacy in Scioto County, Shawnee State University is partnering with the Literacy Council of Scioto County and the Southern Ohio Performing Arts Association to present the kick-off event of the three-month long community-wide literacy project featuring Harper Lee’s novel, “To Kill a Mockingbird.”
            The kick-off celebration is at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 10 at SSU’s Vern Riffe Center for the Arts main theatre. David Kipen, director of Literature and National Reading initiatives for the National Endowment for the Arts, will be the keynote speaker. First lady Frances Strickland will be speaking about the importance of literacy projects.
            SOPAA authored the grant in partnership with the Literacy Council and is one of 208 organizations in the United States to receive a grant to host The Big Read project from the National Endowment for the Arts. The Big Read is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and Arts Midwest.
            “It really has been a rewarding experience for the past several months planning the Big Read,” said Susan McComas, director of the Literacy Council of Scioto County. “The grant announcement was made in June 2008 and we have been working diligently since then pulling the partners together and making suggestions for additional events and activities to celebrate the community reading together.”
            The Big Read gives communities the opportunity to come together to read, discuss, and celebrate one of 23 selections from American and world literature. The Big Read Scioto County has chosen “To Kill a Mockingbird” for the literacy project.
            Several Big Read events are planned at Shawnee State University. On Tuesday, Feb. 17, at 7 p.m. in the Flohr Lecture Hall at Clark Memorial Library, the film classic, “To Kill a Mockingbird” starring Gregory Peck will be shown. The American Film Institute named Peck’s character Atticus Finch the greatest movie hero of the 20th century. The social and Courtroom drama of Harper Lee’s classic novel are beautifully portrayed in this film.
On Tuesday, February 24 at 7:30 p.m. in the Flohr Lecture Hall, a faculty panel will explore the legal, sociological and literary values that have made Lee’s novel a beloved treasure of American literature and film. Members of the panel include SSU Sociology professor Dr. Monique Diderich, chair and professor of English Dr. Darren Harris-Fain and a legal representative from the community.
            Charles Shields, author of “Mockingbird: A Portrait of Harper Lee,” presents “Harper Lee: A Literary Mystery” at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 5 in the Flohr Lecture Hall.
            The Montana Repertory Theatre will be performing “To Kill A Mockingbird” on stage at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 7 at SSU’s Vern Riffe Center for the Arts. Tickets can be purchased at the McKinley Box Office at (740) 351-3600 or at ticketmaster.com. Cost is $6 for children, $12 for students, discounts for seniors, and up to $22 for general admission, depending on seating preferences.
            “We had booked the Montana repertory theatre to perform the play and we thought about the One Book One Community project to get them involved, and that is when we found out about The Big Read,” said Carl Daehler, executive director of the Vern Riffe Center for the Arts. “It is one of the country’s oldest and finest repertory theatres. We’ve had them several times in the past and we felt this would be a a really good play.”
Most of the events are free and open to the public. For more information, call McComas at (740) 351-3514.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 23, 2009

            Shawnee State University Career Services is planning a Healthcare Job Fair for students and alumni from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 5 at the Vern Riffe Center for the Arts Selby Grand Lobby.
            Employers from throughout Ohio and Kentucky will be on hand to talk about jobs available in many different fields of interest for healthcare professionals.
            Several hospitals, health care facilities and rehabilitation centers will be on hand to talk about healthcare job opportunities in their facilities. To see the list of prospective employers, go to www.shawnee.edu, Career Services, select “Job Fair Students” and click on Employer Information under the Healthcare Career Fair information.
            More than 20 different employers will be set up to talk to prospective employees. Interviews are not scheduled for this event, however, many employers will accept applications and resumes at the table.
            Career Services offers several tips on a conducting a successful job search. Recruiters say research is the key to a successful job search. Research the various organizations before the fair. If you don’t have much time to spare, choose your top five organizations, do the research and then add more organizations as time allows.
            • First impressions do count so dress appropriately;
            • Bring copies of your resume, unofficial transcript, reference sheet, portfolio, pen/pencil and notebook;
            • Develop your personal two minute commercial: a brief overview of you, your background and career interests. Hi, my name is ___ and I noticed that you are recruiting for ______;
            • At the fair, get familiar with the layout and review the database of employers;
            • Introduce yourself with a smile and a handshake and begin your commercial.
            For more information, contact Career Services at (740) 351-3213 or e-mail lgoodan@shawnee.edu or sgregory@shawnee.edu. For a schedule of workshops offered by Career Services, click on the link “Spring Semester Workshops.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 29, 2009

            Shawnee State University President Rita Rice Morris will deliver the State of the University address “Keeping Focus” at 4 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 2, in the Flohr Lecture Hall at Clark Memorial Library on campus.
            The annual State of the University Address is intended to focus the university community on the accomplishments of the past year and the opportunities and challenges before us in the coming year.
            The public is invited to attend.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 2, 2009

            In the State of the University address “Keeping Focus” on Monday, Feb. 2, Shawnee State University President Rita Rice Morris said that it is necessary to meet the challenges the university faces while keeping focus on what is important.
            “It is too easy to list the things that are changing our world but our primary focus has been and always will be our students,” Morris said. “In a world of change, that is one thing that will never change for us.”
            Morris emphasized the importance on focusing on the students and the primary responsibility of the university to the students. A record number of students enrolled at SSU in the fall semester – nearly 4,000 – representing a 7.5 percent increase in enrollment and a 10 percent increase in full-time equivalent students.
            With the increase came an increase in housing applications with more than 800 students living on campus. The university continues to grow and the face of the students is changing. More than 79 percent of the students are under the age of 25.
            “These students come to us for a variety of reasons – our unique and expanding programming, affordable tuition, apartment-style housing, personalized attention, accessibility, and nationally-recognized athletic programs,” Morris said.
            She also addressed the progress at the university – expanded programs, key partnerships with other institutions, opportunities for international studies for students, the athletic program, increase in faculty and staff, and major renovations.
            The SSU Board of Trustees recently approved institutional performance targets in Access, Quality, Affordability and Efficiency and Morris will be focusing on results for these goals.
            She also addressed focusing on fiscal responsibility, new challenges and a focus on the future.
            “I have talked a lot about the challenges before us because we need to understand our current and future environment to be able to develop plans that allow us to continue to focus on our goals – and our future,” Morris said. “We are growing. We are moving forward – and we will continue to do what we do best – provide a quality education that meets the changing needs of our students and our community.”

NOTE: TEXT OF SPEECH FOLLOWS RELEASE

State of the University Address
February 2, 2009

“Keeping Focus”

Thank you everyone for being here today.

During last year’s “State of the University” address, I stood in this very spot and told you that “change was coming.” I also reminded you that “change is what we do well at Shawnee State University.”

Boy, are we ever getting the opportunity to prove that.

This past year was full of new challenges for us, for our students, and for our community. Change not only came to Shawnee State, it came to Ohio, to our nation, and to the world. And, our environment is still changing.

Increased accountability.
Increased reporting requirements.
Changing funding sources.
A decline in the economy.
Change.

Surprisingly, change isn’t really what I want to talk to you about today. It’s too easy to list the things that are changing our world. More important than the challenges that we face are the ways that we are meeting those challenges while keeping focus on what’s important to us and our future.

Our primary focus has been – and always will be - our students. In a world of change, that is one thing that will never change for us.

A Focus on Who We Are
In light of the news of the day and the questions I’m sure each of you has about how our future will change, let me begin by focusing on what we do.

I have a long-time friend who always reminded her children when they went out for the evening to “remember who you are and what you represent.”

As we get caught up in the routines of our personal and professional lives, I doubt that many of us take the time to “remember” very often.

We are Shawnee State University. We prepare students for the changing needs of business, industry, education, and society by offering diversified degrees and programs.

We recognize the importance of knowledge, values, and cultural enrichment.
We are committed to providing higher education that fosters competence in oral and written communication, scientific and quantitative reasoning, and critical analysis and logical thinking.

We value teaching and learning, growth and development, and community.

While we are the youngest university in the state of Ohio, we represent centuries of tradition in the academy that has protected and promulgated the canons of knowledge.
We represent all of the traditions of each of our faculty disciplines. And, we represent the citizens and the State of Ohio in its efforts to ensure an educated citizenry.

These traditions burden us with responsibilities and expectations from our students, our colleagues, and the public.

A Focus on Our Students
Our primary responsibility is to our students. They are the reason that we are here. And, that reason significantly increased this year. During the fall semester, we welcomed a record number of students to campus — nearly 4,000.

This number represented a 7.5 percent increase in enrollment and a 10 percent increase in full-time equivalent students. This number also represented the culmination of a lot of work, by a lot of people, within our university setting and beyond — in our state and local government — to make higher education more affordable and more accessible.

With the increase in enrollment also came an increase in housing applications. To accommodate more than 800 students wanting to live on campus, we tripled many of our rooms in the fall and have begun work to develop a master housing plan that addresses continued growth.

The face of our students is changing.

Not only do we have more students living on campus, we have more traditional students with more than 79 percent of SSU students under 25 years of age. The mean ACT score of incoming students is also increasing, to 19.8. We have an increased number of students coming to us from beyond our immediate region. Fall semester saw a 7 percent increase in students from central Ohio in the Columbus region, and a 21 percent increase in students from southwestern Ohio and northern Kentucky, near Cincinnati. We also saw an increase in the number of graduate students and international students.

These students come to us for a variety of reasons — our unique and expanding programming, affordable tuition, apartment-style housing, personalized attention, accessibility, and nationally-recognized athletic programs.
While students choose SSU for different reasons, they all receive a quality education that allows them to achieve their career and life goals.

We now have nearly 12,000 Shawnee State University graduates. These former students are making their mark on the world in nearly every field. Our students are going on to become nationally-known authors, leaders in their communities, heads of major corporations, educators, coaches, healers, motivators, and inspirations to many.

Each of these alumni are taking what they have learned here and are making a difference in the world.

A Focus on Progress
We are making a difference here. We have accomplished much in the past year — for our growing number of students, our campus community, and our regional community.

To help meet demands in our regional job market, last year, we expanded our two-year nursing program to accommodate the growing demand for nurses in our region.

We also partnered with Scioto County Career Technical Center, Pickaway-Ross Career and Technical Center, Pike County Career and Technical Center, OSU South Centers and Ohio University Chillicothe to offer special training programs for those seeking employment with American Centrifuge.

Our Master of Occupational Therapy program prepared its first group of students for graduation.

For the first time, four Shawnee State University seniors completed their student teaching in China last year. An additional ten Chinese Philosophy students toured China as part of their curriculum.

This semester, two of our students are traveling to Spain and one student is traveling to Morocco as exchange students. By expanding the borders of our university, we are truly bringing the world to Shawnee State students. We also have over 30 international students on our campus.

To help our new students transition into college life here, we kicked off a pilot program called “Shawnee Connect.” Through this program, 40 first-time students were paired with a faculty member, staff, upper classman or alumni mentor. We have had much success with the program and look forward to its future.

Our student athletes did exceptionally well during fall semester. Our women’s and men’s cross country teams and women’s volleyball team competed in nationals.

This semester, our women’s basketball team is currently ranked number two, and quickly moving into the number one spot, in the nation. And our men defeated the #1 team on Saturday night.

Such accomplishments speak to the excellence of our programs and the dedication of our students. Athletics plays a major role in the recruitment of students and our student athletes are doing an outstanding job representing Shawnee State.

Our faculty and staff continued to shine in their fields with several attaining special certifications and earning doctorate degrees.

Three of our faculty members published books this year and several had articles published in professional and trade journals. One of our faculty members was featured in Ohio Magazine for Excellence in Education. Another received recognition and had his artwork featured in the highly competitive and influential Watercolor USA Juried Exhibition.

These are but a few examples of how our faculty and staff are receiving state and national recognition for their contributions to education.

In the last five years, our employee complement has grown by more than 10 percent, with the largest growth in faculty. Over this time period, 55 of our professors and 23 administrators received promotions. Several of our departments reorganized around functions, such as enrollment management and student affairs, to focus efforts and maximize results.

Just this month, we brought campus security and safety in-house. We believe this will be a tremendous benefit to the university, and to our officers. And I am so glad to have someone working full time on our safety and security.

We have experienced growth in a number of areas this year.

Most visible — as bulldozers and cranes become part of our landscape — is of course, our expansion. We began our renovation and expansion of the University Center this year. As you can see, it is progressing and changing daily. Soon, we will be able to offer our students the expanded facilities and amenities that they want and need.

We also completed several projects this year. The new William E. Daehler Tennis Courts opened in October, and the renovated gymnasium floor was completed and ready for volleyball season.

We moved and added parking areas to accommodate our increase in students and faculty, and we renovated the ATC building to create an area for security and facilities.

We also completed the largest capital campaign in SSU history this year, “Poised for Tomorrow.” A record $16 million was pledged by community members and SSU employees, with 94 percent of Shawnee State employees contributing.

The campaign is an indication of the pride that our community and employees have in Shawnee State and our future.

A Focus on Results
We have begun to integrate the operations and goals of the USO into SSU. Many of the administrative offices have new jobs to do and the university has performance targets for the remainder of the USO Strategic Plan.

We have introduced the Seniors to Sophomores program, seamless articulation with community college programming, and new services for veterans into the university.

At its meeting earlier this month the SSU Board of Trustees approved institutional performance targets in Access, Quality, Affordability and Efficiency, and Economic Leadership. The final approved targets may be found at www.shawnee.edu/off/ri/Quick%20Facts.html and there will soon be a series of In-Focus articles to help you learn more about them.

In the future we will report on our progress on these goals.

These targets were developed with campus input and a review of past institutional performance. Some of them are “stretches” and I expect the current economic climate will challenge us to meet them. There is much work to be done.

A Focus on Our Fiscal Responsibility
We are in a strong fiscal position that allows us to continue our mission and adapt to the changes within and outside the university.

During the past year the State and the nation have experienced cataclysmic changes in the economy. We have seen some dramatic changes of our own and our conservative growth and use of reserves has served us well.

If you read our recent In-Focus you know that reserves are critical to our fiscal health and ability to interact with the external financial environment and at least half of them are tied up in the plans of individual departments and the university at large. Most importantly, reserves can be spent one-time-only and we need to keep the flexibility to use them to deal with what lies ahead.

During fall 2007, the university experienced a 5% drop in enrollment. This drop was anticipated in our transition to semesters and the resulting loss of income was planned to be absorbed by the use of some of our reserves.

I imagine that the majority of you did not even notice a change in your own area because of the enrollment decline. Our reserves helped us weather the impact of that decline.

During the same period an unanticipated loss in revenue from our investments resulted in the additional use of general fund monies to meet operational needs.

We also began several planned capital projects in 2008. The result was that we spent more than we took in as revenue.

But that is what reserves are for—expected and unexpected one-time financial needs.

There is no question that our careful use of reserves is allowing us to weather the impact of significant loss of revenue in FY08. The need to do so continues to be the case for our current fiscal year.

In October, Governor Strickland announced a 4.75% cut in current year funding. This was the second significant cut of the year and the first to impact the university. Because of the work of our legislative delegation the cut to our supplement was reinstated and we realized a relatively small reduction in funding.

In December, the Governor announced another cut. This cut resulted in reductions in funding for a number of programs including the JOBS Challenge, College Readiness, and the Economic Growth Research Incentive.

At that time we announced a 15% reduction in non-compensation budgets for the remainder of the year. This cut was paired with our earlier freeze on the use of carry-forward funds, equipment replacements, and a soft-freeze of hiring.

We made this cut because

1. we are working with an approved budget and it is fiscally responsible to take efforts to follow that budget,
2. we are seeking to preserve our reserves as we “ride out” the current economic environment,
3. we must be prepared for additional loss of revenue during the current fiscal year, and
4. we must anticipate implications of the Chancellor’s directive to his Advisory Council on Efficiencies to develop criteria for reduction of FY09 cuts that are unique to institutions with enrollments less than 5,000 FTE.

Under the Chancellor’s directive, we will be incentivized based upon the extent to which we
1. participate in new statewide or regional efforts for reducing the cost of purchasing goods and services,
2. enter into statewide or regional agreements for sharing IT costs, and
3. enter into agreements to share administrative functions with other institutions, and the anticipated results of those efforts.

The mandate to enter into efficient collaborations is requiring a greatly expanded amount of time. We are working with the state and outside experts to identify the best opportunities for SSU.

If there is not another cut during the current fiscal year and we have adequately met the forthcoming criteria from the Advisory Council on Efficiencies, we expect to have addressed the current cuts, stayed within our budget, and protected our reserves during a volatile market environment.

The Governor and the Ohio General Assembly have been “good” to higher education and we have not yet experienced the very deep cuts felt in other state agencies.

At this point, higher education is operating at approximately 95-96% of its original budget while other state agencies are operating with approximately 85%.

You have seen the press accounts of the impact of these cuts.

The Governor recently noted that the “real wages of the average American worker are lower today than they were 30 years ago. That means in terms of purchasing power, American workers are making less than their parents.”

We can expect these impacts to continue into the next biennium as the Governor announced last week that state employees will be asked to make cuts of 10-20%.

We have also not yet experienced the cuts felt at some of our sister institutions. In December, Miami University announced a $22 million shortfall in their budget requiring layoffs and “deep cuts” in all their operations, including academics and student affairs.
The University of Toledo announced it would lay off more than 100 workers as the school prepared for cuts in state funding. We earnestly hope that our conservative fiscal planning and practices will help us avoid such fates.

It has been a good year. We are growing. The successes of our faculty and students have brought attention to our university and we are making a difference in our community.

My hope is that we will find ways to continue to distinguish ourselves as we address the changes in our world.

A Focus on New Challenges
Two years ago I spent 4 months meeting with Legislators and testifying before key committees intent on cutting our special supplement.

In my testimony I spoke about an approaching “perfect storm” where state support of institutions and the ability of state institutions to raise revenue through tuition increases would be limited. That storm is nothing compared to the current “perfect storm” facing our economy and new administration. We are “at sea” and are navigating in very unusual waters that are full of contradictions.

Public policy and expectations of the role of public education have shifted to focuses upon accountability and economic development. In his State of the State address last week Governor Strickland reiterated the importance of higher education in Ohio’s economic recovery and his commitment to build a system that will yield more college graduates. He spoke of the need to make education more affordable and accessible. In order to address these goals the University System of Ohio has developed a 10-year Strategic Plan complete with measures of accountability and each institution has developed its own targets to meet the goals of the plan.

We have joined the national Voluntary System of Accountability. Our own Assessment Committee has brought us into compliance with the USO assessment and reporting requirements and we are reporting assessment results and information on the Ohio College Portrait.

Coupled with new measures of accountability are clear expectations about the roles of higher education. Universities are now partnered with the Department of Development and other state agencies to develop programming to meet state-wide goals.

For me, the discussion of accountability, has been very “light” on considerations of quality. The measures of success of our “productivity” are more quantitative than qualitative.

Accountability is not quality.
In a recent letter to member institutions, Sylvia Manning, the new President of the Higher Learning Commission, identified information templates such as the Ohio Profile and the USO Accountability plan as transparency and of limited value because they include data which “represent only single markers derived from the broader and richer evidence that institutions need to foster improvement in educational programs and services” and are not substitutes for the “more extensive use of data for analysis, planning and improvement.”

She continued by noting that the information included in such accountability templates are “at best, proxies for educational quality, but no matter how good they are, they suffer limitations from both narrowness and generality” and “cannot begin to substitute for the rich and complex analysis an institution brings to bear on its self-examination in the matter of student learning and growth.”

As we adapt to changing expectations of the university we will be challenged to find unique methods for protecting the essence of a good general education within our curricula and will need to examine our own standards of quality and instructional methods within the current environment.

In the Governor’s announcement of his new plan for K-12 education in his State of the State address last week he spoke of the importance of education that will prepare students to “thrive in the 21st century.”

His plan calls for new topics in the curriculum such as global awareness and the utilization of “teaching methods that foster creativity and innovation, critical thinking and problem solving, communication and collaboration, media literacy, leadership and productivity, cultural awareness, adaptability and accountability.”

Perhaps the discussion of these goals will include considerations of quality that will spill over into discussions about higher education.

I should also note that the Governor’s evidence-based plan for education includes a plan to “improve educator quality” that will “revolutionize teacher preparation and development in Ohio with a residency program.” We expect this will mean new programming for our colleagues in teacher education. The Provost and I will work closely with the department to ensure that our programming responds to, and thrives during the “revolution.”

We are challenged to invest in institutional and programmatic growth with fewer resources. The University System of Ohio’s Strategic Plan calls for a dramatic increase in enrollment in the State. Each institution has been directed to develop goals and targets to meet the USO plans. We have recently completed that process.

The Chancellor and Governor have directed us to continue to pursue our goals even in the context of the current economic environment. We cannot lose ground during the difficult period. We want to protect the gains the campus has made in recent years and we are required to make further gains.

At the same time we are experiencing budget cuts and there is complete uncertainty about future state funding. The Governor announced last week that his budget will be built with university’s tuition frozen at the 2007 level and capped at 3.5% for FY11.

At this point, we do not know what level state funding will take for the biennium. In his budget released today the Governor has a plan to utilize funds from the economic stimulus package to offset the impact of a tuition freeze.

The stimulus package is yet to be finalized and passed and the actual amount for higher education is yet to be mediated by the state legislative process. We anticipate that whatever the level it will be further diluted for SSU by the new outcomes-driven funding formula.

We are hopeful that at least for this biennium universities will be able to transition to the new formula through a “stop-loss” provision but there is no guarantee that something like this will survive the legislative process.

FY11 is a matter of extreme concern. The Office of Budget and Management is projecting a three-year decline in income tax revenue and a two-year decline in sales tax revenue and Ohio’s general revenue taxes have declined two years in a row.

The Governor indicates that projected revenue taxes available to the state of Ohio “will be lower in the 2011 fiscal year than they were seven years earlier.”

We already know of the plan to limit institutions to 3.5% tuition increases. If the State has not yet realized a complete economic recovery we should expect further declines in state support.

FY12 looms “even larger” for SSU. This is the first year our funding will be based entirely upon our performance as determined through the funding formula and the USO Strategic Plan goals. We have just two years to turn around our extremely low retention and graduate rates. Funding will be linked to student course completion and graduation rates, as determined by the new formula, and we will need to accommodate the fact that the continued inclusion of associate degrees as part of our degree attainment numbers is at risk.

And, we will need to grow.

Failure, or even underperformance, in these areas will result in a decrease in state support.
We will address these challenges by growing our enrollment and a realignment of resources, fiscal and personnel, to meet new goals. In the next two months we will both develop plans for growth as we finish our 20/20 planning process and plans to realign our current funding to “free up” funds for new programming that will help us grow.

We will also identify an academic area for a Center of Excellence as required by the USO Strategic Plan. We are about to begin a journey that will lead to a limited region-based research agenda for the university. Such an agenda will require new resources to build an infrastructure, enhance our grant writing capacity, secure new faculty with modified performance expectations, and develop appropriate facilities.

These are formidable requirements that will strain our current personnel and resources and I have asked the Provost to explore methods for us to develop a Center of Excellence in conjunction with one of our sister universities.

This means that even with a level budget some current programs will be cut and funds reallocated.

Enrollment increases and increased efficiencies will help meet the costs of growth and new programming and offset the necessity to cut current programs or possible decreases in state funding.

We must grow within very limited physical resources.
At the end of the 10-year USO Strategic Plan we should be serving an additional one thousand students with basically our current buildings and grounds.

Our classrooms cannot accommodate larger classes and we need more office space. We need more laboratory facilities and housing. We need to make room for other institutions that we will be inviting to campus.

We have already begun to maximize our use of facilities with the semester calendar and we are seeking space on the perimeter of the campus to house some of our community-based programs.

I expect the 20/20 planning process to recommend new science facilities and next year we will begin the planning process for such facilities. And we will need to find new resources to pay for such facilities. If we can match the requirements, we will tap into Economic Stimulus funds for “shovel ready” projects that are likely to come to the State.

Additionally, we are developing a master plan to meet additional student residence needs without investment of university resources.

We have new tasks to perform without new staff and resources.
Our “spurt” in enrollment this fall stretched our instructional faculty and our administrative offices are daily receiving new duties related to the evolution of the USO, new state and federal requirements, and our own institutional “growing pains.”

Every day each of us is likely to be asked to do more with less. And the changes just don’t seem to stop. We need to reinvent ourselves in a manner that seeks to ensure our current employees have a place here.

Higher education doesn’t do a good job of balancing its workload. We add new things but we rarely get rid of something. We are currently addressing some of the new demands by temporarily reassigning administrative personnel to align specific skill sets with new tasks, we are attempting to keep the campus informed about new programming, reports, etc. with a “functions chart” to complement the organizational chart, and we will identify possible activities to “get rid of” or reorganize through an upcoming campus-wide budget planning activity.


We cannot count on our assumptions about enrollment in this recession.
In past recessions universities have seen their enrollments grow. Community colleges have seen students stay close to home to keep down costs and graduate programs have seen as much as double-digit enrollment. However, the current credit crunch is already impacting family decisions about college attendance.

Although we have an increase in applications at this point in the year and we are accelerating our advertising in some markets, we cannot count on families being able to borrow the money they need. With the passage of the Federal Economic Stimulus Package there will be more Pell funds available to our students. And, we are evaluating the value to our students by having SSU become a “direct lending” institution.

We expect the next 6-8 weeks will begin to reveal information about family abilities to pay for college.

So, we must plan for a possible enrollment growth AND a possible enrollment decline.

A Focus on the Future
Because so much of what I have talked about today has been linked to state funding and I know budget and job security are on the minds of many of you, l am going to spend the rest of my time talking about budget.

I will not take time to detail the aspects of the budget. That will occur at a meeting later in the semester, complete with power point and a Q&A session.

I will talk about general characteristics of this year’s budget and the process for building next year’s budget. And I will end with some observations about the role each of you can play in that process.

Let me begin with the FY09 budget. We built the budget for the current year based upon a legislature-initiated 10 percent increase in state funding. This increase was greater than we would have received had state support been diluted through the old funding formula, but probably less than we would have realized with modest increases in state support and tuition. Recall, however, that this revenue came with strings—a mandate to identify and report the achievement of nearly $1 million in efficiencies and collaborative efforts.

We complied with this mandate.

Even though we had experienced some losses in the market during the first and second quarters of 08 (the end of the FY08 budget) we decided to move ahead with plans to use reserves we had been “saving” for a multi-purpose field to provide recreational resources for our increasing residential student population—an investment in our growth.

We were also beginning to see a decline in investment income and anticipated that there would be further decline, however, we had no idea what was ahead.

The loss of institutional reserves has many implications. We expect, like most other Ohio public universities, to realize a degradation of our SB6 rating that measures fiscal strength. Secondly, we have lost resources that would have been available to cover other income shortfall (e.g. loss of state funding, money to cover increased expenditures, etc.)

And finally, it forces us to find alternative options to continue projects that we have planned and for which we have “saved.”

The approved FY09 budget anticipated the use of $3.8 million of general fund reserves—that was before the major changes in the stock market. It included the use of planned savings for major projects essential for our growth as a residential campus.

Right now we are reviewing all locally-funded projects, including the multi-purpose field, to find efficiencies and alternative sources of funds so that we can continue to invest in these types of initiatives.

I fully intend to move forward on these projects.

The use of reserves was done with great reluctance because they are a finite resource in an uncertain period. Once they are gone, they are gone. Each year the Board and I consider the disadvantages of a budget that utilizes reserves. In recent years our investments have helped us grow our reserves and we have started “counting” on them as we grow our university. Because we are good stewards of our funds, are engaging in increased efficiencies, and have been growing our enrollment, since 2001, we have only actually ended one fiscal year utilizing reserves. That was FY08.

Consequently, I have directed that we work to adopt budgeting and spending practices that bring our revenues into alignment with our revenue and require us to only plan for a use of reserves for planned projects and unplanned demands.

As you know, we experienced a large increase in enrollment in the fall.

The related increase in revenues helped pay for the related instruction and offset the impact of the state’s budget cuts and the loss of investment revenue. Late last spring I began to focus upon increasing the flexibility of our reserves. Working with the Cabinet we identified that $4.5 million, or 30% of our reserves are in unit-based carry forward funds.

In order to insure that such carry forward funds are used for expressly intended purposes and not just “savings” accounts we asked departments to submit plans to identify their intended use. Without an approved plan, the funds are to be returned to the general fund. This is how we will handle unexpended year-end departmental allocations in the future. Departments did a tremendous job developing their plans and they are ready to go.
Right now those plans are on hold, but we will return to them.

I realize that the measures we have taken have required sacrifices by many of you and I thank you. Your efforts are making a difference and helping us secure our future.

Now we are in the preliminary stages of developing our budget for FY10 and developing the foundation for FY11. In recent months the universities have been in conversations with the Chancellor and the Governor regarding State and USO goals, tuition flexibility, access and accountability. The current economic and political environments have given those conversations a quality similar to traveling down Alice’s Rabbit Hole.

In the next few months the university must prepare a budget. Before the budget is completed we will need more information. Right now there are some “knowns” and “unknowns.”

Knowns

1. Ohio is investing in college graduates. Increasing the educational level of Ohioans will help the state address and solve Ohio’s economic challenges.
It is not investing in you or me.
The investment is in our students and their futures.
This investment requires accountability on the part of the providers of higher education.
Accountability means achievement of goals.

2. Tuition for FY10 is frozen at the FY07 level and likely to be limited to a 3.5% increase in FY11.

3. We are obligated to increase our enrollment, student retention rates, and graduation rates as conditions of funding. Our performance will be measured against state criteria, our own targets, and the performance of USO identified peer comparitors.
This means investments in programming, personnel, and infrastructure to generate and accommodate growth.
Additionally, new revenues will allow us to grow our current programs and invest in our new strategic and campus master plans.

4. Our ability to raise additional funds to fund new programming, personnel, and infrastructure is limited to increasing our enrollment, engaging in efficient collaborations, demonstrating additional efficiencies, and increasing revenue from other sources, such as fund-raising campaigns.

5. Future funding for SSU will change dramatically during the upcoming biennium.
Any state funding increases coming to SSU will be “filtered” through a new performance-based funding formula that focuses upon course completion and graduation rates.

As we understand the formula, there are three elements that will be important to us.
I. Whatever the State funding percentage, SSU will not receive the full amount. This is because of our “performance” on the factors of the formula.
II. If the formula is strictly followed, our level of funding will be “held harmless” at 98% of the FY09 level for FY10 and 97% for FY11. At this time we expect that in the following biennium, performance on formula indicators will be the sole determinant of funding distribution. This biennium is our only opportunity to develop and implement methods for meeting performance indicators and our USO goals with limited fiscal impact.

III. SSU is currently underperforming on course completion and graduation rate indicators. USO identifies our graduation rate at 29 percent. If we do not make significant improvements in our course completion and graduation rates we should expect to see a significant modification of our funding in the following biennium. Additionally, the Chancellor has indicated that our funding will also be impacted by our engaging in efficient collaborations with other institutions.

6. SSU should be an attractive institution for future students. We offer high quality education and are financially attractive. With a well planned and executed recruitment plan we are likely to attract students from a larger geographic area.

Unknowns

1. We do not yet know our FY10 funding. Deliberations in the Ohio legislature are likely to impact this proposed level of funding so we will not know actual funding amounts and the specifics for SSU for several months. Additionally, we are yet to receive budget development guidelines from the USO.

2. We do not know anything about FY11, the second year of the biennium, and will need to develop some “worst case” planning scenarios.

3. We are carefully evaluating data about our incoming class and our retention patterns.

4. We do not yet fully understand the Chancellor’s plans to impact budgets based upon the efficient collaborations and partnerships for institutions with FTE enrollments of less than 5,000.

5. We are experiencing a decline in the flexibility of our reserves that are in investments. We continue to experience revenue losses, we have reconfirmed the current investment strategy and determined that it would be disadvantageous to convert these investments to cash. At this time we cannot count on investment revenue to finance any expansion within the university.

6. Market fluctuations are also impacting our Foundation. We were fortunate to have completed our very successful “Poised for Tomorrow” capital campaign before the recent chaos in the market. However, there is the potential of our not securing all of our pledged funds during the 5-year pledge period of the campaign and the value of some of the gifts we have already received have declined in the current market. The current climate is impacting our ongoing fundraising activities, our operations, and our scholarship funding.

Our next steps in the Budget Planning Process are

• To complete two planning scenarios. We will identify institutional priorities for new programming, including a Center of Excellence, and strategies for meeting our USO goals.

The completion of the 20/20 planning process this month will provide us with direction, as will the work of university-wide committees. Recommendations will be analyzed to determine costs and implementation timelines will be developed.

This process should be completed by mid-March.

• We will also identify assets to support new programming and/or allow us to deal with any downturn in enrollment.

We have already received some good recommendations for achieving significant savings from members of the university community. This month university units will be asked to prepare plans for 7% and 15% cuts in compensation and non-compensation that include means for efficient reorganization and realignment, and the elimination of some of our current activities.

This process will be completed by early March.

• In March we expect to ask the Board to approve new housing rates and graduate tuition for FY10. During the upcoming fiscal year students will also begin to pay the planned for University Center fee. Also in March I will set parameters and assumptions for the FY10 budget and we will begin to develop scenarios based upon the outcomes of the two planning processes.

When scenarios are complete and we have better information about funding we will hold meetings to update the campus on budget planning. Then the budget will be refined in light of campus feedback and the guidance we receive from Columbus.

We hope to take a draft budget to the Board in May.

A Focus on You
What Can Each of You Do?

One of the best things about being a member of a university community is the excellence and variety of thinking in our community.

Sometimes we consider and discuss outside the parameters of the requirements placed upon us by the state and the federal government.

We hope to “harness” some of that thinking into the parameters and timeline we have for developing a budget. I ask that each of you participate in the two budget planning processes.

If you have not yet been involved in the 20/20 planning process, look carefully at the recommendations that will go to the Strategic Planning Committee. Talk about them in your departmental and governance meetings and provide the committee members with feedback.

Bring an open and creative mind to the 7% and 15% budget cut planning. We need good ideas! Make suggestions about efficiencies that are creative, constructive and well intentioned

If you are on a university-wide committee that is considering recommendations about methods for improving retention, growing our enrollment, being more efficient, or achieving our USO goals be certain that the recommendations are fully developed and forwarded for consideration in the budget planning process.

Ask questions and seek to understand current budget environments. We will keep you informed about what is going on with the budget at the State level through the Friday Letter and In-Focus and we will brief governance leadership about major issues.

Read the materials that will be provided about recommendations for growth and cuts and attend information sessions about the budget. Give feedback. Talk about the facts and don’t gossip. We need to be working together and support one another through change and uncertainty.

Do your job and embrace any new requirements that come to your position. Everyone is experiencing change.

Keeping Focus
The theme for this year’s address is “Keeping Focus” because we don’t want to lose sight of what’s important — who we are and why we are here.

I said at the beginning of today’s address that this speech wasn’t going to be just about change.

We talked a lot about the challenges before us because we need to understand our current and future environment to be able to develop plans that allow us to continue to focus on our goals — and our future.

I hope that today’s address gave you a better understanding of our environment.

More importantly, I hope you have a renewed sense of our resolve to rise to meet our challenges while staying focused on our goals.

We are growing.

We are moving forward.

And, we will continue to do what we do best — provide a quality education that meets the changing needs of our students and our community.