March 17, 2004
Dear Colleagues,
April marks the beginning of the third year at ULM for Deborah and me. These last two years have seen not only a multitude of changes, but the foundation for more and exciting improvements in the years to come. Deborah and I want to thank you personally for your support as we have all gone about the renaissance of this great university.
I want to commend the faculty and staff on all their efforts, both seen and unseen. Each of you has a part to play in the larger effort of making ULM the ideal university. Many of you labor quietly without thanks. Do not think your work goes unappreciated. Our university can accomplish its goals only through a solid commitment to excellence from the entire faculty and staff. Your hard work ensures that whatever challenges the future holds for this university we will rise to meet them.
We take pride in what the university has accomplished in the last two years, but now we are in the middle of the race, and this is no time for rest. ULM has new challenges to face, and new goals to accomplish.
One of the challenges that we know is coming is that in just over a year the Board of Regents Master Plan will take effect and with it an increase in ULM's admissions standards. Many of you have children, relatives, friends, and neighbors who will be affected by the new requirements, so it is important that you have all the information. You are recruiters for ULM, and we want you to be equipped with the right tools to help the public understand these new standards.
Students entering ULM in the fall of 2005 must have a minimum ACT score of 20, or a high school GPA of 2.0 on the core curriculum, or be in the top 50% of their class, AND they must successfully complete the 16.5 unit TOPS Core Curriculum in high school. In addition, students that meet the above standards will be admitted only if they require one developmental course or fewer. Last year, approximately 35 percent of our entering freshmen did not meet these requirements. Therefore, we are currently taking positive steps to avoid an impending enrollment decline.
Dr. Richters is charged with the development of an academy for high school math teachers to be held here at ULM. We will be offering high school math teachers in our service area a professional development opportunity that will help them better prepare their students for college level studies in mathematics. We will also be examining a similar program for English teachers. In addition, at the current time there are few if any options for students to satisfy developmental requirements before they enter college. We believe that students deserve this opportunity, and we are looking into the specifics of offering developmental courses for local high school students before they graduate. We are searching for an experienced person to lead both of these efforts for us.
We are also planning on expanding our Collegiate Admissions Program for high school students. Recent research indicates that many high school students do not take specific core courses, such as the second year of a foreign language. We will provide additional opportunities for qualified high school students to enroll in the Collegiate program starting this summer so that they may meet the core curriculum requirements. All of these programs are an effort to ensure that students not only can enroll at ULM, but more importantly, that they will be successful.
ULM is also working diligently to communicate the new requirements to high school students in our area. In conjunction with the Board of Regents, ULM will be hosting a Freshman Fair on April 27 for students in the 9th through the 11th grade. At that time we will be informing these students of the new admissions requirements and the opportunities that we have to assist them in getting ready for college. We are also working with the Board of Supervisors on their R U Ready for College? program. We know that if students understand the increase in admission standards, they will rise to meet those new standards.
The fall of 2005 will be important to ULM. However, recruiting is important to us even without the added pressure of an increase in admission standards. There is a new group of high school students every year seeking information on colleges and universities. We, collectively and individually, must never miss an opportunity to make sure they know the overwhelming benefits to them of a University of Louisiana at Monroe education.
Another of the challenges before us is to keep the students who enroll. We must adapt to the ever-changing nature and needs of our students. Increasingly, our student body is composed not just of recent high-school graduates, but of professionals and others from all age groups. When asked, our current students report that one of the qualities they value most is ULM's flexibility. Our faculty and staff are known for being friendly and making extraordinary efforts to help students accomplish their goals. We will step up our efforts in the future with more online classes, increased retention efforts, and greater flexibility. In that light, I would like to thank Barbara Michaelides for her work as Interim Director of Retention.
ULM is growing in enrollment and in prestige. In the days ahead, we must maintain our momentum and our focus. We will continue building a great university with an outstanding faculty and staff who put our students first.
James E. Cofer, Sr.
ULM President