Strong legislative and community support are keys to ULM's progress
Originally published July 7, 2003 in The (Monroe, La.) News-Star
Walking around campus this summer, you can sense something new. There is a new pride at the University of Louisiana at Monroe. The changes implemented by our faculty and staff have produced tangible results, and people throughout Louisiana and our region are taking notice. The entire university has worked hard to put students first in all our operations, and their work is paying off. The "winter of our discontent" is almost over.
Take the recent legislative session for example. It was a tough session, and there were many competing, very worthy interests vying for state dollars. In the end, the Legislature invested new money in ULM and continued the investment in higher education overall. They did so because of the tireless support of the northeast Louisiana legislators and the determined efforts of area business and community representatives.
Northeast Louisiana is blessed with good friends in the capitol. Special credit goes to our legislative delegation for helping to pass the Academic Excellence Fee for our universities. Despite the fact that student leaders endorsed the fees as their commitment to the quality of our universities, it took courage and great leadership to support such a measure. It will help protect a strong ULM for the next generation of students.
The Legislature and the community have placed great faith in ULM. That's why we feel it's our obligation to continuously improve the education we offer and to renew our commitment to the community.
In the past year, ULM has accomplished many things. Among them:
- Gaining a vote of confidence this week from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, the organization that accredits universities in the South
- Passing its first safety audit since the state launched its first audits in 1999
- Privatizing campus dining and bookstore operations, resulting in greater efficiency and savings to the university
- Streamlining operations and balancing the general fund and auxiliary budgets.
But there is much more to do, and we are not content to rest in the middle of the race. Recently, we became aware that our housing assignment procedures needed to be updated so as to protect the rights of all students. We have since thrown out our outdated procedures and established a diversity committee to guide us in our endeavors to create a more tolerant and multicultural environment at ULM.
Housing assignment is just one area we're addressing. We are expanding our recruitment efforts to some initial success. Undergraduate enrollment was up this summer. This is the first undergraduate increase since the spring semester of 1996. The confidence created by these recent successes is a spur prodding us toward an even-greater future. Over 125 people involved with our strategic planning committee are developing that plan. We will soon announce plans to renovate residence halls and have opened a coffee shop on campus equipped with wireless high-speed Internet access. We are greatly expanding our retention efforts with the soon-to-be announced recruitment plan. Each improvement is part of the larger effort to turn ULM's potential into reality.
We have encouraged the campus community to make bold improvements in every department, office, and classroom. ULM faculty and staff now have more freedom to identify and update policies and procedures that no longer work. That freedom is resulting in new ideas that are energizing the university.
Our society is changing faster than we can blink, and ULM must evolve along with it. That's why we're placing a greater emphasis on the academic quality and standards of our institution and always looking for ways to build a better ULM. We're adjusting our programs to ensure that students are equipped to take their place in our regional and state economy. We realize that we have an obligation to our students, this community and Louisiana to educate the visionaries and leaders of tomorrow.
We want our students, alumni and everyone in the ULM community to be proud of their connection to our university. Success is no longer a hope-it's an expectation. We have much work left to do and many great things to accomplish together.