Envision ULM 2006 Speech - November 9, 2006
In my inaugural address I quoted President Keith Brisco of Buena Vista College in saying:
"Certainly a college is not the lengthened shadow of one man or woman. It is the collective light of many people, all committed to the welfare of the whole."
It is evident that tonight’s recipients of ULM’s Hall of Distinction exemplify that thought. The Abells have supported ULM throughout much of its history. Clearly it is not because they needed the notoriety, or even sought recognition. They support this university because they recognize that ULM plays the vital role in the educational, economic and cultural vitality of this region.
The University of Louisiana at Monroe is not just the college alongside the banks of Bayou DeSiard. We are one of the largest employers in the region. More than that, over 50% of those who have college degrees in the area earned them at ULM. More likely than not, your nurse at the local hospital attended ULM. Most of our local businesses are owned by ULM graduates. Chances are, your child's teacher graduated from ULM. The most recent study that evaluated ULM's economic impact on the region estimated that each student generated over $20,000 annually in economic activity for the region. That is not what they paid us in tuition, but the dollars they generated for you, the area businesses.
This past year has been one of the most eventful in our history. Storms, budget cuts, program closure, enrollment challenges, and criticism of our decisions from inside and outside the university, took the headlines away from the real work of the institution. We made some very difficult and not particularly popular decisions last year, but we made those decisions because we were convinced that they were in the best interest of the entire university.
As a result, we emerged this year a stronger institution, better prepared for the challenges of the future, more efficient, and more focused than ever before. We are now working collectively to develop an even better institution with widespread input into the decisions that shape our present and our future.
Our students are better prepared. This year’s entering freshman class has the highest average ACT score in the history of the institution, as does the entire student body. Young people recognize the value and excellence at ULM and we are quickly becoming the institution of choice in Northeast Louisiana.
As Rob mentioned earlier, students now have the newest up-to-date residence halls, improved food service, 58 newly renovated “smart classrooms,” and a new on-campus Starbucks. Who would have imagined that there would be a line from 7 in the morning until 10 at night to buy a $4 cup of coffee?
Soon our students will have a completely renovated student union building, a new parking garage, an amphitheater on the bayou, and a new Clarke M. Williams Student Success Center. ULM can now show prospective students what other institutions only promise.
Our new residence halls also serve another important function. Many of this year’s freshmen are participating in living/learning communities, a proven retention program designed around extending the academic experience from the classroom to the residence halls with systematic faculty intervention.
ULM is one of only a handful of institutions that actively engage freshmen in academic research. Through our Emerging Scholars program, senior faculty work with freshmen on meaningful research projects. Many of our undergraduate students are enjoying the benefits of presenting their research at regional, national, and international conferences, an experience many of us did not have until our doctoral programs.
Who in their wildest imagination would have dreamed of such innovations for our students? The answer to that question is ULM’s faculty and staff.
Many at ULM believed in where we were going and they kept their eye on the ball; faculty and students committed to academic excellence and intellectual inquiry.
Faculty like Michael Camille of the Geosciences Department, who is creating a Geographic Information System of north Louisiana’s pipelines that companies will be able to use to reduce the risk of pipeline-related disasters and Rob Howard, assistant professor of atmospheric sciences, who has collected the only set of definitive data on the landfall of Hurricane Katrina from equipment he placed in Buras, LA.
Assistant Professor Claudia Grinnell was awarded The Louisiana Division of the Arts Fellowship in Poetry; Assistant Professor Ralph Brown was awarded a fellowship to attend the West Point Summer Seminar in Military History; and Associate Professor Turner Steckline studied in Turkey last summer on a Fulbright-Hayes Grant.
And many thanks to John Knesel for contributing to our knowledge of the history of this great institution with his column each week in The News-Star.
Last year many of our faculty received both national and statewide awards. Faculty like Deborah Wisenor, who was named the 2006 Educator of the Year by the Louisiana Society for Clinical Laboratory Science, María Blanca Wortham, who was selected Outstanding University Spanish Professor in the nation by the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese, and Elizabeth (Beth) Smith, who was honored with the 2006 Louisiana Association of Teachers of Mathematics (LATM) Outstanding College Mathematics Teachers Award.
Ann McMahon Wicker, assistant professor of clinical and administrative sciences in ULM’s College of Pharmacy, received The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists Award for Courageous Service for her work during and after hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
Drs. Christine Berry, Robert Eisenstadt, and Paul Nelson are developing a model for predicting post-Katrina and Rita insurance tax collections for the Louisiana Department of Insurance.
Last year our faculty received a record $21.8 million dollars in extramural funding. Many of these projects directly affect this region, such as the Louisiana Transition to Teaching (LaT2T) grant of $2.4 million from the U.S. Department of Education. Under the direction of Dr. Glenda Holland, the grant places teachers into high-need areas. A $1 million grant from the US Dept of Education, led by Dr. Wilson Campbell, funds a partnership with Monroe City Schools to increase student activity levels during class time and improve student health-related fitness levels. A $2.4 million NIH grant funds collaboration between Dr. Lisa Colvin, associate professor of Kinesiology, and Pennington Biomedical Research Center in dealing with childhood obesity.
ULM will purchase their first Scanning Electron Microscope due to $500,000 in funding obtained by Dr. Karen Briski, professor and head of the Department of Basic Pharmaceutical Sciences
In this most difficult year, our faculty made significant scholarly contributions. Holly Wilson, Assistant professor of Philosophy, published a book on Kant. Gordon E. Harvey’s book, "A Question of Justice" has been re-issued in paperback. Kenneth Clow, Biedenharn Endowed Chair in Business, published two marketing textbooks. Linda Sabin, from Nursing, co-authored a book on Nursing Education at Johns Hopkins and Terry L. Jones, Professor of History, had his 8th Grade Louisiana History textbook entitled, "The Louisiana Journey", approved by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education for adoption by all of the state's school systems.
Our Academic departments made notable gains as well. The Department of Kinesiology’s master’s program in exercise science and the undergraduate concentration in exercise science received national accreditation. These two programs are the only nationally accredited programs in the state and the master’s program was the first nationally accredited program in the nation.
The new Bachelor of Science in Health Studies, under the direction of Jessica Dolecheck, received approval by the Board of Regents and is expected to begin accepting students this spring.
One hundred percent (100%) of the masters students in the Communicative Disorders program recently passed the national exam and students from the Dental Hygiene Department had a 100 percent pass rate on the national board scores for the seventh consecutive time.
One hundred percent of the December 2005 first time takers from ULM passed the North American Pharmacy Licensure Exam (NAPLEX). All ULM pharmacy students pass at a significantly higher rate than the national average.
Last year our College of Education and Human Development was reaccredited for another five years by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education and upon completion of the state-mandated redesign of educational leadership programs, our program was cited as a model for the state and received a Special Commendation by national reviewers.
Finally, ULM has filed for its first U.S. patent based on research conducted by Girish Shah, the Calhoun endowed professor of pharmacology ULM students kept pace with their mentors with a number of prestigious awards. For example, Candace Thibodaux, a pharmacy student, received the national student volunteer of the year award from the American Pharmaceutical Association for her selfless efforts in assisting hurricane evacuees.
Stephanie Mullins, an atmospheric sciences student, received the Ernest F. Hollings Undergraduate Scholarship in Atmospheric Sciences; she will study at the National Hurricane Center this summer.
Midhun Korrapati, ULM graduate student in the department of Toxicology under the mentorship of Dr. Hari Mehendale, received the National Society of Toxicology 2006 Carl C. Smith Mechanisms Award. Mr. Korrapati’s research was featured as the cover article for a recent edition of the American Journal of Renal Physiology.
Alecia Goodwin, Nicole Lenz, and Holly Hampton received ETS Recognition of Excellence awards for scoring in the top 15% on the PRAXIS exam, nine students won ADDY awards from the American Advertising Federation with a Best of Show award to Tiffany Gray for “Nike Senior,” and pharmacy student Justin Prestridge received the Gateway to Research Scholarship from the American Foundation of Pharmaceutical Education. Two business graduate students were invited to submit a paper to the International Journal of Business Education.
Fund raising increased, alumni events and alumni participation increased, our football team shared the Sunbelt Conference title last fall and our Water Ski team won its 19th National Championship.
There were literally hundreds of faculty that received grants and published in the nation’s best journals, and dedicated employees that kept the campus safe, clean, and running well. And there were thousands of students who contributed in numerous ways to our progress.
And last year was a difficult year. Envision what a good year will be like.
ULM is at a crossroads. Change has been constant and we are now better positioned financially, physically, academically, and organizationally to address the future.
We now must turn our attention to building on the foundation that is in place. A foundation that is strong not just from our work these last four years but from the work of dedicated faculty, students, staff, administrators, and friends over the past 75 years. We must continue to build on that foundation so that we positively impact the student of today and the student of tomorrow. A challenge that is as exciting as it is complicated. We must now shine the facets of the bayou’s gem.
The first facet is to attract and retain a diverse and engaged faculty. We cannot allow our best faculty to be lured away by other universities. The academic integrity of this institution is our most valuable asset. I pledge to work hard to keep the senior faculty we treasure, such as Louis Nabors, Ruth Smith, Joe McGahan, Trevor Meldor, Dale Magoun, Fleming McClelland, Bob Cage and Bill McConkey, just to name a few. And I pledge to bring the best new faculty to join our team, such as Mike Beutner, Thilla Sivakumaran, Allen and Michelle Johnston, and Neil White.
This initiative also means that we must prioritize our academic programs and move away from trying to be all things to all people and move toward a culture of doing a few things extremely well.
Second, we must continue to attract the best and brightest of Louisiana’s students. We must also seek out that undiscovered gem of a student in the rural and urban high schools across the state, but especially those in Ouachita parish. We must examine our scholarship programs, and we must provide the best faculties, facilities, and academic programs so that we stay the institution of choice in North Louisiana.
Third, it is vitally important that we retain those students, even if that means changing some old - or even some new habits. We must take the time to examine our retention programs, our pedagogy, our structures, our advising, our academic programs, and expand our alternative delivery systems, such as distance and on-line instruction, so that our graduation rate is second to none in Louisiana. We must communicate to all of our students that it takes preparation before and after you matriculate at ULM. Increased graduation rates do not mean that we expect less from the students; it means that we expect more.
Fourth, we must assure that the institution is fiscally and physically sound and that we are accountable to all of our constituents. We must keep our campus and our finances as clean as they are today. We must report our progress openly and honestly to ourselves, the Board, the legislature, and the public. We must, all of us, make sure that those results are reported accurately and fairly.
Finally, we must continue to engage our family of friends and alumni in support of this institution. Last year, even in the face of significant challenges, we increased our donations and our donors. For this institution to move to the next level academically or athletically, it is imperative that the philanthropic support of this institution continues to improve.
If we can positively address these five critical areas over the next year, or even the next five years, we will continue to prosper and be a university worthy of your respect and support.
In closing I am reminded of Winston Churchill’s "Never Give In" speech in 1941. While his Never give in, never give in quote is applicable, I want instead to paraphrase his closing remarks for they fit my vision of where we are and where we can go.
These are not dark days; these are great days--the greatest days our institution has ever experienced; and we must all thank God that we have been allowed, each of us according to our stations, to play a part in making these days memorable in the history of ULM.
Very different is the mood today. Many had drawn a sponge across our slate. But instead we stood strong. There was no flinching and no thought of giving in. And by what seemed almost a miracle to those outside this campus, though we ourselves never doubted it, we now find ULM in a position where we can be sure that we have only to persevere to conquer.