Straight Talk from the President - May 5, 2008
Dear Colleagues,
More than 700 graduates will walk across the stage May 17 and receive their diplomas, marking a monumental accomplishment in their lives. Just as remarkable, and maybe even more so, are the journeys that lead them to that stage. Each one of those graduates has a story, and each one of you, through your contributions to this university, are woven into that story. Our future nurses, artists, pharmacists, atmospheric scientists, therapists, and economists are shaped by your outstanding achievements: your research, your knowledge and your community outreach efforts.
Your accomplishments and contributions to our university during the past year alone are incredible. We met several stringent accreditation standards: our College of Business Administration maintained accreditation of degree programs in business administration and accounting; our institution is now one of only 13 universities in the United States to offer both an accredited M.A. and an accredited Ph.D. in Marriage and Family Therapy; our long-term care concentration in the gerontology graduate program is the first in the U.S. to be nationally accredited; and our Speech Pathology graduate program met accreditation. We continue to achieve even more. Our College of Pharmacy received an excellent exit review, essential to maintaining accreditation. The College of Education and Human Development faculty and staff continue to prepare for NCATE, and talented individuals from all facets of the university continue to work on reaffirming our SACS accreditation.
Our achievements this year will also benefit our greater community for years to come. For example, our College of Education and Human Development acquired a five-year grant totaling $5,315,894 that will fund TEACH Delta Region, a project that attracts talented individuals into Louisiana-Mississippi Delta region classrooms. The U.S. Office of Innovation and Improvement awarded the grant, a collaborative project between ULM and Jackson State University. Our College of Business Administration announced the New Northeast Louisiana Business and Community Development Center, where our faculty experts will share their resources with rural communities, nurture entrepreneurs, and help small businesses flourish. A major Australian pharmaceutical company awarded a $618,000 grant to Dr. Paul Sylvester to research breast cancer.
This year, we also established several new opportunities for our students. We patterned our mathematics and English course redesigns after the National Center for Academic Transformation's Roadmap to Redesign philosophy. The Science Education Alliance of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute selected ULM as one of 12 universities to participate in a national genomics research initiative, involving our first-year college students in isolating and characterizing bacteriophage DNA. In our new Social Science Research Lab, faculty in criminal justice, political science, sociology, social psychology, as well as other fields, are working with our students on applied research and development projects bettering our community. Our nursing students are working with cutting-edge technology in our new Clinical Simulation Center.
We gained additional national recognition during the past year. Our Speech and Debate Team captured its first individual national championship and its first team national championship, beating 19 universities—including Harvard University and California State University—in the International Public Debate Association’s National Championship Tournament. Atmospheric science major Matthew Clay beat 318 freshmen and sophomores from MIT, Penn State, Georgia Tech, Texas A&M, etc. in a national weather forecasting contest. The National Marrow Donor Program presented our university with the Volunteer Innovation Award, recognizing the extraordinary outcome of ULM's Bone Marrow Drive in February, when more than 2,600 faculty, staff, and students set a national record for participation in a one-day drive. Our Water Ski Team won its 20th national championship title, and our cheerleaders won yet another national championship title. Our school spirit hit all-time highs when we welcomed ESPN2 to our gridiron and again when we beat Alabama.
I could continue extolling your accomplishments, and please know that I am aware of each and every one of your grants, books, and milestones, as well as your hard work. We expended considerable effort to accomplish all of this. When we witness our students achieve a great milestone in a couple of weeks, know how much your contributions matter.
Take care of yourself and rest while you can. I hope you all have a wonderful summer, and I look forward to seeing you again in the fall.
Sincerely,
James E. Cofer
President