Fall 2009 Convocation Address Dr. Jonathan Gibralter Tuesday, September 29, 2009 3:30 p.m., Pealer Recital Hall Convocation Slide Presentation Download Address MP3 for the audio version (41 MB, 1 hour 5 mins)

Good afternoon, everyone. Thank you for taking time out of your busy days to be here. Fall Convocation is an opportunity for me to let you know how things are going and set the course for the year ahead. I appreciate you making an effort to stay informed and show your commitment to Frostburg State University by being here today.

I’d like to begin with the FSU Staff Awards for Excellence. These annual awards recognize several employees who are nominated by their peers and who always do an outstanding job at FSU. These awards are sponsored by the Alumni and Friends of the University through the 2009 Annual Fund Campaign. Each winner receives a plaque and certificate, plus $500 funded by the FSU Foundation.

• For the first award, in the Nonexempt category:

This person began her employment at FSU 17 years ago and she has served the University in various capacities during that time. She is currently the Administrative Assistant and Box Office Manager for the Department of Theatre and Dance and Communication Studies. She is known for coming up with ways to improve services, like the new box office ticketing system. Students benefit from her eagerness to help them find financial aid and the assistance she provides through writing letters and helping them locate community resources. Students, faculty, staff and the entire community are all direct beneficiaries of her commitment to FSU.

Please join me in congratulating Beth Andrews!

• In the Nonexempt Employee/Facilities/Maintenance category:

This award-winning employee has offered his service to FSU for 15 years. In the residence halls he is known for going above and beyond his call of duty. He cares a lot about the quality of his work and is constantly vigilant about the safety and comfort of our students. He ensures that students can enjoy comfortable residence halls when they arrive on campus.

Congratulations to Michael Beeman!

• And finally, in the Exempt category:

FSU has benefited from this person’s resourcefulness, creativity and dedication for almost 30 years. Her roles have included everything from serving as the University’s first-ever graphic designer to overseeing countless publication and marketing efforts after she became the Director of Publications in 1990. She has brought her sense of humor and talent to many committees, including Strategic Planning, Enrollment Management and the Marketing and Branding Task Force. She is currently serving as Associate Vice President for University Advancement, with responsibility for communications and media relations. Her involvement goes beyond FSU to include contributing countless volunteer hours to her church and local organizations such as the YMCA and the Board of Education of Allegany County.

Please join me in congratulating Colleen Stump!

Once again, my sincere congratulations to all the award recipients. You set an example that can inspire us as we move forward this year.

As you saw on the screen behind me earlier, we also want to recognize the NEW faculty and staff who have just joined our community. Please take the time to say hello to them, answer their questions and help them feel at home. Our new employees also bring inspiration to our University through their ideas, their energy and their initiative. We extend to you a very warm welcome. I hope you look to your respective departments and find a supportive group of colleagues who can guide and mentor you. We’re glad you’ve chosen Frostburg as a place to have a career, and we value your professional growth and involvement. I also want to personally welcome all the students who are here today.

Whether you’re just joining us, or you’ve chosen to spend your career at our University, FSU prides itself on being a place where people support one another. That’s going to be incredibly important this year. We all know that the economic crisis is taking a toll on higher education both nationally and in the state of Maryland. No one is happy about that. But it’s during these moments that we discover our inner strengths and start to see how they will take us to a better future. Today I’d like to talk about those strengths.

Extraordinary accomplishments are taking place at Frostburg State University, despite any obstacles that may be before us. These achievements are re-defining this institution, and they are evidence that our Strategic Plan is guiding us to a new level of greatness.

I want to begin by highlighting something that is without a doubt an extraordinary accomplishment for Frostburg. It was just 3 years ago that FSU reached its lowest enrollment in 17 years. But thanks to the hard work of our Enrollment Management Committee, Admissions and FSU’s dedicated faculty and staff, we have turned our enrollment situation around.

This fall, Frostburg welcomed our largest undergraduate class to date: 4,755 undergraduate students. Our increase resulted from a strong transfer class from community colleges—416 transfer students joined us this fall, the highest number we’ve had since 1991. Enrollment also rose due to increased international enrollment—we have around 60 international students right now, up from 23 international students in 2006. Undergraduate enrollment is 3.8 percent higher than last year, and up nearly 10 percent since 2006. Total undergraduate and graduate enrollment is 5,385, an increase of 170 students from last year.

• This year’s enrollment success, in my opinion, reflects increased confidence in our institution. The word is getting out that FSU offers an incredibly rich and vibrant learning environment for students. They’re making a decision to stay here because they truly appreciate the quality of education they receive at Frostburg.

• Our growth in enrollment also puts us in a better financial position. As tuition revenues increase, we build a stronger foundation to deal with cuts to our funding. We are fortunate to have experienced this stable, consistent growth in our enrollment.

I know some of you are worried that we’re sacrificing academic standards in favor of higher enrollment. But I can assure you that’s not the case. Although the SAT scores of our incoming students have decreased slightly over the past couple of years, their potential is perhaps better indicated by their high school GPAs than their SATs. Many recent studies indicate that SAT scores are falling out of favor as the best indicator of students’ abilities. FSU’s retention rates and graduation rates are improving, as well. For the fall cohort of 2008, the second-year retention rate was 72 percent, up from 67 percent for the fall cohort of 2006. Over the past two years, 10 out of 12 FSU graduates who applied for medical, dental, pharmacy, physical therapy or veterinary school have gained admission.

Additionally, our latest alumni data shows us that 94 percent of our students are employed within one year after graduation. And finally, some of the recent merit scholarships that have been established through fundraising efforts, like the Quincy and Eugenia Crawford Scholarship Fund, are geared towards attracting promising students who have higher SATs. Improving FSU’s academic standards remains an important part of our efforts.

Staking Our Claim: The Campaign for Frostburg, FSU’s campaign to raise $15 million, is another area of remarkable growth. Despite the economic crisis, in June 2009, University Advancement completed its best fundraising year ever with $2.8 million. This exceeded their goal for that fiscal year by $700,000. To date, FSU has raised more than $10.5 million toward the campaign’s $15 million goal. That’s truly extraordinary, given the state of the economy. And this money makes so much possible for our institution; it’s reinvested back into the right places, like student scholarships and faculty and staff development.

• So far the campaign has successfully raised almost $3.7 million—about 35 percent of the campaign’s total—which is going toward student scholarships.

• It is also worth noting that during this campaign period, the FSU Foundation has awarded over $1.6 million in student aid, derived from both old and new endowments.

• And FSU’s fundraising success also supports the ideas and efforts of our faculty and staff: thanks to the FSU Foundation, a total of $85,000 in unrestricted gift revenues has been made available to fund your programs and your initiatives. These grants will be awarded to projects that support Staking Our Claim’s themes of student enrichment, academic enrichment and regional and cultural enrichment. They are designed to help level the playing field so that all program requests will be considered for financial support. Last year, only $41,000 was available for these Foundation grants. Through successful fundraising, including your support of the Annual Fund, this year the Foundation managed to double that amount, which is truly extraordinary. It’s so important that all of us develop a sense of ownership and investment in how this University will grow. The deadline to submit proposals is Oct. 2, and I hope that many of you will be applying.

But probably the biggest concern on everyone’s mind right now, in terms of money, is how the University System of Maryland’s Temporary Salary Reduction Plan will affect us. I want to take a moment before I begin to let you know that how incredibly sorry I am that we are dealing with this. I don’t feel good about anybody’s paycheck being reduced, and let me reassure you that we are doing everything possible to avoid layoffs. I truly appreciate the fact that all of you are working so hard every day for our students. Their education remains the reason that we are all here. And as we prepare for these cuts in our salaries, it might help to think about the following:

• The State of Maryland and the University System of Maryland mandated we have to take these temporary salary reductions, just like we’ve had to take furlough days last year. We are working in accordance with USM’s Board of Regents policy.

And one thing that I really love about our University is this is the kind of institution where people care about their colleagues and don’t want to see anyone lose their job.

• If it helps … and it might not … let me put things in perspective by comparing Frostburg State to other state institutions. The University of North Carolina state system is currently in the process of eliminating 900 positions. The California State System is asking its employees to take 1 furlough day for every pay period – that’s 26 furlough days a year –  through 2012. There are even some state universities that are eliminating entire academic departments.  

• Remember that we are trying to approach this salary reduction plan with a sense of fairness and sensitivity to everyone’s respective financial situations: Pay reductions are spread throughout the rest of the fiscal year and distributed proportionally so that employees with lower salaries get the least number of salary reduction days. We have honored the IPR and Faculty Senate resolutions that were passed last year. We spoke to Faculty Senate, IPR, our unions and CUSS in advance of announcing this salary reduction plan to be sure they knew what the operating principles would be. Although you have already received an e-mail from Kathy Snyder about these temporary salary reductions, you can review this information anytime by visiting the FSU’s Human Resources Web site.

• It can’t be stated enough: Frostburg’s success with enrollment over the past couple of years has put us in a much better position to weather the ongoing economic crisis. We have a relatively strong financial foundation and we are managing our resources responsibly.

This has made it possible to endure budget cuts and not have to resort to layoffs. I’m encouraged by this fact, and I hope you are as well.

• I also want to remind all of you that over the past few years, even though we were heading into tough times with our budget, we demonstrated our commitment to improving the salary and benefits of our employees.

Over the past 18 months, cuts to our state funding have resulted in a loss of over $5.1 million, including nearly $1.7 million to our operating budget, $2.2 million to our fund balance and $1.2 million in temporary salary reductions. Regardless of the source—these are all funds that have been removed from our budget.

But over the past 3 years, despite budget limitations, we’ve made a commitment to putting money into faculty and staff salaries and creating a greater sense of equity. For example:

- $250,000 was invested into faculty salaries for initiatives such as salary equity and raising the minimum salary for full-time, tenure track faculty to $50,000.  This was done to bring faculty salaries more in line with peer institutions nationally.

- We also converted all Contingency 2 positions to PIN positions, which has amounted to a total of $884,000.

- We increased adjunct pay by $200, at a cost of $87,000 annually


- We now offer health benefits to all full-time non-tenure-track faculty which was a investment of $48,000

If you look at the total 1.2 million we have reinvested back into our faculty and staff, I think you can see that the net effect is enormous.

I want all of you to know that our commitment to increasing salaries and equity for all employees will remain a top priority—both now and when the economy recovers.

We’ve also not lost sight of the fact that our faculty and students need a quality learning environment and we’ve continued to improve the campus infrastructure. Here are a few select highlights from the many projects we completed last year with funding from our operating budget as well as other strategic sources:

• We made improvements to the Fine Arts Building, including painting and renovating bathroom facilities

• We replaced the roof on the Library and the chiller system in Framptom Hall

• We completed several energy management upgrades in Dunkle Hall and Hitchins. I’m sure you’ll all be very happy to know that there will be less hot air coming out of Hitchins.

• FSU made necessary upgrades to 2 of our oldest residence halls over the past two years. These upgrades were funded through auxiliary revenues that may not be used for state facilities—this was done with student money, not money from FSU’s operating budget. It’s essential that FSU maintain quality living facilities so we can continue to attract students.

As many of you know, the renovation of the Lane University Center will soon be under way.

It will be closed and taken off line, beginning in January of 2010. Most Lane Center offices and services will move to Tawes and the Engineering Annex during this time. The new and improved Lane Center is expected to open in 2011. It will include more meeting space, student organization offices, a 24-hour computer lab, a cardiovascular workout room and an expanded Bookstore, among other amenities. The demolition of Tawes Hall is expected to begin as soon as the Lane Center reopens.

Planning also continues for the approved Center for Communication and Information Technology building. Right now we’re in the process of selecting an architect to help us design the CCIT. Construction of CCIT is slated to begin in 2012 and it’s scheduled to officially open in fiscal year 2013. We’re also working to secure approval for development of a new Education Professions and Health Sciences Center, which will provide facilities for state-of the-art teacher preparation and instructional spaces for nursing. I want to emphasize that these are all state-funded projects that come from the state capital budget instead of our operating budget.

Here are some examples of some of the planned upgrades for fiscal year 2010. These projects focus on supporting our university’s strategic initiatives, like sustainability, health and wellness, recruiting and retaining students, faculty and staff:

• We are purchasing additional exterior cameras that will increase campus building safety. Having a safe campus remains a top priority.

• We’re developing better fitness facilities to support our campus community’s growing commitment to health and wellness and to assist us in our recruitment efforts. Many students and families evaluate fitness centers when selecting where to go to college.

You may have already seen our renovated workout areas in the Physical Education Center. Some of you know that we have a wellness initiative called CHILL that’s funded through a contribution from AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals. CHILL was launched in 2008 to promote healthy practices and education among college students and the local community.

• We will be upgrading Dunkle Hall’s roof and air handling systems.

• FSU’s Department of Physics and Engineering is moving forward with building a Sustainable Energy Research Facility with a grant of $738,000 from the Department of Energy. The project, co-directed by Dr. Oguz Soysal and Hilkat Soysal, is slated for completion by spring of 2010. Because of the efforts of Mr. Stephen Spahr, our Vice President for Economic Development, we are combining the future of SERF with the economies already realized in the first phase of the Allegany Business Center at FSU. This will leverage this project into a fully functioning research facility. SERF will be a green, self-sufficient, off-the-grid educational research center connected to ABC@FSU.

• The University is also upgrading its Performing Arts Center with LED lighting that produces less heat and saves energy. LED lighting will also cut down on how much we have to run the air conditioning systems. We have to make strategic choices about our facilities that uphold our institution’s commitment to sustainability.

Sustainability is a significant part of FSU’s development and direction. Here are some recent accomplishments that demonstrate how FSU is on its way to becoming a greener campus:

• Earlier this month, FSU’s sustainability committee, Learning Green, Living Green, compiled and submitted a Climate Action Plan that will guide the University to climate neutrality by 2030. We created this plan to uphold the pledge we made to the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment. Frostburg was one of 88 colleges and universities that successfully submitted a plan before the September 15 deadline. Close to 300 other institutions missed the deadline, so it’s outstanding FSU managed to complete this important component of our overall commitment to sustainability. I encourage all of you to review FSU’s Climate Action Plan online to learn more about these efforts, and how you can personally get involved. (www.frostburg.edu/lglg)

• I realize it was frustrating last year when the University announced it would have to postpone the search for a director of sustainability due to budget constraints. I’m pleased to tell you that this year we have figured out how we can fill a sustainability position, despite budget limitations: we are creatively combining two positions to establish a safety and sustainability coordinator. The person who fills this post will chair LGLG and be responsible for Institutional Sustainability and Safety and Risk Management Programs, in addition to leading FSU’s ongoing sustainability efforts.

FSU’s strong academic offerings are also very strategic to how our institution will grow and succeed. We’ve created several academic programs that respond to regional and national workforce needs. It is incredibly important that our institution reflects the job market so our students can find employment:

- We are taking steps to establish a minor in sustainability, so students can take advantage of “green collar” jobs and the many growing industries that are being created in response to climate change.

- FSU’s B.S. in Nursing, its B.S. programs in Engineering and Information Technology, and its concentration in international business are a few of the programs we’re developing that respond directly to workforce needs, both locally and nationally.

- Our Strategic Plan committee is submitting a new mission statement to the Maryland Higher Education Commission that will facilitate approval for our Doctor of Education degree through FSU’s College of Education. It is exciting to think about how this university began as a teacher’s college and how it will now be able to offer this doctorate program.

I want to take a moment to thank our faculty for their dedication in transforming our students’ lives and helping them build their dreams here. I know many of you were drawn to Frostburg because you enjoy the experience of connecting with our students through teaching. I also want to commend our faculty for your work in research: Our grants have increased from $1.8 million in 2005 to $4.2 million in 2009. I just don’t know how you find time to publish, present at conferences and offer your leadership and services to this community. This further positions FSU as an exceptional institution. Thank you for your countless contributions, as they’re vital to how Frostburg is changing and improving its reputation.

There are so many steps taking place that I believe will ultimately transform this institution for the better and help us form a stronger community.

Another key issue that we have to consider is what we offer our students, faculty and staff in terms of support and mentorship. Here are some areas where FSU is expanding its efforts to support Engagement, and solidify our sense of community.

• The University is taking a more proactive stance on supporting and improving diversity on campus. The President’s Advisory Council on Diversity has been instrumental to this improvement. They are working on addressing key issues such as recruiting, retaining and mentoring minority students, faculty and staff. Over 28 percent of FSU’s undergraduate students are minorities. We really need for our campus to reflect the diversity of its student body, not to mention the world we live in. This Council is also working on establishing a University Support Center to assist first-generation students for whom English is a second or third language. There are also plans to create a Language and Culture Center staffed with ESL tutors within the current Tutoring Center. We are also working on better communicating FSU’s commitment to diversity through the University Web site. Additionally, the PACD has been wonderful about organizing receptions for our new faculty members, who are so important to this University’s future. We want everyone to feel at home and supported at Frostburg.

• The University is increasingly developing a positive presence on Main Street, which enhances the downtown with more of a college-town ambiance and contributes to economic development. This includes everything from the recently opened Mountain City Traditional Arts, which celebrates the region’s culture and crafts, to the beautifully renovated Lyric Building.

For those of you who have not seen it yet, the Lyric Building houses the FSU Foundation, the Office of Alumni Programs, a state-of-the-art community theatre and a branch of the University bookstore. It also houses really beautiful apartments for new people moving to the area who want to live downtown. The Lyric will soon incorporate FSU’s Center for Creative Writing, as well. When I arrived at FSU in 2006, many people told me about the rich history of the Lyric building and how it was destroyed in a fire. You can certainly see how remarkable this transformation is. I want to encourage all of you to stop by and check out these new places where the University is making itself known on Main Street. As part of our Middle States reaccreditation, we had an obligation to contribute to Western Maryland’s economy, and these efforts help us to meet that commitment. They also help us establish stronger ties with the City of Frostburg. I see this as a fitting tribute worthy of FSU’s historic role here: We should give something back to this city, because without the City of Frostburg, it is likely the University would not exist today.

• We must also acknowledge the fact that we are a part of an increasingly global community beyond Western Maryland. That means FSU will continue to grow our international education programs and help our faculty to take advantage of opportunities to teach and do research around the world. The University is making this happen by expanding its international education efforts. As I mentioned earlier, around 60 international students are at FSU this year, including 25 Chinese students who are studying at FSU as a result of the University’s efforts in China. One of our faculty members, Sally Stephenson, is on sabbatical at Hunan Normal University, where FSU has a strong partnership. Another faculty member, Yan Bao is pursuing international education opportunities in Shanghai.

• FSU is also making strides in how we are addressing alcohol abuse. We made Alcohol.Edu a mandatory course for all freshmen in 2004. We also make our expectations clear by speaking about our alcohol abuse prevention efforts during orientation to parents and students. FSU’s Student Government Association recently won a state award for its SafeRide program. Additionally, I think all of you should know that University Neighbors has made a point of telling FSU that they notice how much calmer and quieter things are in student neighborhoods. I even got an e-mail from someone in the community letting me know how much he appreciates the progress the University has made with our college students and alcohol abuse.

All of these combined efforts have led us to a significant increase in the number of students who abstain from drinking, as well as a decrease in the number of students who are heavy episodic drinkers. And while I know on some level things are getting better, every single day I have the safety of our students in mind. Anything faculty and staff are doing to reinforce the importance of responsible decision-making is greatly appreciated.

• FSU Athletics is embarking on a new era, one that we should all be proud of:

- FSU Football is joining the Empire 8 Conference in 2011. It’s an enormous honor to be invited to join one of the premier Division III football conferences, and a true asset to FSU’s student-athletes. Being a part of the Empire 8 will provide the FSU Bobcats with a more stable, competitive schedule, and the winner of this conference is automatically entered into the NCAA tournament.

- The University has also accepted an invitation to become a member of the Capital Athletic Conference. The Bobcats joining the CAC is a winning situation because it will improve our competitiveness and expand our range of sports.

• I also appreciate the vibrant art community here in Western Maryland and the University’s role in that community. FSU’s Departments in Music, Theatre and Dance and Visual Arts ensure we can enjoy a variety of wonderful events and performances. I love going to see student productions and getting to appreciate how talented our students are. The Cultural Events Series also does an outstanding job of bringing world-class entertainment to our area. We are also lucky enough to have the Stephanie Ann Roper Gallery exhibitions and various art galleries throughout Western Maryland.

• Finally, FSU is in the process of creating a new sense of community online, through social media Web sites such as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. These communication efforts help the University quickly and easily reach large numbers of people with news and announcements.

FSU’s outreach through social media has also allowed faculty and staff, current and prospective students and alumni build strong emotional connections to the University and share ideas in powerful and immediate ways. I’ll continue to offer insights and updates through Blog from the ‘BURG, which is growing in its readership. Later this semester, I plan to host an online Q&A on a message board that is being added to the Blog. It’s this type of interactive communication and idea-sharing that inspired the Blog in the first place, and I really hope you’ll all continue to take advantage of it.

In addition to all these social media efforts, I want to reassure everyone that I will continue to keep you updated through regular e-mails about budget issues and other university concerns. I know you need to stay informed as we work through various challenges in the year ahead. After Convocation, we will send out an e-mail with helpful links to online resources where you can learn more about some of the issues I’ve talked about today. Additionally, in response to the “Suggestions” Web site created by Mary Mumper, FSU will be posting a copy of the budget on a secure place online where we will all have access to it. This is part of our ongoing effort to be more transparent about the budget.

In closing, I’d like to focus on a final, fourth aspect of our Strategic Plan: Leadership. FSU is increasingly becoming an institution known for its unique programs in leadership and its overall approach to helping students find their way to futures that will change the world. We are interested in graduating leaders who care about civic change and volunteerism, proactive learning, professional development, health and wellness and global community.

We provide a lot of great activities and learning experiences that give students opportunities to develop leadership skills that are truly transformative, and we want to continue enhancing this key aspect of education here. For example, the President’s Leadership Circle. I see all of the students participating in this program who are with us today.

I believe we can also approach leadership as part of an overall focus of this institution that goes beyond disciplines, departments, and other divisions. There’s a quote by education advocate Eliot Wigginton that I think sums up what we need to remember this year as we collectively define Frostburg as an institution.

We teach, and at the same time allow ourselves to be taught by those we teach.
We talk, and at the same time, listen.
We experience the world anew through another’s eyes.
And therein lies the secret of renewal.
It comes, in part, from allowing ourselves to accept from students some of the same positive energy we try to put out into their lives.
We refuel each other.

Take some time every day to remind yourselves of our common purpose here: to provide students with an exceptional education. Think about how you will be a leader as a member of this campus, and how your leadership in turn will define what kind of university this is.

Clear communication, respect and common courtesy for one another will be incredibly significant in how we make progress in the coming months. Please keep that in mind before you hit “Reply All” or decide to post comments in online forums. If possible, it never hurts to talk to someone face to face and in person. Take a little time to just leave your desk and take a short walk around our campus.

We’re all going to be dealing with moments of feeling overwhelmed, and the best that we can do is just be sensitive to people around us. To not make assumptions about what any one of us might be dealing within our own personal lives.

(Marching Band starts to trickle out onstage, unbeknownst to Dr. Gibralter)

I think most of you assume I’m a very serious academic person who would never try to end this convocation on a positive note by doing anything glitzy. I would never resort to cheap tricks like special effects with lighting (spotlight on Dr. Gibralter; lights, smoke).

Or making silly little puppets pop out (Bob E. Cat and Kitty appear at side of the stage).

Or that I’ll bring in the marching band, I mean, come on. That’s cheap and it’s certainly beneath me.

(Marching Band plays “Bobcat Fever” and Bobcat mascot, Bob and Kitty dance. Once song is finished, Dr. Gibralter concludes.)

Once again, thank you so much for being here today! Many thanks to Phil Klickman and FSU’s Marching Band for sharing their school spirit with us. I really believe we have a promising future ahead of us, and I’m enormously proud of all that we’ve already accomplished. Have an outstanding year, everybody.

GO BOBCATS!