Convocation Address Dr. Jonathan Gibralter Monday, August 20, 2007 2 p.m., Alice R. Manicur Assembly Hall, Lane University Center Fall 2007 Download Address MP3 for the audio version (8.8 MB, 38 min 39 sec)

I want to welcome you all to the start of the fall 2008 semester. I hope you had a terrific summer with some time for rest and relaxation. The campus was very busy all summer, with literally thousands of kids attending our full array of summer camps that ranged from football to soccer to basketball to robotics and engineering. We had the largest on-line offering of summer courses ever in FSU history. In addition, many offices worked tirelessly over the past couple of months to get ready for the upcoming year. The Admissions Office, Registrar’s Office, Financial Aid Office, and many others worked very hard. Our physical plant spent many days getting our residence halls ready and maintaining the grounds while also preparing our academic facilities for the fall. The Enrollment Management Task Force and Marketing and Branding Task Force continued to keep us focused on our enrollment and our image.

Here at Frostburg State University, we have much to celebrate … much has been accomplished over the summer and the past year and there is much yet to accomplish. This is an exciting moment for our institution: and we are taking strategic steps that will move this University forward during the months ahead. It’s a terrific time to be here, whether you are a longtime faculty or staff member, or someone new to our campus.

Our changing academic community will shape FSU’s future in profound ways. In the coming years, we face major transitions in the composition of our faculty and staff as retirement approaches for those who have formed the core of the institution since the ‘60s and ‘70s. Even as we reluctantly bid farewell to those who retire, we anticipate the energy and fresh ideas that come with the arrival of so many new faces. As of this fall, we welcome 21 new full-time faculty members, the largest cohort to join Frostburg since the 1970s. I know they will find FSU to be a supportive work community that will mentor them as they continue to develop as scholars.

Today, I will share with all of you a little bit about where we’ve been and where we are going. And as I share my ideas with you, I hope you will be as enthusiastic as I am and that you feel the dynamic energy of the opportunities that lie ahead.

First of all, I want to share some tremendous news: As many of you may remember, during my first convocation last year, I promised you that I would make boosting our enrollment one of my administration’s top priorities. Thanks to the hard work of Wray Blair and our Admissions staff, the Enrollment Management Task Force and many others, today Frostburg anticipates one of its largest freshmen classes to date: our forecast indicates that as many as 1,060 students may begin their college careers with us this fall. That’s up from 1,023 first-time students the same time last year. And in the tradition of what makes this campus so special, many of these students bring their own perspectives and experiences from a variety of backgrounds: we anticipate that 35 percent of our freshmen will be minority students. We have also seen an increase in our number of transfer students: this year an estimated 351 students will continue their studies at FSU, up from 269 one year ago, thanks to our efforts in working more closely with community colleges. I anticipate that by next year at this time our enrollment shortfall will be completely eradicated as we continue to bring in large freshmen classes.

Additionally, our records this year indicate that many of our incoming students have higher high school GPAs than last year’s class. These are positive developments as we continue raising the bar for FSU’s academic reputation.

I would like us all to take a moment and recognize the focus and energy Wray and his staff have brought to our enrollment efforts. Their emphasis on personal outreach to guidance counselors, parents and prospective students is truly making a difference in our enrollment numbers. I would also like to thank all the faculty and staff who have joined in this effort to help us talk to and recruit new students. So give yourselves a hand.

Another indicator that we are growing is the fact that Edgewood Commons is 98 percent full, up from 66 percent last year, and our residence halls are at capacity. With these rising numbers, it is important that we upgrade facilities to ensure our students have a comfortable environment in which to pursue their studies. Over the past year, we renovated restrooms and showers in Westminster Hall, replaced carpeting in Cumberland Hall and made various other improvements. We have also closed Sowers Hall this year to make much-needed renovations and begin to bring our residence halls up to modern day student expectations. We are also upgrading academic facilities, purchasing new classroom furniture and renovating classrooms for our students.

We also are making headway in our efforts to work with the City of Frostburg and foster its economic growth. The historic Lyric Building on Main Street will soon house a subsidiary of the FSU Bookstore and its Art Deco theatre will provide a new venue for student and faculty performances. We anticipate the Lyric Building will be open to the public next summer. I believe this is an important first step in bridging the gap between town and gown and drawing more of our students to Main Street. We are also working with the City of Frostburg to try to recruit the types of stores to Main Street that will appeal to today’s students.

FSU’s Allegany Business Center is also progressing nicely. This 56-acre business park, a joint venture between the University and Allegany County, brings technologically-oriented companies to the FSU campus that will open doors for faculty research partnerships and student internships. Keeping in line with our focus on becoming a more sustainable campus, ABC@FSU will have a geo-thermal heating and cooling system. If you drive by the construction site, you will see the steel for the walls going up—we expect the facility will open in January 2008 filled to capacity with tenants. Maryland’s Gov. Martin O’Malley joined us for a special wire-cutting ceremony this May to help us commemorate the progress of this project, and the State of Maryland contributed $2.5 million for grouting and other site work.

I’m also exploring ways to build strong ties with longstanding industries that are already right here in Allegany County. In July and August, I toured CSX’s branches in Cumberland and began a conversation with their officials about expanding our existing efforts to supply their operations with much-needed student interns and graduates—the company anticipates high attrition over the next five years. And we have expanded this conversation to incorporate the Norfolk Southern Railway Co. FSU’s relationship with CSX and other industries highlights my ongoing goal of ensuring our students get valuable experience and go on to successful careers upon graduation.

In addition to enhancing professional opportunities for our students through internships and networking, we will also continue to develop a number of academic initiatives that will respond to local and national workforce needs. We are developing an RN to BSN program in collaboration with Allegany College of Maryland that will allow RN’s to complete their baccalaureate credentials. We will also aim to establish our own independently accredited Engineering program in order to better serve the needs of the region.

These new developments will ensure our students will be well-prepared to find jobs in critical areas. Our ultimate goal is to create those opportunities for our graduates here in Western Maryland so that they can stay here and provide this community with a new economic base.

The success of our graduates comes to the forefront as we consider new ways to connect with our alumni and enlist their help in launching FSU’s comprehensive campaign. With the strong leadership of B.J. Davisson, Vice President of University Advancement, we are taking steps to ensure FSU will grow successfully through fundraising and development. The Advancement team is working to improve our database that organizes alumni records of giving. This upgrade will allow them to reach out to our alumni in new ways. It is imperative that we do a better job of communicating with our alums and letting them know how much we appreciate what they do for this University. We must also communicate effectively with them so that we can challenge them to support their alma mater even more.

In addition to strengthening our relationships with alumni, we have also experienced a truly heartening display of support from our existing donors and campus community. The FSU Foundation just completed a record-setting year, with more than $3.1 million in gifts and commitments in support of FSU programs. The University’s endowment grew from a little over $11 million to $13.5 million this past year, with around $293,000 of that amount going toward more than 350 scholarships. FSU Foundation also received several outstanding leadership gifts, including $600,000 to Ralph and Martha Race Endowments, $500,000 toward Kate Dailey Hill Scholarships and $300,000 for the J. Glenn Beall Jr. Public Affairs Institute.

I was very pleased to see so many people respond to my call for commitment to the University through the Faculty and Staff Campaign during my first year as President. Last year, 63 percent of you opted to donate to the Annual Fund, creating new scholarship opportunities for students. I want to personally thank you for supporting our annual fund campaign. The truth is that each year, people give money to charitable causes, and I thank you for making our students and their financial needs one of your causes. This is the largest percentage of participation by faculty and staff in the University System of Maryland, and a wonderful demonstration of your dedication to Frostburg. This year, once again, I invite all of you to invest in FSU’s future through the Faculty and Staff Campaign, to take it all the way to 100 percent and even to consider increasing your existing contribution. As the employees who keep this University running, you know better than anyone how to make the best educational experience a reality for our students through strategic fundraising and donations. Let’s take a moment to acknowledge the Faculty and Staff Campaign Committee, and all of you who have made this campaign such a success.

Your generous participation in the Faculty and Staff campaign is just one of the many reasons I’m proud of all of you and what you’ve accomplished during the past year. Our faculty and staff work tirelessly to excel in their fields and put FSU on the map. In addition to the Staff Excellence Awards announced earlier, I would also like to highlight the following individuals: Dr. Sudhir Singh in the Department of Marketing and Finance received the Regent’s Faculty Award for Public Service from the University System of Maryland for his work as a leader and guiding force in FSU’s regional economic development efforts. Dr. Tom Serfass in Biology also was recognized by the USM Board of Regents with his third consecutive Elkins’ Professorship, an enormous achievement. English professor Barbara Hurd won her second Pushcart Prize, an American literary award that recognizes the best writing published by small presses. Bill Mandicott, Assistant Vice President for Student & Community Involvement, was recently appointed to the Maryland State Arts Council Board of Directors. The Physical Plant staff just ended a streak of 18 months without a lost-time injury. With the help of a grant from the Maryland Energy Administration, Dr. Oguz Soysal and Hilkat Soysal in the Department of Physics and Engineering have successfully installed a wind-solar energy system here on campus as part of an ongoing community project that includes a national conference on renewable energy here at FSU in September. And we have just recently learned that Dr. Hank Bullamore of the Geography Department has received his second Fulbright award, which will take him to Sendai, Japan, this spring to present three courses at the University there. These are just a few examples of remarkable individuals whose accomplishments align Frostburg State University with hard work, professional achievement and personal initiative. I encourage all of you to raise your hands so we can acknowledge you and applaud your achievement.

The Soysals’ wind and solar energy project ties into another extremely important goal that this University will expand this year: our Green Campus Initiative. We already have a task force in place, under the leadership of Dr. Jim Limbaugh, that is assessing the campus’ sustainability efforts and will establish clear steps to guide and outline our progress. This data, including the assessment of our carbon footprint, will enable us to make informed decisions that further our University’s commitment to a cleaner environment. We are also working to develop our potential as an institutional leader in environmental research and advocacy through new academic offerings, campuswide initiatives and community and educational outreach. There will be many opportunities for University-wide participation in the coming year.

Additionally, I have personally committed our institution to being environmentally conscious by signing the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment as a member of the organization’s Leadership Circle. I am also a member of the Maryland Climate Commission’s Greenhouse Gas and Carbon Mitigation Working Group, an appointment that entails working closely with elected officials and state cabinet members to fight global warming in the State of Maryland. These efforts not only allow me to maintain an active stance as an environmental advocate, but they also keep our fellow Marylanders downstate aware of our presence as an important university within the University System of Maryland.

FSU’s Marketing and Branding Task Force also will continue to develop the University’s position as a notable institution and to carve out a niche in the higher education marketplace. The Task Force, now headed by Tim Kershner, Vice President of Communications and Media Relations, spent its first year gathering data and having important conversations about the University’s public identity and its areas of strength and weakness from a marketing standpoint. Over the coming months, the group will compose a strong and consistent message to promote the University. For too long, we have kept a low profile in the marketplace. As a consequence, building people’s awareness of those things that make us special has been largely ignored. Our messages will tell the Frostburg story in a modern and exciting way—a story of strong academics, of student transformation and of a University committed to using all of its resources to help students achieve success. There will be role for everyone on campus to play in these efforts, and as materials are rolled out this fall and spring, there will opportunities for faculty and staff to participate in sharing our story each time they encounter a student, a parent or a member of the community.

As you embark on a new year, you will notice other important projects in the works and feel FSU’s progress in positive ways. Our new athletic director Troy Dell has said the Division of Athletics is interested in building bridges across campus and becoming more integrated into the rest of the FSU community. Athletics will also attempt to develop and cultivate school rivalries and stabilize the team’s schedules in such a way that furthers FSU’s institutional position. Additionally, Troy will improve ways to ensure FSU’s compliance in gender equity issues.

In response to the Virginia Tech tragedy, FSU is also stepping up its efforts to ensure campus safety. Although we already enjoy a relatively safe campus here in Frostburg, we must be prepared for any emergencies that arise. We now have an optional mass notification system in place that will send text messages and e-mails to everyone and keep them updated on how to stay safe during emergencies. I encourage all of you to enroll in this emergency notification system. FSU is also developing a card access system for residence halls’ main entrances and adding security cameras to these areas to help protect our students. Additionally, warning sirens will be installed by the end of September. We also continue to collaborate with city police officials and with groups such as University Neighbors to ensure FSU has a positive relationship with the surrounding community.

Finally, and no less important will be the development of our strategic plan. Drs. Danny Arnold and Jim Limbaugh have spent the summer putting together a process that directs us on how to develop our plan. Now the work will begin in appointing a strategic planning committee and actually developing the plan that will lead us to informed decision-making based upon performance indicators across the institution.

I know many of you are concerned about the state budget and how it will shape our fiscal year. Chancellor William Kirwan has reassured us that faculty and staff are USM’s greatest asset, and that our deficit will not result in layoffs, furloughs or salary reductions. We don’t know what next year will hold. We have been asked to hope for the best and prepare for the worst. We don’t know whether there will be special legislative session and we don’t know whether the “Doomsday budget” will actually come to fruition for 2009. What we do know is that the State of Maryland faces a structural deficit and that difficult decisions will have to be made. I promise to keep you informed of what is happening at the state level and at the system level.

Over the course of this year, I will be initiating a series of topical discussions that will each focus on one specific area of progress and change. We may have a communitywide discussion about our green campus initiative, the development of our strategic plan, updates to the 2009 budget situation, or other issues the campus will face. These opportunities for dialogue will keep you all informed and involved in what is happening here and updated on the goals we intend to meet. I truly hope you will find the time and have the inclination to attend and participate in these dialogues. I do not intend them to be one way but to be conversations so I can hear your thoughts, ideas and concerns on any number of topics.

The bottom line is that we approach this new academic year with many accomplishments behind us and more ahead of us. While we have made significant progress, in the upcoming months we will also be presented with new opportunities to prove our excellence, embrace new ideas and learn more about one another and our ever-changing student body. So in the spirit of back to school, I invite all of you to relish the newness of the academic year and all it entails: Stop by and introduce yourself to new colleagues, check out FSU’s numerous cultural offerings… the Cultural Events Series performances, the student productions and the numerous gallery receptions for the visual arts both here on campus and throughout Allegany County … and most importantly, celebrate and honor your roles in FSU’s success. Thank you so much for your patience, your support, and your trust in me as we come together to make great things happen here.