FROM THE PRESIDENT

Hello, Fellow Bobcats.

I hope you and your families are well and safe as our lives begin to return to normal. I am very proud of the efforts of our faculty, staff and students to navigate the past three academic semesters under the cloud of the pandemic. Their commitment to keeping the campus open, operating and safe is a testament to the legacy and culture of the Frostburg State University family. We took on the challenges and found solutions.

Our successes have positioned us well for the future. As this issue goes to press in July, we are planning a full return for the fall semester. We expect residence halls to be near capacity with singles and doubles, and our new Brownsville Hall will be welcoming its second group of residents. We are optimistic, but, of course, we are also prepared to pivot or adjust depending on the status of the pandemic.

The ongoing construction of our new Education and Health Sciences Center is the most visible activity on campus. Located between the Cordts PE Center, the Lane University Center and Bob Wells Field, the new building will house the academic programs of Educational Professions, Exercise and Sports Science and Nursing, as well as our Brady Health Center, Counseling and Psychological Services and the Children’s Literature Centre.

We are also doing work to increase the amount of collaborative learning space available on campus. With the support and advice of the library staff, we are renovating the main floor of Ort Library to be more of a student-collaborative learning center. A classroom in the Guild Center has also been converted to serve as a student-collaborative space.

You may also recall that FSU was one of eight institutions nationwide to join an initiative to implement best practices in student advising. We now have a group of University Advisors for first-year students to complement faculty mentors in helping these students have a successful transition from high school to Frostburg State.

In addition, our University Council on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (UCDEI), which has a strong student presence, has come forward with recommendations to implement to improve our DEI efforts. The first steps are also under way to transform the former police building – originally built as a school for African American children – into the future Adams/Wyche Multicultural Center at the Lincoln School.

Lastly, we are moving into the final year of our transition from Division III to Division II athletics. All 20 FSU sports teams competed this past spring, including our newest women’s sport – acrobatics and tumbling. I congratulate our student athletes, coaches, trainers and staff.

As you can tell, there is quite a bit of activity on campus, so please plan to visit us.

Stay in touch, and Go Bobcats!

Ronald Nowaczyk, Ph.D.
President