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Strategic Planning and Budgeting University Reaccreditation 2007 MSU Moorhead |
September 2004 Campus Update September 8, 2004 To: The Campus Community From: President Barden Re: Campus Update New Academic Year: MSUM is underway for Academic Year 2004-2005! Thanks to the thorough preparation by you and your colleagues, we commenced with few surprises or difficulties. I am truly proud to walk about this campus and feel the energy and anticipation for a great year of teaching and learning. At this point in the semester, the number of new students is down slightly from a year ago, but the number of student credit hours is up. We have also seen increased enrollment in Gateway, the admissions program designed for those who don’t meet MSUM’s admission requirements. After successful completion of one year of coursework at MSCTC, Gateway students transfer to MSUM. This fall, we saw more than 30 such students successfully make the transition to MSUM. Students have many higher education options and more students are applying to more institutions. They are shopping! For MSUM, this means we had 400 more students accepted for enrollment than a year ago, but we yielded 35 fewer students in actual enrollment. All of us make a difference in whether students actually enroll for classes – our excellent faculty and staff are what “seal the deal.” The campus visit is the number one predictor of a student’s decision to apply for admission and subsequently enroll. As the competition for students increases, I ask your continued attention to these visitors. We never have a second chance to make a good first impression. Faculty In-Service Day: There are no classes on Friday, Oct. 15, so that faculty may participate in our 3rd annual Faculty In-Service Day. With the focus on “MSUM’s Liberal Studies Program: Where are we now? Where are we going?” we are launching a year-long, campus-wide focus on the liberal studies graduation requirements in place for MSUM students. Expect to engage in thoughtful discussion regarding how our liberal studies program should best serve our undergraduates. Staff In-Service Day: The afternoon of Wednesday, Nov. 3, launches our new staff in-service day. The title is “Be the best you can be: An employee development day,” focusing on personal wellness and effectively managing change. Several sessions are planned, featuring a variety of speakers including Carolyn Meske from the state’s Employee Assistance Program, Ann Dolenz of The Leisure Connection, Jill Naylor from the Mental Health Association of Minnesota, a personal testimony from national speaker Pete Feigal. The campus community will be invited to attend. New Partners: Major private enterprises in the Fargo-Moorhead metro area believe MSUM is a valuable partner for joint ventures enhancing knowledge, talent and skills of professionals employed in the region. The latest is Eide-Bailly, one of the Midwest’s foremost accounting firms and notable employer of MSUM’s accounting graduates. Initial joint programming offered through Continuing Studies/Customized Programs was announced at the Center for Business on Sept. 1. Development Office: As you know, we are delighted to have Patrick Hundley on board as our new Executive Vice President of the Alumni Foundation. We benefited from a fund-raising year in FY2004, and we look forward to a great year in FY2005 under the leadership of Vice President Hundley. New Faculty Representative: Over the summer, Marlane Sanderson (Accounting, golf enthusiast) completed her appointment as Faculty Athletic Representative (FAR). Ms. Sanderson was particularly attentive to the responsibilities of this appointment and served two terms plus (at my personal request) one additional year during the transition from the former Athletic Director Dr. Katy Wilson, to our new AD, Dr. Alfonso Scandrett. I appreciate Ms. Sanderson for her excellent service to the University in this post. And, over the summer, Dr. Benjamin Smith (Languages and Cultures, wrestling enthusiast), was selected for a three-year term as FAR. Dr. Smith has accepted the appointment, which started this semester and is already “at work.” I appreciate Dr. Smith for accepting this appointment. Search for Director of Human Resources: On August 23, the search committee began reviewing completed applications for the position of MSUM’s director of human resources. The search committee expects to identify finalists this week, with campus interviews and open forums to follow. More information is forthcoming. |
