May 2, 2008
Arkansas State University–Jonesboro
Greetings! The Convocation of Scholars ceremonies conducted by the
various colleges and departments on our campus last month were
outstanding. Irene and I attended most of these events, even though we
occasionally chose to participate in a different event at the same time
when the schedule conflicted. Last year when gatherings were scheduled
simultaneously in different locations, both of us tried to attend both
luncheons or dinners. We resolved to split up this year so we could stay
for the entire program at each event we attended. Congratulations again
to all the honorees, and thanks to everyone who worked so hard to make
each event memorable for our students and faculty.
Higher Education Summit for Global Development
At the invitation of U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, U.S.
Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings, and the U.S. Agency for
International Development, I was privileged to attend this week a Higher
Education Summit for Global Development held at the State Department.
Given the increased emphasis on the internationalization of our campus
at Arkansas State, I felt acceptance of this invitation was appropriate.
The approximately 250 attendees included higher education leaders from
71 countries and 42 states. The Summit was intended to expand the role
and impact of U.S. and foreign higher education institutions in social
and economic development throughout the world. The presentations and
breakout sessions highlighted emerging and innovative approaches to
teaching, research, technology transfer and business development around
the world. Each institution was challenged to develop two new
partnerships at the meeting.
The opportunities for networking were tremendous. In addition to
seeing many old friends and acquaintances from other U.S. universities,
the two new special friendships that I developed were with Professor
Silas Lwakabamba, the Rector of the National University of Rwanda, and
Professor Mai Trong Nhuan, President of Vietnam National University in
Hanoi who was introduced to me by my friend Chancellor Jack Hawkins of
Troy University, which has already established a partnership with
Vietnam National University. Both want to explore partnerships with our
campus and to visit us at an appropriate time. Professor Lwakabamba
introduced me to President Paul Kagame of the Republic of Rwanda, who
was a presenter at the conference and is revered and respected in Rwanda
and throughout Africa and the world for uniting the country with a
democratic government following the genocide that occurred there a few
years ago. I also had brief conversations with Secretaries Rice and
Spellings, and with Sam Pitroda, Chairman of the Knowledge Commission of
India, and Ismail Serageldin, the Director of the amazing New Library of
Alexandria, Egypt (http://www.bibalex.org/English/index.aspx).
A complete summary of the proceedings at the Summit will be posted on
the USAID web site next week. See
http://www.usaid.gov/our_work/education_and_universities/summit/.
Maj. Gen. Granger to Speak at Commencement Ceremonies
In just a few days, on May 10, Arkansas State University-Jonesboro
will conduct its Spring Commencement Ceremonies in the Convocation
Center. The morning ceremony will recognize the achievements of students
in the Colleges of Agriculture, Business, Engineering, Humanities and
Social Sciences, and Sciences and Mathematics. The afternoon ceremony
will recognize students in the Colleges of Communications, Education,
Fine Arts, and Nursing and Health Professions, along with the University
College and Regional Programs.
We are delighted this year to have as our commencement speaker a 1976
alumnus who has a very high position of responsibility in our nation’s
military. Maj. Gen. Elder Granger, M. D., a native of West Memphis,
currently serves as executive officer of TRICARE Management, the health
care provider for the military. In this role, he serves as principal
advisor to the Assistant Secretary of Defense regarding health care for
more than nine million Americans worldwide. Before returning to duty in
the U.S., Maj. Gen. Granger’s overseas assignments included Commander
for the Task Force 44th Medical Command, and Surgeon for the
Multinational Corps in Iraq from 2004 to 2005; Commander/Command Surgeon
for the Army’s Europe Regional Medical Center in Heidelberg, Germany,
from 2002 to 2004; and Commander, Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in
Landstuhl, Germany, from 1999 to 2001.
Dean Susan Hanrahan and I first visited General Granger last year
while we were in Washington, D.C., to develop support for the Beck PRIDE
Center on our campus and the more we learned about him and his
world-wide excellent reputation in military circles, the prouder we
became of his accomplishments and the fact that he received his
undergraduate education and Army commission right here at ASU. We are
delighted he will be joining us on May 10.
Board of Trustees to Consider Recommendations
Later this month, on May 27, the ASU Board of Trustees will convene
to consider several items for Jonesboro and the other ASU campuses. The
meeting, which was originally scheduled for May 9, was postponed because
of the recently announced reduction in the state revenue forecast for
Fiscal 2009 and the resulting adjustments we had to make in preparing
our budget for the next fiscal year.
By now, most of you will have already learned through your various
constituency representatives on the University Planning Committee how
our budget plan, which was almost ready, had to be modified in several
ways to make it conform to the new revenue forecast. Modest cost of
living increases will be included in the new budget, but several
reductions in supplies and services budgets and other areas were
necessary to bring the budget into balance. We are very optimistic that
economic indicators will improve quickly and the state’s revenue
forecast will be revised upward. However, we urge everyone to minimize
travel expenses, use of supplies and services, and to utilize every
reasonable effort to minimize energy use and expense.
Each year at this time, the administration makes recommendations to
the President and Board of Trustees concerning faculty promotions and
tenure. While it would be premature to identify the faculty members by
name prior to the Board meeting, I commend those individuals whose
professional achievements have brought them to this very important
plateau in their academic careers. The lists of promoted and tenured
faculty members will be publicized after the May 27 meeting. However,
Dr. Dan Howard, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Research,
before commencement is notifying each applicant for tenure or promotion
what recommendation is being made to the Board of Trustees.
Changes in Organizational Structure and Names
Several resolutions concerning the organizational structure and
names for units in Academic Affairs and Research also will be on the
agenda. Our recommendations to the Board of Trustees, if approved, would
result in the following:
- The name of the College of Agriculture will be changed to
College of Agriculture and Technology. The justification included in
the recommendation is that "Agriculture has been impacted by the
influx and application of new technologies during recent years, and
we project this trend to continue even more dramatically over the
next 15 years. This college name change recognizes the important
role of new technologies and their applications in agricultural
industry and curriculum."
- The reporting structure for the Colleges of Engineering and
Sciences and Mathematics will be reorganized so that each college
reports to an individual dean, effective Jan. 1, 2009.
- The name of the Department of Nursing within the College of
Nursing and Health Professions will become the School of Nursing,
effective immediately. The rationale submitted by Academic Affairs
and Research points out, "The size of the Nursing Department in
terms of programs, students, faculty, and complexity suggests it has
moved beyond departmental status . . . Changing to School of Nursing
status will allow new, innovative thinking that will foster program
growth in current programs." The description of the department’s
size and reach provides further justification for the move.
"Currently, the department offers three degrees that lead to RN
licensure and four different Master’s Degrees in nursing on four
campuses . . . In addition, it graduates the largest number of
students who take the RN licensure exam compared to any college or
university in Arkansas. ASUJ’s Department of Nursing has the largest
nursing faculty in the state –
33 full-time and some 30 adjunct per semester located on four
campuses. The department alone will educate some 670 students this
academic year."
Four organizational areas within the College of Nursing and
Health Professions that currently report to a director will report
to a department chair. The college will be comprised of a Department
of Communication Disorders, a Department of Clinical Laboratory
Sciences, a Department of Physical Therapy, and a Department of
Medical Imaging and Radiation Sciences. The program directors will
become department chairs. These changes also will take effect
immediately on approval of the resolution.
An additional Associate of Science degree will be established to
broaden our offerings to meet student interests and the needs of
employers who want to hire individuals with at least an associate’s
degree. The Associate of Science will be awarded to students who are
making satisfactory progress toward a baccalaureate degree and have
completed the General Education Core plus at least 18 credit hours,
12 of which must be within the academic units that typically award a
Bachelor of Science or STEM (science, technology, engineering and
math)-based degree, with 64-65 hours total required. In addition to
a method for recognizing individuals who reach this level of
achievement, we can award the degree retroactively to ASU students
who have "stopped out or dropped out" previously but otherwise meet
all conditions for the degree. For individuals who have not been
able to persist to the bachelor’s degree, this will give formal
recognition that should be very helpful when seeking employment or
promotion.
A second proposed degree, the Associate of Arts, will be
implemented in a similar fashion for students who have completed the
General Education Core plus at least 18 credit hours, of which 12
must be within an academic unit that typically awards the Bachelor
of Arts degree. Again, this degree may be awarded retroactively for
the same reasons as the other new Associate’s degree.
Role and Scope Statement Update
From time to time, the state Coordinating Board for Higher Education
asks the state universities to review its Role and Scope Statement for
possible revisions that may be needed for a variety of reasons,
including accreditation criteria and guidelines and overall good
management practices. ASU-Jonesboro has been working on this update
process, and is now ready to bring its revised statement to the Board of
Trustees for approval at the May 27 meeting. It is available here as an
attachment.
Coordinating Board Adopts Recommendation for Formula Revision
At its quarterly meeting last Friday, the state’s Higher Education
Coordinating Board adopted a recommended change concerning the funding
formula for higher education. This formula change will be applied in the
first year of the next biennium, which begins July 1, 2009. Gov. Mike
Beebe has been at the forefront of a movement to make productivity a
more important part of the funding formula, so the Department of Higher
Education has developed a plan that would base 90 percent of funding on
census day (11th day) credit hour enrollment and 10 percent on
end-of-term completion. Currently the formula considers only credit
hours on census day. The Presidents and Chancellors Council that
provides guidance and input to the Department of Higher Education looked
at this option last month and agreed that this would be a reasonable
move for the state.
Changes and an addition in the degree programs offered by the College
of Engineering, approved last December by the ASU Board of Trustees,
also were approved Friday by the state board. From the time program
accreditation was first achieved, the College of Engineering has offered
a bachelor of science in engineering degree with concentrations in
civil, electrical and mechanical engineering. In response to industry
trends and employer demand, each of these areas will be developed into
individual degree programs: the bachelor of civil engineering, bachelor
of electrical engineering, and bachelor of mechanical engineering. In
addition, a master’s degree in engineering management will be
implemented.
Best Wishes for a Great Summer
It is difficult to imagine that we are nearing the end of another
academic year. This has been a really fine year for Arkansas State
University-Jonesboro. I want to thank the entire campus community for
your efforts to make this so. The good will, civility and hard work of
everyone in our campus community are strikingly apparent and effective.
Let’s resolve anew to continue to work together as we strive to make
further progress on every front. First Friday will resume with the
September edition unless there are pressing matters about which I need
communicate during the summer months. Irene and I wish each of you a
great summer. Take some extra time to enjoy your family and friends, and
treasure each day as a special gift.
Sincerely,
Robert L. Potts, Chancellor
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