President's Address

PRESIDENT SIDNEY A. RIBEAU
OPENING DAY ADDRESS
AUGUST 17, 2007

BEFORE WE BEGIN TODAY, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK MATT SKITZKI FOR PROVIDING HIS PIANO SKILLS FOR US THIS MORNING; MATT IS A 2007 GRADUATE OF OUR COLLEGE OF MUSICAL ARTS AND HAS BEEN GRACIOUS ENOUGH TO PERFORM FOR US IN THE PAST. AND NOW, I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE KELLY ANDERSON, A NEW FACULTY MEMBER OF THE COLLEGE OF MUSICAL ARTS, WHO WILL SING THE NATIONAL ANTHEM.

(ANTHEM)

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, KELLY. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO WELCOME THE MEMBERS OF OUR FIRELANDS CAMPUS COMMUNITY VIEWING THIS SPEECH; I’M GLAD THAT ALL OF YOU COULD BE A PART OF OUR OPENING DAY FESTIVITIES. I WOULD ADDITIONALLY LIKE TO RECOGNIZE OUR GUESTS – WOULD THE MEMBERS OF OUR BOARD OF TRUSTEES PLEASE STAND? IT IS WONDERFUL TO HAVE ALL OF YOU HERE WITH US. AND COULD ALL LOCAL AND STATE OFFICIALS JOINING US PLEASE STAND? I GREATLY APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT HERE TODAY AS WE BEGIN A NEW YEAR AT BOWLING GREEN STATE UNIVERSITY.

OPENING DAY CARRIES WITH IT A GREAT DEAL OF SIGNIFICANCE. AS STUDENTS BEGIN TO MOVE IN, AS FRESHMEN BEGIN TAKING PART IN THEIR BG EXPERIENCE SESSIONS, AS OUR FACULTY AND STAFF SETTLE BACK INTO THE RHYTHM OF THE ACADEMIC YEAR, IT IS THE DAY IN WHICH WE OPEN THE GATES WIDE AND PROCLAIM THAT WE ARE TRULY POISED AND READY FOR A NEW YEAR TO BEGIN. IT IS HERE AND NOW THAT WE CONTINUE TO WORK TOWARDS OUR PREVIOUS GOALS AND TO SET NEW ONES, CHARTING OUR COURSE FOR THE NEXT SEMESTER, THE NEXT YEAR, THE NEXT DECADE, AND BEYOND. OPENING DAY IS A NEW DAY FOR ALL OF US.

HOWEVER, WHEN I SAY “A NEW DAY” I DO NOT MEAN IT IN THE SIMPLE WAY THAT IT SOUNDS. THIS IS NOT MERELY A NEW DAY, BUT A DIFFERENT DAY AS WELL. IN SOME RESPECTS, TRUE, IT HAS THE FEATURES OF ANY DAY – IT IS FULL OF POSSIBILITY, OF STRETCHES OF TIME IN WHICH ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN, IN WHICH GREAT THINGS CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED, IN WHICH OPPORTUNITIES TO ACHIEVE AND CELEBRATE ABOUND. IN OTHER RESPECTS, HOWEVER, THIS DIFFERENT DAY IS ONE IN WHICH WE FIND MANY CHANGES HAVE TAKEN PLACE FROM THE DAY BEFORE, LARGE AND SMALL, WHICH HAVE CONSEQUENCES FOR US ALL.

SINCE I LAST DELIVERED MY OPENING DAY ADDRESS ONE YEAR AGO, CHANGES ON THE NATIONAL, STATE AND LOCAL LEVELS HAVE BEEN MANY. NATIONALLY, WHILE THE WARS IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN CONTINUE ON, POLITICAL LEADERSHIP HAS CHANGED IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND THE SENATE, WITH THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY HOLDING SLIM MAJORITIES IN EACH, INSTALLING THE FIRST WOMAN SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE, NANCY PELOSI. ADDITIONALLY, IN SEPTEMBER 2006, A COMMISSION APPOINTED BY MARGARET SPELLINGS, U.S. SECRETARY OF EDUCATION, ISSUED THE REPORT A TEST OF LEADERSHIP: CHARTING THE FUTURE OF U.S. HIGHER EDUCATION. THIS REPORT EXAMINES THE STATUS OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN AMERICA, FOCUSING ON THE VALUE OF HIGHER EDUCATION, ACCESS, COST AND AFFORDABILITY, FINANCIAL AID, LEARNING, TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY, AND INNOVATION. IT FEATURES A NUMBER OF RECOMMENDATIONS FOR HOW OUR INSTITUTIONS CAN BETTER OURSELVES FOR THE NEW CENTURY.

THIS REPORT PULLS NO PUNCHES IN NOTING THAT THE APPARENT EFFECTIVENESS AND VALUE OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN AMERICA HAS BECOME STAGNANT. THE UNITED STATES, THE REPORT NOTES, HAS SLIPPED TO 12TH IN EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT AMONG OUR PEERS WORLDWIDE, AND MAKES MUCH OF THE FACT THAT, THROUGHOUT THE NATION, OUR GRADUATES ARE LESS LITERATE, AND EMPLOYERS NOTE THAT THEY LACK FUNDAMENTAL SKILLS FOR SUCCESS IN THE WORKPLACE. THE REPORT ADROITLY DISSECTS THE PROBLEMS OF OUR INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING ON A NUMBER OF LEVELS, AND OFFERS SUGGESTIONS FOR HELPING TO SOLVE THEM.

I WOULD SPECIFICALLY LIKE TO LINGER ON THE TOPICS OF STUDENT LEARNING, AND TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY. THE COMMISSION REPORT NOTES THAT, AND I QUOTE, “TO MEET THE CHALLENGES OF THE 21ST CENTURY, HIGHER EDUCATION MUST CHANGE FROM A SYSTEM PRIMARILY BASED ON REPUTATION TO ONE BASED ON PERFORMANCE,” AND “POSTSECONDARY INSTITUTIONS SHOULD MEASURE AND REPORT MEANINGFUL STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES.” WE HAVE ALREADY BEGUN PRELIMINARY WORK FOCUSED ON THESE AREAS, BUT TO TRULY HELP OUR STUDENTS REALIZE THEIR VAST POTENTIAL, WE MUST KNOW FULLY AND TRULY WHAT IT IS WE EXPECT OUR STUDENTS TO GAIN DURING THEIR TIME HERE. WE MUST CREATE AND STANDARDIZE ELEGANT METHODS OF EVALUATION WHICH WILL ALLOW US TO ASCERTAIN WHAT OUR STUDENTS LEARN, ARE PROFICIENT IN, AND CAN ACCOMPLISH AS A RESULT OF A BOWLING GREEN STATE UNIVERSITY EDUCATION.

EDUCATION HAS ALSO BEEN A MAJOR CONSIDERATION AT THE STATE LEVEL. MIRRORING THE CHANGES IN WASHINGTON, A DEMOCRATIC GOVERNOR, TED STRICKLAND, NOW HEADS THE POLITICAL LEADERSHIP OF OUR GREAT STATE OF OHIO, AND HAS PUBLICLY STATED A PROFOUND INTEREST IN HIGHER EDUCATION. A NEW CHANCELLOR OF THE OHIO BOARD OF REGENTS, ERIC FINGERHUT, HAS BEEN APPOINTED AND IN THIS POST NOW REPORTS DIRECTLY TO THE GOVERNOR HIMSELF AS A MEMBER OF HIS CABINET. CHANCELLOR FINGERHUT IS CHARGED WITH DEVELOPING A TEN-YEAR MASTER PLAN FOR HIGHER EDUCATION IN THE STATE.

AS A PART OF THEIR BIENNIAL BUDGET, THE STATE LEGISLATURE HAS PROVIDED A 5% OVERALL INCREASE IN STATE SHARE OF INSTRUCTION FOR HIGHER EDUCATION THIS YEAR, AND 10% NEXT YEAR. HOWEVER, IN ORDER TO REALIZE THESE ADDITIONAL FUNDS, WE ARE REQUIRED TO FORGO ANY INCREASE IN TUITION AND GENERAL FEES FOR BOTH YEARS. THIS INCREASE AMOUNTS TO ROUGHLY $5.1 MILLION DOLLARS FOR BGSU, TOTALING A STATE SHARE OF INSTRUCTION JUST SHY OF $77 MILLION DOLLARS, COMPARED TO $71.8 MILLION DOLLARS LAST YEAR. TAKING INTO ACCOUNT ENROLLMENT FIGURES, STUDENT FEES AND OTHER INCOME, OUR EDUCATIONAL AND GENERAL BUDGET FOR THE YEAR PROVIDES SLIGHTLY MORE THAN $263 MILLION, AS COMPARED TO LAST YEAR’S BUDGET OF JUST OVER $259 MILLION.

OUR TOTAL INSTITUTIONAL COSTS, HOWEVER, HAVE INCREASED BY NEARLY 3%. EXPENSES FOR PERSONNEL SALARY, WAGES AND BENEFITS INCREASED BY 3.84%, OR MORE THAN $5.7 MILLION DOLLARS. OUR OPERATING EXPENSES, DRIVEN LARGELY BY THE COST OF UTILITIES, ROSE 1.86%, OR $2 MILLION DOLLARS. THIS AND OTHER COSTS AMOUNT TO MORE THAN $266.8 MILLION DOLLARS. IN THE END, INCREASED EXPENSES COMBINED WITH AN EXPECTED DECREASE IN ENROLLMENT RESULTS IN A SHORTFALL OF OVER $3 MILLION DOLLARS, A SHORTFALL THAT MUST BE MADE UP AS, BY LAW, ALL STATE AGENCIES AND INSTITUTIONS MUST HAVE A BALANCED BUDGET. ADDITIONALLY, THE STATE HAS MANDATED THAT ALL INSTITUTIONS MAKE EFFICIENCY SAVINGS OF 1% THIS YEAR, AND 3% NEXT YEAR.

THUS, THIS PROMISES TO BE A VERY AUSTERE FINANCIAL YEAR. IN ORDER TO WORK THROUGH THIS ISSUE, THE AREA VICE PRESIDENTS WILL SHORTLY BE ENGAGING IN DISCUSSIONS WITH EACH DIVISION TO DEVELOP A PLAN FOR A BALANCED BUDGET FOR EACH OF OUR UNITS.

THERE ARE OTHER CHANGES TAKING PLACE THROUGHOUT CAMPUS AS WELL: THE SEBO ATHLETIC CENTER, A PRIVATELY-SPONSORED PROJECT, IS COMPLETE AND READY TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE SUCCESS OF ITS FIRST GENERATION OF STUDENT ATHLETES; THE SADDLEMIRE STUDENT SERVICES BUILDING IS CURRENTLY BEING DEMOLISHED IN PREPARATION FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE FORTHCOMING WOLFE CENTER FOR THE ARTS; AND WORK IN VARIOUS STAGES IS UNDERWAY FOR PROJECTS IN OLSCAMP HALL, THE JEROME LIBRARY, HANNA HALL, THE STUDENT HEALTH CENTER, AND MANY OTHER LOCALES ACROSS CAMPUS. WE ARE ALSO WELCOMING A NEW PROVOST AND VICE PRESIDENT FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS, DR. SHIRLEY BAUGHER, AND A NEW VICE PRESIDENT FOR FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION, SHERIDEEN STOLL, WITH WHOM I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING. IN ADDITION, THIS FALL BGSU WILL USHER IN MORE THAN 3,280 FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS, MAKING UP THE CLASS OF 2011.

CHANGES ARE IN STORE FOR THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY AS WELL. THE CITY OF BOWLING GREEN ITSELF WILL BE OBSERVING THE 175TH ANNIVERSARY OF ITS FOUNDING IN 2008, AND A COMMITTEE HAS BEEN FORMED WITHIN THE COMMUNITY TO HELP PLAN CELEBRATIONS FOR THIS MOMENTOUS OCCASION. THE CITY ALSO WILL BE PROMOTING INITIATIVES TOWARDS MAKING BOWLING GREEN A SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY, INCLUDING IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CITY’S RECYCLING PROGRAM, PRODUCING CLEANER WASTEWATER, AND THE POSSIBLE INSTALLATION OF ADDITIONAL NUMBERS OF THE CITY’S ALREADY ICONIC WINDMILLS.

MINDFUL OF THESE EVENTS, WE MUST ALSO BE AWARE OF OUR CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE LIVES OF OUR STUDENTS. THROUGH OUR WONDERFUL MARKETING CAMPAIGN, UNVEILED LAST YEAR, WE ARE ALL REMINDED THAT BOWLING GREEN STATE UNIVERSITY IS “CHANGING THE WORLD BY DEGREES.” AND WE ARE DOING THIS IN AN ENVIRONMENT THAT IS CONSTANTLY CHANGING AND FLUID. IT IS OUR DUTY TO ENSURE THAT WHAT OUR STUDENTS LEARN IN AND OUT OF THE CLASSROOM, AND HOW THEY APPLY THIS KNOWLEDGE THROUGHOUT THEIR LIVES, WILL CONTRIBUTE TO THE BETTERMENT OF DAILY LIFE FOR US ALL. WE MUST RECOGNIZE THE FACT THAT, IN THE LARGER SENSE, THE GREAT POLITICAL CONSIDERATIONS FACING US – RELATIONS WITH GOVERNMENTS ALLIED AND HOSTILE, THE WAR ON TERRORISM, THE ONGOING DEBATES IN WASHINGTON, ARE OUT OF OUR HANDS IN AN IMMEDIATE WAY. BUT THE DEGREES OF CHANGE WITH WHICH OUR STUDENTS CAN ALTER THE COURSE OF OUR WORLD ARE NOT.

AND WE MUST CARE ABOUT MORE THAN SIMPLY THE ACADEMIC ACUMEN OF STUDENTS – OURS MUST BE A HOLISTIC APPROACH, CARING FOR, AS ONE OF OUR FIVE CORE VALUES MAKES PLAIN, THEIR INTELLECTUAL AND SPIRITUAL GROWTH. WE MUST ENSURE THAT STUDENTS ARE NOT ONLY PROFICIENT IN THEIR KNOWLEDGE AND APPLICATION OF FACTS, BUT ARE EQUALLY PROFICIENT IN THEIR KNOWLEDGE OF THEMSELVES AND THEIR PLACE IN THE LARGER WORLD. OUR VALUES INITIATIVE, REPRESENTED BY THE BG EXPERIENCE PROGRAM, HAS MADE GREAT STRIDES IN THIS ARENA, BUT IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT WE DO MORE, THAT OUR STUDENTS ARE ATTUNED TO, AND INTIMATELY UNDERSTAND, THEIR OWN BELIEFS AS WELL AS THOSE OF OTHERS, ARE CONFIDENT IN THEMSELVES AND THEIR ABILITIES, AND ARE MINDFUL OF OTHERS’ NEEDS. STUDENT LEARNING IS THE HALLMARK OF A BGSU EDUCATION, BUT THIS LEARNING MUST NOT STOP WITH THE TEXTBOOK.

IN TUNE WITH THIS FOCUS, WE MUST ALSO SET OUR SIGHTS ON THE NEW EXPECTATIONS OF US – AND OF ALL STATE INSTITUTIONS – FORTHCOMING FROM THE STATE. BOARD OF REGENTS CHANCELLOR ERIC FINGERHUT HAS BEEN CHARGED BY GOV. STRICKLAND WITH CREATING THE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM OF OHIO AND DEVELOPING A 10-YEAR MASTER PLAN FOR HIGHER EDUCATION IN THE STATE. THIS SYSTEM WILL INVOLVE ALL STATE-FUNDED UNIVERSITIES, COLLEGES, AND ADULT CAREER AND LITERACY CENTERS THROUGHOUT OHIO. THE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM OF OHIO AND THE MASTER PLAN WILL FOCUS ON AFFORDABILITY, INCREASED COLLABORATION AMONG OUR INSTITUTIONS, AND THE CREATION OF CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE BASED ON INSTITUTIONAL STRENGTHS IN AN EFFORT TO PROVIDE ALL OHIOANS WITH ACCESS TO HIGHER EDUCATION.

AS THIS PROCESS MOVES FORWARD, ONE OF THE FUNDAMENTAL QUESTIONS THAT WE AT BOWLING GREEN STATE UNIVERSITY MUST ASK OURSELVES IS “WHAT IS THE DISTINCT MISSION OF OUR INSTITUTION?” HERE IS OUR NEWLY REVISED MISSION STATEMENT AS IT NOW STANDS. ONE OF THE GREAT CHALLENGES BEFORE US WILL BE TO REVISIT THIS STATEMENT AND ENSURE THAT IT ACCURATELY REFLECTS WHO WE ARE TODAY.

IN A RECENT ADDRESS TO STATE PUBLIC HIGHER EDUCATION LEADERS, CHANCELLOR FINGERHUT NOTED THAT “DIFFERENTIATING THE MISSIONS OF OUR UNIVERSITIES AND BUILDING CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE THAT ARE RECOGNIZED ACROSS THE GLOBE IS BOTH AN OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR SYSTEM TO EXCEL – AND A NECESSITY IN TODAY’S WORLD.” THIS STATEMENT BEGS AN ADDITIONAL AND, PERHAPS, MORE DIFFICULT QUESTION: WHAT DO WE DO AS AN INSTITUTION THAT DISTINGUISHES US FROM OUR SISTER CAMPUSES AND CONTIRBUTES TO OUR NATIONAL IDENTITY AND REPUTATION? I AM PROUD TO STATE THAT BGSU IS TRULY BRIMMING WITH INNOVATIVE PROGRAMS AND DEPARTMENTS, PRODUCING WORLD-CLASS RESEARCH AND CONTRIBUTING INDISPENSIBLE DISCOVERIES. JUST A FEW OF OUR SUCCESSES, INCLUDING SUBSTANTIAL GRANTS AND NOTABLE ACADEMIC PROGRAMS, ARE INCLUDED HERE.

AND IN THIS DIFFERENT DAY, AS WE LOOK TO DISTINGUISH OURSELVES FURTHER, THERE ARE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS THAT WE MUST CONSIDER – HOW ARE WE TO MOST EFFECTIVELY UTILIZE OUR EXISTING RESOURCES? HOW MIGHT WE IMPROVE THE TEACHING AND LEARNING ENVIRONMENT OF THIS INSTITUTION, MAINTAIN OUR PHYSICAL PLANT, AND SUPPORT THE EXCELLENT RESEARCH AND CREATIVE ACTIVITY OF OUR FACULTY IN A TIME OF CHANGING EXPECTATIONS? EACH OF THESE PRESSING QUESTIONS – AND MORE THAN THESE – SHOULD BE ADDRESSED. I CALL ON OUR PROVOST, AS WELL AS OUR DEANS, DIRECTORS AND CHAIRS, TO LEAD THE DISCUSSIONS IN THESE AREAS AND CONSTRUCT A DIALOGUE THAT WILL ENLIGHTEN US ON THESE MATTERS AND ENABLE THIS UNIVERSITY TO MOVE CONFIDENTLY THROUGH THE DIFFERENT DAYS AHEAD.

THESE ARE DAYS THAT WILL BE CHALLENGING, BUT WHICH REST ON 100 YEARS OF UNIQUE HISTORY. IN 2010, BGSU WILL CELEBRATE ITS CENTENNIAL, AND WE HAVE HERE JUST A FEW OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF OUR FIRST HUNDRED YEARS. LATER IN THE FALL, YOU WILL BE HEARING MORE ABOUT OUR UPCOMING CELEBRATION, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO BGSU’S 100TH BIRTHDAY, AS WELL AS THE NEXT 100 YEARS TO COME.

AS WE MARCH TOWARDS OUR CENTENNIAL, CONTINUALLY WORKING TO DEFINE OURSELVES AND ALIGN OUR WORK WITH THE EXPECTATIONS OF THE STATE, OUR JOB IN THIS DIFFERENT DAY IS TO BEGIN TO POSITION THE UNIVERSITY FOR THE NEXT HUNDRED YEARS. WE MUST START TO IMAGINE THE FUTURE STATE OF OUR UNIVERSITY SERIOUSLY, AND USE THESE EDUCATED IMAGININGS TO GUIDE OUR HANDS. HOW WILL OUR CAMPUS LOOK? WHAT KINDS OF RESEARCH AND CREATIVE ACTIVITY WILL OUR FACULTY ENGAGE IN? WHO WILL OUR STUDENTS BE, AND WHERE WILL THEY COME FROM? WHAT NEW TECHNOLOGIES WILL REVOLUTIONIZE THE EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE? THESE ARE ALL QUESTIONS THAT WILL ENABLE US TO BETTER PREPARE FOR AN EXCITING AND CHALLENGING FUTURE.

IT IS CLEAR NOW THAT OUR DIFFERENT DAY IS UPON US. LIKE EACH DAY BEFORE, AND EACH DAY AFTER IT, IT HAS A DAWNING, A NOONTIME, AND AN EVENING. THIS IS THE DAWNING OF OUR DIFFERENT DAY. WE CAN SEE THE DAY’S TASKS BEFORE US, THE QUESTIONS WE MUST ASK, AND THE PROMISE OF TOMORROW GLIMMERING IN THE DISTANCE. WE MUST WORK IN THE DAYLIGHT OF THIS DIFFERENT DAY, MOVE FORWARD AND ACCOMPLISH OUR TASKS AND THEN, OUR WORK COMPLETED, REST WELL IN THE EVENING, KNOWING THAT WE HAVE MET OUR GOALS, AND LOOK FORWARD TO THE OPPORTUNITIES OF THE NEW DAWN JUST A LITTLE WAY OFF.