Good morning and thank you for coming out today to join me in a reflection of the progress we have made over the past year and a half as we move forward with our goal of becoming the Premier Learning Community in Ohio, and One of the Best in the Nation. Our goal is a lofty one, yet nothing less than institutional excellence is our destiny. A special greeting goes out to our colleagues and students on our Firelands campus who join us by way of "compressed video," and also to members of our main campus who are seated in overflow rooms in this building or join us by closed circuit TV. 
I initiated today's gathering of community in order for all of us to stay informed of the many new initiatives that are flourishing on our campus. This inaugural "State of the University Address" is the first of many that I intend to deliver at the beginning of each spring semester so that we have a built-in opportunity each year to come together for a review of our progress toward our stated goals. It is important to keep the channels of communication open as we aggressively pursue our institutional goals. 

Let me say at the outset of today's address that we are in the enviable position of having to play "catch-up" with ourselves by gathering here this morning. That is to say, not only are we on track with the goals and direction that we set for ourselves over the past eighteen months, but in many ways we have surpassed the expectations that we have set. Is this to say that we have met all our goals and arrived at our vision? No, it is not. But it is to say that we are well on our way, the Rubicon has been crossed, and that now there is no turning back. 

Fourteen months ago we set out on a journey together to build community with vision and values. On November 17, 1995, in this very room, I extended an open invitation to all members of the University community to become participants in change management at Bowling Green State University. Within three months of that gathering, under the leadership of the Building Community Task Force, approximately 2,000 members of our campus community participated in last spring's "Focus on Februrary" event--a week-long series of roundtable discussions--where faculty, staff and students evaluated and proposed improvements for the quality of work-life and study-life of all. It was a time to step back and take stock, a time to question the "usual," a time to come up with new and creative ideas that would move this institiution forward and position us well to face the challenges and opportunities ahead. 

In May of last year, the Building Community Task Force presented me with a comprehensive report recommending that immediate action be taken on approximately nineteen "high leverage" items that emerged as critical concerns for the majority of participants in the roundtable discussion group events. It was heartening to learn that the number one concern on this campus was defined by faculty and staff alike as the quality of the learning experience that we extend to our students. The "learning experience" was broadly defined and all constituent groups on campus recognized that they each had a major role to play in promoting the learning community ideal. 

During the same period of time, an open and collaborative process was initiated by my office in order to establish a shared vision that would lead Bowling Green State University into the 21st century. Joined by the Board of Trustees, our campus community embarked on a visioning process that ultimately acknowledged that the students are at the heart of our University community and that we needed to define ourselves in terms of the learning community ideal. 

Thus it came to be that in the fall of 1996, less than five months ago, our shared vision statement was born: Bowling Green State University Aspires to be the Premier Learning Community in Ohio, and One of the Best in the Nation. And from the moment this vision statement was unveiled during our Opening Day Convocation this past fall, our entire campus community has demonstrated an unwavering drive to realize the shared vision we developed. For this I am deeply appreciative. The hard work, long hours, and extraordinary efforts of faculty, staff, and students exemplify the essence of our core value: pride in a job well done. 

It is important to emphasize that our shared vision has a definite and clear focus and is related to specific institutional goals. Following our Opening Day Convocation last fall, I presented the campus community with eight priorities that would guide our vision during the 1996-97 academic year. These institutional goals were identified based on the challenges we, as a public institution of higher education, face both externally at the state and national levels; and also on the challenges we face internally as described in the report presented to me by the University Task Force on Building Community. I heard your voices; I feel your hope; and I am committed to the actualization of our common vision. 

Today I want to review these eight institutional priorities and the progress we have made toward addressing them, as well as the directions in which we still need to go. Time will not permit an extensive discussion of each item, but my office will be working closely with the Monitor and creating several new websites this month in an attempt to keep the campus community informed of the status of the many and various works-in-progress. 

INSTITUTIONAL GOAL #1:
DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT A UNIVERSITY ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT PLAN AND IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF THE UNDERGRADUATE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
Our number one priority is recruitment and retention of students and the improvement of the quality of the undergraduate learning experience at BGSU. It is critically important that we mobilize our resources and attend to the undergraduate learning experience and to recruit and retain our students through to graduation. Enrollment at the majority of the state's colleges and universities has dropped over the past ten years and we, here, at Bowling Green State University, have experienced our own enrollment decline. Enrollment at BGSU has decreased by 9 percent over the past five years. In addition to a significant enrollment decline, our retention rate -- from the freshman to the sophomore year -- has decreased by 5 percent over the past five years and 6.5 percent over the past ten years. 

With this kind of decrease in the numbers of our entering class, coupled with a decrease in retention rate, we face a significant loss in state funding of instructional subsidy and tuition. For example, if enrollment decreases in one year by 100 FTE students, then the loss in revenue is approximately $1 million. For every 100 students we fail to retain to graduation, we experience a similar annual loss in revenue. Recruitment and retention are therefore critically important to our ability to provide a high quality teaching and learning environment to our students and faculty at BGSU. We have dynamic and stimulating academic programs that will change the lives of those students fortunate enough to attend our University. This treasure must be shared with additional citizen learners. 

In order to address these concerns, I have established a "University-Wide Enrollment Project Team," coordinated by the Office of the Provost. It is important that the campus community understand that when we speak of enrollment management, this includes a broad array of programs and services for our students. It includes our recruitment and retention programs. It includes academic advising as well as customer service. It includes financial aid and scholarship programs. In fact, it includes all the ingredients that go into the makeup of the overall quality of the undergraduate learning experience here at BGSU. 

In order to address the broad spectrum of issues related to enrollment management, the Enrollment Management Project Team crosses boundaries of the University community. Admissions, Financial Aid, and the Registrar's Office are working closely with the Provost's Office to design and implement an enrollment management plan that takes into account our needs in the two areas of recruitment and retention. Members of the Enrollment Management Project Team meet with my Cabinet on a weekly basis to present an update of their progress and plans. I understand that members of the Enrollment Management Project Team plan to co-host this January's Spirit Day celebration in the Union's Falcon Nest, so that those of you who are not yet familiar with the Team and its work will have an opportunity to meet and talk informally with them at the end of this month. 

Recruitment and retention are the responsibility of each and every one of us. If any of you are thinking that this new enrollment management program is just a new name for our traditional admissions program, I can guarantee you, it is not. It includes curriculum management, academic advising, articulation agreements with community colleges, as well as a host of other programs and services -- all designed with the improvement of the undergraduate learning experience in mind. 

On February 17, the Office of Admissions will hold its 1997 Presidents' Day Open House. Last year we had over 3,000 prospective students and family members visit our campus during this event. All members of the campus community are encouraged to be on hand on that day to greet our visitors and to acquaint them with the resources of Bowling Green State University. To the faculty, in particular, I say: our students come here because of you. We need you to tell our story. 

Several other task forces and project teams have been formed in order to address the goal of improving the quality of the learning environment for our students. I have just received the final report of the "Task Force on Student Customer Service" that was formed last fall in response to a recommendation from the Building Community Task Force regarding service to students at BGSU. A new slogan recommended by this Task Force is "A+ Service" and Task Force members are committed to moving ahead with concrete steps that will help us to retain students who enroll in the learning community at BG. I am pleased to announce that their recommendations will be forwarded to the appropriate offices for implementation. 

The "Student Union Feasibility Study Steering Committee" has been working with an architectural firm as part of a review of our plans to either renovate the current Union or build a new one. Our goal is to provide high quality learning space outside of the classroom with further opportunities to build community at BGSU for students, faculty, and staff. An extensive survey of students' needs was conducted last semester and an open forum will be held on January 22 for all members of the campus community to voice their concerns regarding the Union project. 

I must note that I am pleased that the University Union has responded to student requests and will extend its service hours to students and the campus community during the evening and on weekends. I also understand that the Division of Student Affairs is working to reinstate the information kiosks on campus that students depend on to post informational notices and other communications. In addition, recently the Library responded positively to students' requests for more hours on the weekend, particularly on Sunday mornings. I applaud the quick response time and willingness to make every effort to address students' concerns. 

A critical task force which has been meeting this past semester is the "Academic Advising Task Force," chaired by Dean Joe Cranny of the College of Arts and Sciences. This group is charged with the examination of the current advising structure and making recommendations regarding its improvement. This Task Force is currently drafting its final report for submission over the next few weeks. High quality faculty advising is critical to our efforts to increase retention in our colleges and programs. 

Another task force related to improving the learning environment for our students is the "Task Force on Teaching and Learning," chaired by Professor Leigh Chiarelott and comprised of faculty and undergraduate and graduate student leaders. I should add that the student campus group "Students for Quality Education" was instrumental in the formation of this Task Force and is working with faculty and other students to develop high standards in the classroom and new and creative measurements for the assessment of student learning. 

The "Student Assessment Achievement Committee" or "SAAC," chaired by Dr. Milt Hakel, is charged with the assessment of student learning at the program and course level and the promotion of teaching and learning at BGSU by fostering a variety of effective learning environments. 

Other initiatives underway include the "Freshman Year Experience Program" which is coordinated by Ms. Jodi Webb in the Division of Student Affairs. Also, a "Task Force on Residential Academic Programs" chaired by Dr. Tonia Stewart and Dr. Pete Hutchinson has completed its work and we will be opening our first non-honors residential academic program in the fall of 1997 in Chapman Hall of the Harshman complex. 

Another initiative designed to improve the quality of the undergraduate learning experience is the creation of a new course, "Springboard 101," which pairs students with volunteer faculty and staff "coaches" in an effort to promote their success and increase retention at BGSU. 

As you can see, as a campus we have made great strides as we begin to improve upon the quality of the undergraduate learning experience on our campus, and address issues that will help us in the area of recruitment and retention. In order to support our efforts in this area, I have authorized a new position in the Provost's Office. The position of "Vice Provost for Undergraduate Affairs and Dean of Undergraduate Studies" is critical to coordinate these efforts and move us to the next level. A national search is now underway to fill this position. In the interim, the Provost's Office has developed two part-time Provost's Associate positions to assist in the development and support of programs, plans, and priorities for undergraduate education. In addition, the position of Special Assistant to the Provost has been established to coordinate the Enrollment Management effort as well as to assist in the development of partnerships with K-through-12 education. These positions will be funded through the reallocation of existing resources. A recent reduction in the staffing of our governmental relations area was intended to generate dollars in support of the critical undergraduate initiatives which I described above. We must direct resources to the areas of greatest need. Decisions such as this are difficult, but are consistent with our priorities and goals. Our plans to move toward our vision must guide all budget decisions as we realize our joint destiny. 

INSTITUTIONAL GOAL #2:
RESTRUCTURE THE UNIVERSITY BUDGET PROCESS IN ALIGNMENT WITH UNIVERSITY PRIORITIES
It is essential that we move toward a restructuring of the University's budget process in order to more closely align budget allocations with University priorities as well as to take into consideration the performance of programs and units. This year I have charged the University and Faculty Senate Budget Committees with the task of restructuring the BGSU budgeting process with two goals in mind: (i) the development of better mechanisms for more closely aligning annual adjustments in budget allocations with University priorities; and (ii) the modification of the budget to create incentives for departments and units to generate savings which they can reallocate within their areas to meet high priority needs. 
This past December, I invited a team of visitors from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, to present their model of "Responsibility Centered Budgeting" to a joint meeting of the University and Faculty Senate Budget Committees. The Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs of Illinois' Urbana-Champaign campus and a senior faculty member from their campus' Budget Strategy Committee presented the "Responsibility Centered Budget" process that they are developing on their campus. "Responsibility Centered Budgeting" as a model for budgeting in higher education was initially developed by Indiana University at Bloomington in 1990 and was recently adopted by the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. The University of Michigan also has recently adopted this budgetary model and refers to it as "Value Centered Budgeting." It is essential that our University develop a strategic approach to budgeting as we move ahead and place our resources behind our institutional priorities. 

INSTITUTIONAL GOAL #3:
THE ESTABLISHMENT OF UNIVERSITY-WIDE PROGRAM REVIEWS FOR BOTH ACADEMIC AND SUPPORT UNITS
It is vital to the well-being of our institution that we establish a University-wide program review process for both our academic and support units. This past semester the Provost set up a "Program Review Committee," chaired by Dean Les Sternberg, in order to develop a "prototype" review process for academic programs and units. I understand that the Deans have reviewed the recommendations and that the Department Chairs are now evaluating the Committee's proposals. By the end of the spring semester, I plan to go before the Board with some clear guidelines on academic program review. 

Vice Presidents Whipple and Martin have been charged with the development of a "Support Units Program Review" and have begun to implement reviews in some areas. Program review is important in order for us to examine our performance in achieving the results that will move us toward our priorities and goals. The only way to improve our services and programs is to examine, periodically, what is being done. The first cycle of program review for support unit areas will begin in late January or early February. In some areas, immediate change is essential, and resources -- both human and fiscal -- will be reallocated appropriately. It is time for us to place people and dollars in areas where the University has major commitments and goals. 

This year we are also reviewing two of our faculty benefit programs, the "Early Retirement Incentive Program" and the "Supplemental Retirement Program." I have just received a copy of the final report of the "ERIP/SRP Analysis Committee" whose charge it was to examine the programs in relation to their original intent and current impact on the institution with regard to numbers of full-time faculty as well as financial implications. In my review of the report, I will be asking myself the following questions: 

How effective have the ERIP/SRP programs been? Have they met their intended goals? Is there a need to continue these programs if we have met our goals? 

Have these programs significantly contributed to a reduction in the size of our full-time faculty? 

Do the ERIP/SRP have a detrimental impact on the quality of our academic programs? 

What are the economic consequences of an ongoing Early Retirement Program and Supplemental Retirement Program for the overall fiscal viability of our campus? 

Following my review of the Committee's report, I will discuss my conclusions with the Faculty Senate. I plan to make a recommendation to the Board of Trustees by the end of February regarding the continuation or elimination of the ERIP and SRP programs. Because of this timeline, I am changing the date to remove names from the ERIP list from January 31 to February 28. It is important that faculty considering retirement know the status of the ERIP program before making their final decisions. Also, any decision by the Board of Trustees to eliminate the ERIP program would not take effect until at least one year after the date of the Board decision. 

INSTITUTIONAL GOAL #4:
ALIGNMENT OF OUR REWARD STRUCTURES WITH OUR INSTITUTIONAL GOALS
Another high priority issue this year is to align our reward structures with our institutional goals. In order to move ahead in this area, the "Task Force on Faculty Evaluation and Reward Policy," chaired by Professor Gary Hess, was established in the fall and is now in the process of developing a draft "prototype" that could serve as a guideline for both "Departmental Policies for Annual Review, Contract Renewal, Promotion, and Tenure of Faculty," as well as a departmental "Review Process for Reappointment, Tenure and Promotion." It is imperative that our reward structure support the University's vision and priorities and these "prototype" documents are an attempt to move us in that direction. As soon as the Task Force presents its final report to Provost Middleton, it will be forwarded to me for my review and comments. I plan to make a recommendation to the Board of Trustees on the faculty reward structure later this spring. 
Also in the area of reward structure, last year the "Administrative Staff Performance Appraisal Committee" was formed, chaired by Judy Donald, and charged with the task of developing a performance appraisal process for the administrative staff of the University. The goal is to provide an equitable assessment of performance for this employee group. The most recent draft of the "Revised Performance Appraisal Form" was circulated to administrative staff on January 10 and is currently being discussed by the Administrative Staff Council. Again, I look forward to moving ahead with an administrative staff reward structure that is compatible with our priorities and institutional goals. 

INSTITUTIONAL GOAL #5:
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CAMPUS TECHNOLOGY PLAN
Another critical institutional priority is the implementation of our Campus Technology Plan. Our priority in this area over the past four months has been the enhancement of computing access for our students. To this end, we allocated approximately $1 million in order to enhance microcomputer access for our students. In addition, the networking of our residence halls continues with the vast majority of our small-group living units having come on-line during the winter break. In addition, Founders and the "D" unit of Harshman are on-line and connected to the network backbone. We hope to complete the Networking Project list this semester. We have also expanded hours of service this semester at some public sites on campus in response to students' requests for more weekend access. 
In addition to the enhancement of computing access for students, this semester we are allocating $2 million toward computer equipment and technology support for faculty and staff. At the end of last semester, faculty and staff were asked to submit technology requests and we are now in the process of prioritizing the $12 million worth of requests that we received. By the end of this fiscal year, we will have spent $3 million of our Technology Fund. 

In addition, in order to assist with the implementation of the Campus Technology Plan, the Provost's Office has established a part-time Provost's Associate position, beginning this semester, to develop and support programs and plans that enhance technological planning on our campus. 

INSTITUTIONAL GOAL #6:
THE DEVELOPMENT OF CORPORATE ALLIANCES TO SUPPORT THE UNIVERSITY LEARNING COMMUNITY 
A critical and urgent priority this year is that we develop a plan to identify new resources to support the BGSU learning community. We should not expect the state's funding of higher education to increase at a rate substantially above the rate of inflation for many more years to come. In fact, in preliminary discussions of the Governor's budget bill as reported in the press, it is suggested that the draft budget gives higher education barely enough money to keep up with inflation. Although it is too early to say if this will, in fact, be the case with the final draft of the state budget to be presented on February 4, we do know that if we continue to rely on traditional funding sources, our programs are destined to grow smaller and weaker. We must find other means to sponsor research and generate revenue. 
Cost containment pressures and changing revenue structures at the state level require us to work more closely with business and industry. Our ability to cope positively with these changes will determine our ultimate success. If we are able to adopt a new entrepreneurial spirit, I have no doubt that we will attract high levels of support because of the high quality of our faculty, staff, and students. We need to actively promote partnerships with business, industry, and public agencies to create opportunities for collaborative research; technological development; economic growth; and internships, jobs, and scholarships for our students. 

In order to help us move ahead in this area, I have authorized a new position in the Provost's Office, funded with private dollars, that will assist in the development and implementation of a campus-wide corporate alliance program at BGSU. This position, Special Assistant to the Provost, will be responsible for the development of new corporate collaborations, particularly in the area of technology. 

To launch a discussion of academic-corporate partnerships on our campus, I have invited the President of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), to visit our campus on February 13 and to share with us his campus' experience as UMBC moved successfully in this direction. UMBC serves as a regional and national leader in establishing partnerships with businesses throughout the community. This will be an opportunity for all of us -- faculty, staff, and students -- to hear from President Hrabowski regarding his development of strong connections with the corporate community in the Baltimore region. He will speak to us on the connections his campus is making with the corporate world, state and federal agencies, and the non-profit sector. 

I have also established a project this year called the "BGSU Partnerships for Community Action." This group, coordinated by Professor Kathy Farber, is charged with promoting and developing campus-community partnerships that will enhance our faculty, staff, and students' service activities at BGSU. Colleges and universities must play a major role in the economic, social, and cultural lives of our communities. We must be creative at finding ways to bring our time, talents, energy, and resources to bear on local, regional, and state problems. We have tremendous resources here at Bowling Green State University and we need to create opportunities for faculty, staff, students, and community residents to learn from one another. 

INSTITUTIONAL GOAL #7:
PROVIDE ONGOING TRAINING AND SUPPORT FOR FACULTY AND STAFF TO ASSIST IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE UNIVERSITY'S VISION
Another important institutional goal is the provision of training for all members of the campus community in order to implement our vision. Last year, we established the Faculty Center for Teaching, Learning and Technology as a resource for faculty development on our campus. Last semester, the Center opened its doors and created a space for faculty to begin to discuss issues related to teaching and learning. In addition, seventeen workshops were developed in order to promote teaching with the new technology. This semester, the Center is planning to conduct several campus-wide seminars which focus on topics such as the nature of effective learning and the development of a teaching portfolio. Workshops will also be held on the incorporation of digital technology into the classroom, and a regional conference on "Teaching, Learning, and Technology" is planned for later this spring semester on our campus. 
In addition, during this past semester, training programs for staff on participatory management were begun in the Physical Plant in the Division of Operations. The training of 29 supervisors and managers with 20 campus facilitators took place in the fall and 247 staff members attended in order to identify ways to improve the work environment. Retreats to build work team skills were organized in a variety of units on campus, including the Deans' Council; University Advancement; and Operations. 

Earlier this month, the "University Task Force on Sexual Harassment" organized a training session on sexual harassment in the work place for the Vice Presidents, Deans, Associate Deans, Department Chairs, and other administrators and management staff of the University. I, myself, attended the first class. Two outside trainers facilitated this informative and important training session. It is my understanding that this training will continue this semester with the goal of providing training in this area for all members of the campus community. 

While training on campus has begun in some areas, we have not yet initiated our plan to provide broad-based University-wide training in the key areas we identified at the end of last year. This spring semester, the Office of Human Resources will continue to move forward with the implementation of training programs in participatory management, performance assessment, and customer service. Given, however, that we are currently in the process of conducting a search for a new director of the Human Resources Office, it is likely that the broad-based training programs that we envision will begin but will not be fully implemented until this position is filled. I understand that the deadline for applications was January 15 and that the search committee is in place and ready to begin the evaluation process. This position is key to the design and implementation of our training programs for faculty and staff and we look forward to filling it by the end of the semester. 

INSTITUTIONAL GOAL #8:
THE DEVELOPMENT OF A UNIVERSITY MARKETING PLAN
The development and implementation of a University marketing plan that will enhance and promote the BGSU learning community is critical to all our initiatives, from our enrollment management plan to the development of new corporate alliances. The Division of University Advancement has been working in this area with various members of the campus community and will present recommendations to me by the end of the semester. We have also established an "All-University Image Committee" chaired by Interim Vice President of University Advancement, John Moore, in an attempt to involve all campus constituent groups in the improvement of the quality of the learning community at BGSU. A third piece of the University's marketing initiative is the formation of a "Graphics Standards Committee" that has been charged with the development of a graphic identity that will support a new image and vision. The Committee is also charged with the development of a new logo identity for the University and is working with three firms on the development of the logomark. Two open sessions have been scheduled for the campus community on January 28 and February 5 in order for the Committee to gain as much input as possible. The Committee will also be meeting with each of the campus' constituent groups. 

OTHER UNIVERSITY-WIDE INITIATIVES 
Other task forces, committees, and University-wide initiatives that are currently underway on our campus this year include: 

• a Committee charged with the development of a University "common hour;" 
• a "Planning Team for Gender Equity in Intercollegiate Athletics" chaired by Professor Deanne Snavely; and a "Planning Team for Minority Equity in Intercollegiate Athletics" chaired by Professor Steve Cernkovich (both of these planning teams were established as part of the NCAA athletics certification self-study which is currently in progress at the University); 
• a "Task Force on Sexual Harassment Policy" chaired by Dean Suzanne Crawford; 
• an "Environmental Scan Task Force" chaired by Professor Leo Navin; 
• a "Committee to Revise the Functional Mission Statement" chaired by Dr. Les Barber; 
• a "Task Force on Family Medical and Sick Leave" chaired by Professor Bob Holmes; 
• a "Task Force on Women's Advocacy." This Task Force grew out of the Building Community initiative and has recently forwarded its recommendation to the Provost for the establishment of a Women's Resource Center on our campus that would serve faculty, staff, and students. Although the particular details of staffing, space, and budget have not as yet been worked out, the decision has been made to establish a Women's Resource Center on our campus in the fall of 1997. 

I would also like to announce that our Office of Institutional Research is now fully staffed under the direction of Bill Knight, who joined us this past fall. The information gathered by the Office of Institutional Research will help us immensely as we move forward with our emphasis on assessment-based planning in all areas of the institution. 

We are also making great progress this year in relation to diversity initiatives on our campus. In order to begin to develop and implement our goals in the area of diversity at BGSU, the Provost's Office has established the position of Research Associate whose responsibility it is to provide administrative support to the Provost in efforts to create a diverse learning community at BGSU. This past semester, the members of our Board of Trustees attended a special class session on diversity with students in ethnic studies. Other diversity initiatives sponsored by the Provost's Office included a town meeting at the University Union last fall where I met with representatives of 19 different multicultural student organizations; and a national videoconference in November in which our campus participated in a national multimedia campus diversity summit. 

Planning with regard to our University's Ombuds Office has moved ahead with the decision to staff the University Ombuds Office with a full-time professional ombudsperson. In the meantime, Professor Rich Hebein continues in his role as Acting Faculty Ombudsperson through the end of this semester. Space is currently being remodeled in the University Union to provide an Ombuds Office for all constituents of the campus community. 

CLOSING REMARKS
Before I conclude, let me say that it is imperative that every area of the University work together in addressing and taking action on our eight institutional priorities. Each unit and division of the University has been requested by me or by one of the Vice Presidents to develop its own specific goals to ensure that these institutional priorities are met. The next four to five months are critical to the advancement of our mission and vision. Reports submitted with recommendations this semester will turn into policy recommendations that I take to the Board of Trustees this spring. 
It is without hesitation that I say that we are well on our way as we move ahead with our vision of Building a Premier Learning Community at BGSU. Without a doubt, the steps that we have taken in the last eighteen months are steps that are bringing this vision to life. Furthermore, I am certain that we have the human resources, talent, skills, energy, and enthusiasm to move our learning community to the next level. The people and programs of Bowling Green State University are rooted in a long tradition of excellence that we build on as we face the challenges ahead. I have always claimed, since my first visit to this campus, that Bowling Green State University is Northwest Ohio's best kept secret. 

Finally, to my administrative colleagues, my faculty colleagues, my staff colleagues, and to our students, I extend to you an invitation which I presented to you in this room fourteen months ago today when I gave my November 1995 "Building Community" address: I extend to you the invitation to become active participants in change management at Bowling Green State University as we continue the process of Building Ohio's Premier Learning Community. I hope you will all agree with me that this is an exciting and challenging time to be a faculty member, staff person, or student at BGSU.