President's Fall Report to the Faculty
October 9, 2002

President's Fall Report to the Faculty


Thank you so much, Ed, and, good afternoon everyone.

I am delighted to see so many of you here today as we begin another academic year . . .  one which will challenge us, I know . . .  but one which also will advance our institution in important ways. I say that with great confidence given the quality and commitment of our academic leadership, the intellectual strength and creativity of our faculty, the dedication and enormous talents of our staff, the energy and unlimited potential for success of our students, and the loyalty and generosity of our institution's alumni and many friends. I especially want to thank the faculty who have taken on responsibilities of leadership . . .  who have worked with their departmental colleagues in advancing their disciplines. Without their commitment and vision, we could not hope to advance as a center of learning and discovery. Please, would all those who have recently completed their service as chairs please stand so that we can acknowledge and thank you.

Now, would all chairs, continuing or just commencing your terms please rise. Our deep thanks to you all.

Over the past year, many of you have been deeply involved in one of the most important functions of any quality organization . . .  that of self-renewal. The selection and successful recruitment of faculty and professional staff colleagues of excellence who share our institutional values and expand upon our strengths, simply put, will preserve and advance the legacy of our University. My deepest thanks to all who contributed to this vital process.

This year, we are delighted to welcome some 55 new faculty; indeed, this is the largest group of new faculty colleagues in nearly a decade.

Would you all please stand and accept our welcome to the UAlbany community? Your new perspectives and insights will enrich us all.

As you know, there will be a reception and formal introduction of all our new faculty and staff immediately following this meeting in the Fireside Lounge . . .  please join us to extend your personal welcome to all our new colleagues.

Congratulations as well to our colleagues who were promoted and/or tenured over the past year!

I am also delighted today to congratulate one of our colleagues who has just been promoted by the Board of Trustees to the highest rank within the State University of New York, that of Distinguished Professor . . .  a rank reflective of the highest ideals of our profession. Please join me in congratulating Distinguished Professor Eric Block of the Department of Chemistry.

Eric Block

Thank you, Eric, for all you have contributed to our university, even as you have so substantially advanced your discipline. Congratulations.

I also want to take this opportunity to formally introduce two exceptional academicians who are joining us as Deans . . .  first — in alphabetical order — Dr. Julie Horney, Dean of Criminal Justice . . . 

Dr. Julie Horney

And, Dr. Joan Wick-Pelletier, Dean of Arts and Sciences.

Dr. Joan Wick-Pelletier

Both of these individuals are exceptional leaders with a vision for their respective academic units which will serve to advance our entire institution. Welcome to you both.

Dr. Christopher D'Elia

Finally, I want to take a moment today to express my deep thanks to an individual who, over the past four years, has made a tremendous contribution to us all in his role as Vice President for Research . . .  Dr. Christopher D'Elia.

Chris has, from the beginning, been dedicated to enhancing the environment for quality research here at UAlbany. During his tenure, our research infrastructure has improved, sponsored awards have increased substantially, many new research initiatives have been nurtured and, perhaps most important, he has expanded our network for collaboration in ways which will help us, together with new public and private-sector partners, to advance our programs of research and scholarship.

Chris, deepest thanks from all us.

We are, as you know, extremely fortunate that Professor Peter Bloniarz...

Professor Peter Boniarz

of the Department of Computer Science, Director of the Ph.D. in Information Science and former head of the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, has agreed to serve as Interim Vice President for Research. Peter, who just this past year was named a Collins Fellow, has served our institution with dedication and distinction; I am so very pleased that we will all have the opportunity to again profit from his creativity and wise counsel.

Thank you, Peter.

Leadership/Strategic Plan

During my remarks to you this past Spring, I focused on the status of our various strategic initiatives and the challenges we face going forward in the context of a highly-constrained fiscal environment. Our institution has made remarkable strides over the past several years in terms of physical infrastructure, student support and student quality, competitiveness for federal, state and private-sector research support, and in the richness and variety of our academic programs.

Such forward momentum could not have been achieved without the kind of faculty and administrative leadership we just recognized.

Exceptional faculty from across all our schools and colleges, led by Deans of vision and commitment, have made difficult choices and devised strategies to prioritize and capitalize upon our opportunities.

Yes, we do have the leadership necessary to build upon the forward momentum you have created; and, we have a Plan . . . 

a Strategic Plan entitled, Charting the Future, as well as ongoing planning processes to guide us.

Charting the Future

I will return to the particular elements of our Strategic Plan in a moment; however, first, I feel we need to reflect briefly on the evolving environment for change in which we all find ourselves. The issues we face . . .  as a university, and as a society . . .  are complex, multifaceted and intertwined.

For example, even as we develop excellent, content-rich curricula here at the University for aspiring math and science high school teachers, fewer and fewer of the young people in our nation's schools are choosing to prepare for careers in technology-driven fields, fields which are dominating national and international commerce.

Even as we expand the expectations of our students for lives enriched by the arts and literature, our nation's investment in these areas dwindles, along with a concomitant erosion of philanthropic capacity to support our cultural institutions.

At times of such complexity and interdependency, shared approaches move from nicety to necessity. Partnerships will be essential in addressing the challenges we face. The societal issues our students will face and our research must address demand such a collaborative approach if we are to remain true to our mission and relevant in the eyes of government funding agencies and private sector partners and benefactors. Certainly, our programs of research and education must first be of the highest quality if we are to advance as a respected institution of higher education. My message to you today is that such excellence is necessary, but not sufficient to our future . . .  to meeting our institutional goals.

Indeed, I would submit that we can not hope to achieve any of our institution's strategic goals without them.

Of course, individual faculty will continue to develop courses and research programs of excellence reflective of their particular interests and strengths; such individual initiatives will remain at the heart of all we do.

However, if our institution, as a whole, is to continue moving forward, and do it in ways relevant and responsive to our changing external environment, and to the needs of our students, a rich array of multi-sector, multi-disciplinary partnerships will be essential . . .  not only in our mission of research and scholarship, but also in our undergraduate, graduate and professional programs.

Partnerships

The benefits of such partnerships are well-known to all of us: courses and research programs can be enriched by cross-disciplinary and cross-sector perspectives; our academic programs can engage our students fully in preparation for meeting today's societal issues. And, pragmatically, those who fund us at the state and federal levels, as well as through foundation and philanthropic giving, want to be assured that in this era of fiscal constraint their resources will be leveraged and will meet the societal needs they wish to address through their giving.

This is our new reality; and, even as we continue to prioritize individual excellence in fundamental research and education in our various disciplines, we must also acknowledge these new expectations and societal demands. We owe our students no less; we owe the society which supports us no less. Indeed, we owe this institution no less.

Strategic Goals

Today, I will focus my remarks on such partnerships in the context of our strategic goals, goals which address our shared vision for this institution vis a vis the quality and rigor of our academic programs, student quality, research excellence, societal responsibility and the necessity to expand and diversify the revenues required to achieve our collective aspirations.

Given that it is four years since I accepted this Plan, a number of faculty fora have been scheduled for this academic year to discuss whether these goals are sufficient to focus our institutional priorities and initiatives . . .  whether they still serve us given the constantly changing environmental conditions we face. These faculty fora (see handouts for dates), coupled with individual college and school meetings, will help to inform future planning and institutional investments. I hope you all will participate in as many of these fora as your schedule permits.

I would now like to highlight a number of faculty initiatives here at UAlbany which are advancing, simultaneously, a number of our strategic goals, and are achieving this through creative coalitions across the university and with numerous public and private entities outside the University. Indeed, these robust partnerships are making new initiatives possible, despite the fiscal constraints under which we are operating.

While many of these cross-sector, cross-discipline initiatives will be familiar to you, I am highlighting them today given the range of strategic goals they each address, but most especially for the enrichment of our learning environment they provide, and their ability to attract the resources needed to develop new educational opportunities for our students.

Series of Albany Heritage Slides

Albany Heritage

Albany Heritage

Albany Heritage

As described in this past Sunday's Times Union, Albany Heritage is a "Community-UAlbany Celebration" marking the 350th anniversary of the establishment of the Dutch trading community, Beverwyck, the civic foundation of the city of Albany.

With the logistical support of UAlbany, over 40 educational, cultural and government agencies have come together to celebrate the rich legacy of Albany. Along with our community partners, faculty from across our various schools and colleges are commemorating " . . . Albany's history and politics; its archeology, architecture, art and music; and, its peoples and neighborhoods" through a " . . . series of exhibits, tours, lectures, concerts, conferences, projects and events . . . ".

(By the way, if you haven't yet seen the magnificent exhibit, "State Street Stories: 350 years of Albany Heritage" at our own Art Museum, I urge you to go.

It is an exceptional view of the history of our City.) The Fall 2002 Program for this extraordinary series of programs has been provided to you. As you review the virtual cornucopia of events, I think you will appreciate the richness of the educational and cultural opportunities provided for our community, our students, indeed, for all of us. In fact, it was the very scope and vision of this multi-disciplinary, cross-sector partnership that enabled us to garner the considerable resources needed from private and public sector donors.

This type of community-wide alliance is a first . . .  and I congratulate everyone involved. I especially want to thank two individuals who have helped to spearhead and coordinate this entire initiative — Miriam Trementozzi from the President's Office, and Dr. Bill Hedberg.

Center for Public Health Preparedness

In a very different area, our School of Public Health, under the leadership of Dean Peter Levin and Professor Guthrie Birkhead, has been designated by the CDC as a regional Center for Public Health Preparedness, one of only 15 in our nation.

Funded at $1 million per year for three years, the Center's primary mission is to partner with communities and local health departments to prepare the nation's public health and healthcare workforce to respond to terrorist incidents and other emerging health threats. This initiative has given us the opportunity — and funding — to mount new educational and research programs, programs impossible to support on current base state appropriations.

Institute for Informatics Logics and Security Studies

In a topically related area, the University's Institute for Informatics, Logics, and Security Studies, led by Professor Tomek Strzalkowski in the Department of Computer Sciences, is working under DOD and European Commission sponsorship to develop advanced information-retrieval systems to help protect our nation from terrorism.

Software developed at the Institute will allow intelligence analysts to quickly sift through an enormous number of news and field reports, enabling them to better comprehend terrorist behavior and develop effective counter-measures. Faculty from multiple UAlbany schools and departments, as well as from sister institutions in this country and abroad, collaborate with government and industry to develop educational programs, advance research, create innovative new technologies, and develop exceptional educational experiences for our students.

Computer Forensics

In another Information Security Initiative, working hand-in-hand with computer crime experts at the New York State Police and the State's Office for Technology, a group of faculty from the Computer Science department, the School of Business, the School of Education, and CETL has received two federal grants to develop new models for education in cybersecurity and computer forensics.

This initiative, spearheaded by Interim Vice President Peter Bloniarz, builds on successful models of partnership with government already in place at the University's Center for Technology in Government and Rockefeller College's Department of Public Administration and Policy.

Humanities & Technology

The interdisciplinary initiative known as Humanitech, co-directed by Mary Valentis and Charles Shepherdson of our English Department, has helped to engage faculty from across our institution as well as colleagues from many other cultural and educational institutions in a collaborative effort, in the words of the co-directors, " . . . to explore new areas of knowledge and multiple literacies emerging today at the borders between the humanities, sciences, and technology."

Indeed, Humanitech was recently awarded a grant from the Woodrow Wilson Fellowship Foundation to explore the complex relations between humans and machines.

Now, a campus-wide initiative is underway to plan a Humanities and Technology semester for this coming Spring. From literary scholarship, to curriculum development, to performance, to exhibitions, to film, to theatre to genomics to nanotechnology to ethics to anthropology . . .  and on and on . . .  faculty will bring the humanistic disciplines into close and fruitful dialogue with the technical and scientific disciplines, providing an innovative and dynamic environment for learning for students and faculty alike.

Center for Comparative Functional Genomics

The University's Center for Comparative Functional Genomics, led by Dr. Paulette McCormick, was recently designated as a Gen*NY*sis Center of Excellence in Cancer Genomics, a partnership including the Center faculty, the School of Public Health, the Stratton VA Medical Center, and the basic cancer research group at Albany Medical Center — all of whom will be working together to unlock the mysteries underlying the molecular basis of cancer.

The potential this interdisciplinary, cross-sector partnership holds for advances in our understanding of the human genome has garnered over $27 million in specially-targeted funds from New York State, funding which will greatly accelerate our overall development in the life sciences, as well as creating a dynamic educational experience for our students.

International Semitech North

The recent announcement by International Sematech and the State of New York that some $400 million will be provided to site an R & D Center, International Sematech North, here on the UAlbany campus is a clear recognition by the State and our industry partners that the programs of research in nanosciences, nanoelectronics and nanotechnology being carried out here are essential to the future of semiconductor technologies, just as they are essential to advances in fundamental knowledge.

These various research programs, carried out by faculty from across a number of our science departments in collaboration with faculty from sister institutions and industry scientists, provide an unparalleled opportunity for students at all levels. The extensive interdisciplinary collaboration which characterizes the various Centers within our UAlbany Institute for Advanced Materials, led by Dean Alain Kaloyeros, has generated major new physical and intellectual resources for our University, resources which create a unique environment for discovery and education.

Business Matters

The School of Business provides extensive opportunities for its students to collaborate with companies throughout the Capital Region. In carrying out field projects which are part of their educational program, they assist small and developing companies even as they enrich their own learning experience. A particularly popular element of the Business School's program of outreach is our own Dean Highfield's weekly TV show, "Business Matters" . . .  a program devoted, " . . . to exploring the success stories of our region's pioneering business leaders." I must say I got a little concerned about Dean Highfield's adjustment to TV stardom the other day when I met him and he automatically offered me his autograph!

On a more serious note, the Business School was recently the recipient of a $1.6 million endowment to establish a Center for Institutional Investment Management. Under the leadership of Professors Hany Shawky and Professor David Smith, and in partnership with colleagues in major corporations, this Institute will provide invaluable research and education around topics of much currency — excuse the pun — in the corporate world.

Rochester Youth Development Study

For more than a dozen years, Professor Terry Thornberry and his colleagues at the Hindelang Research Center in the School of Criminal Justice have been studying the development of antisocial behavior among adolescents, including delinquency and drug use.

This initiative, known as the Rochester Youth Development Study, has underscored the importance of such factors as peer pressure, self-esteem, and stress in helping teenagers deal with these issues. With some $13 million in funding since its inception in 1988, this project is considered one of the most important longitudinal studies of its kind. It involves extensive collaboration with social service agencies, law enforcement and government, and has provided an incomparable educational opportunity for scores of students here at UAlbany.

And the list goes on:

Center on English Language and Achievement

At the National Research Center on English Learning and Achievement, Professors Judith Langer and Arthur Applebee work with their colleagues and students to conduct research which will enable English and literacy instructors across the country to better support student learning.

As the only nationally-funded center dedicated to research on English language learning across the grades, CELA faculty translate their research findings into practice by providing thousands of teachers with the information necessary to help their students learn to read and write.

Lewis Mumford Center

Funded by a wide variety of sources including the National Science Foundation and the Ford Foundation, Professor John Logan and his colleagues at the Lewis Mumford Center for Comparative Urban and Regional Research are examining the impact of global change on metropolitan regions in the United States and around the world.

By blending solid social science perspectives with the latest in geographic analysis tools, these researchers, including colleagues in China, have developed important insights into the development of the world's cities.

Urban Youth Institute

Of all the challenges facing educators, none is more daunting or immediate than the need to find ways to improve academic achievement in our inner cities.

Through its Summer Urban Youth Leadership Institute, led by Professor Donald Biggs, the School of Education collaborates with schools, government and not-for-profit organizations to provide graduate and undergraduate students in urban education with "hands on" experience working with urban children and youth.

The Digital Divid

Further, just this past May, Professor and Regent Joseph Bowman, working together with the Center for Urban Youth and Technology, and the Black, Puerto Rican, and Hispanic Legislative Caucus, hosted a state-wide conference to focus on the ways in which the "Digital Divide"— the gulf between the technology haves and have-nots — is impacting urban communities across our state and around the country.

Center for Autism and Related Disabilities

The Center for Autism and Related Disabilities, led by Professor Mark Durand, is engaged in a project in partnership with local school districts that provides our doctoral students with valuable teaching experience, while at the same time, teaching the teachers how to best provide an educational experience for children with autism and related disorders.

Recently funded by a special appropriation from the Legislature, this North Country Autism Technical Assistance Program is meeting a critical need in our State.

Initiative on Nonprofit Management and Governance

A new initiative spearheaded by the Center for Women in Government and Civil Society, the Nelson A. Rockefeller College Initiative on Nonprofit Management and Governance, will bring CEOs from the nonprofit sector together with our faculty researchers to address the serious issues facing nonprofits today.

Funded by a special appropriation from the Assembly, this project, led by Professor Judith Seidel, will provide our students in the new certificate program on Nonprofit Management and Leadership with a venue for networking, and opportunities to be mentored by some of the leading CEOs in the Region.

And, finally:

Aging Friendly Communities

Our School of Social Welfare and its Institute of Gerontology, led by Professor Ronald Toseland, have instituted a number of research and outreach projects in collaboration with state and community agencies designed to improve the services for and care of older persons.

One of these initiatives, known as Aging Friendly Communities and led by Professor Philip McCallion, involves a series of projects addressing the quality of life and support of the growing aging population in collaboration with health care networks, faith communities, and aging service agencies. The projects are funded by the John A. Hartford and Langeloth Foundations, and they provide exceptional opportunities for our UAlbany students to interact with caregivers, health care and social service personnel and government agencies.

Characteristics of UAlbany Stategic Partnerships

I am sure that we are all impressed with this tremendous range of programmatic excellence here at UAlbany. The examples I just presented represent but a sampling. What sets these particular programs . . .  and a number more like them . . .  apart is the fact that by virtue of their multidisciplinarity and inclusiveness of cross-sector partners, they are able to respond to complex societal issues, even as they create exceptional environments for learning. Students at Albany have the opportunity to learn in an environment characterized by challenging new curricula, fundamental and applied research as well as outreach to our many communities.

Community Outreach

Regarding Outreach, Vice President Gilbert and his staff have prepared, with your help, an Outreach project inventory — soon to be available — which is truly remarkable. Highlights from that inventory will be featured in a new publication, UAlbany Outreach, which will broadly publicize these important initiatives.

Characteristics of UAlbany Strategic Partnerships

Be it partnerships with our area schools, area businesses, government agencies or not-for-profits, these multi-faceted initiatives expose our students to . . .  and involve them in . . .  research-based solutions to major issues confronting our society.

In so doing, they clearly reflect such UAlbany Strategic Values as:

Strategic Values

 . . .  engaged learning, discovery, societal responsibility and distinctiveness.

Characteristics of UAlbany Strategic Partnerships

And, by embracing the totality of our mission of research, teaching and service, these collaborative initiatives address, simultaneously, multiple strategic goals, including the leveraging of institutional resources.

Strategic Goals

Indeed, many of our research programs and many of our newest curricula and non-curricular educational offerings would not have been feasible without the targeted state and federal investments, industry support, foundation grants, government grants and contracts, and private philanthropy which have been forthcoming in support of these various strategic partnerships.

While such external support is normally thought of as related predominantly to our programs of research, my point to you today is that the resources being attracted by the kinds of partnerships I have described have also impacted our educational programs in a major way. The hiring of new faculty, and the establishment of new majors, new graduate degrees, new tracks within current majors and graduate and professional degrees have all been made possible through the expanded resources generated by such strategic partnerships.

Indeed, in the remainder of my Remarks to you today, my focus will be on this enhancement of our learning environment . . .  on the opportunities such partnerships provide to address the quality of the teaching and learning environment here at UAlbany. It is, after all, the quality and rigor of our academic programs which attracts students of quality to our university.

Enrollment Trend and Plans

First, an update on enrollment. New freshmen and transfers continue to increase incrementally in keeping with the enrollment plans of our schools and colleges.

Enrollment Trend and Plans

With an overall enrollment of 17,333, we have again met our enrollment and revenue targets.

First-Time Full-Time by Selectivity Group

We also continue to see an increase in the overall academic profile of our entering undergraduate students. Using SUNY's selectivity criteria, the percent of most highly qualified students . . .  Groups 1 and 2 . . .  has increased substantially and now comprise 88% of our entering class, compared to 52% in 1995; Tier 3 students, representing over 43% of the class in 1995, now represent only 12% of first-time, full-time students.

Our largest challenge remains the recruitment of the top Tier 1 students. While almost doubling since 1995, the percent of these highly committed and talented students in our entering class has not changed since fall 2000. Indeed, while not impacting on the overall Tier 1 and Tier 2 numbers, our yield of Presidential Scholars decreased this year.

Given our goal to increase the academic profile of our student body, and given the fact that such students seek out rigorous and challenging educational experiences, it is clear that we need to continue to address the quality of our teaching and learning environment.

UAbany's Environment for Teaching and Learning

Indeed, let us devote ourselves over the coming year to a rigorous analysis and evaluation of the many factors contributing to such a quality learning environment here at UAlbany.

The strategic partnerships I have highlighted give testimony to the fact that enrichment of our learning environment — both curricular and non-curricular — is clearly possible, even at times of fiscal constraint.

Quality and Currency of Teaching

In terms of the quality and currency of our teaching, programs of Faculty Development need to be supported, be they for new faculty, or for those faculty wishing to expand their portfolio of teaching methodologies.

For almost eight years, the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning has been a symbol of the University's commitment to high-quality teaching, helping faculty to develop new and effective ways to engage students in the learning process. CETL works on a variety of fronts to ensure that our students receive the best educational experience that we can offer — using techniques ranging from state-of-the-art Web instruction to the art of creating environments of learning which foster challenging "conversations" that date from the time of Socrates.

During the coming year, CETL is partnering with seventeen of our University's faculty and staff to offer workshops and discussions about ways to engage students in meaningful ways in the learning process. Further, CETL's two digital laboratories have been equipped this fall with new computers to make it easier for instructors to interact with their students. By combining the best face-to-face and Web-based instruction, our faculty can create a rich 24 by 7 learning environment for their students. Just as these initiatives were developed based on faculty input regarding their instructional needs, CETL staff continue to seek your input on areas of focus for programs which will best serve you and, hence, your students.

During the coming year, as you provide such input on the efficacy of CETL and its university-wide programs, I urge you to evaluate your own department-based faculty development initiatives. As technology continues to transform how students learn, are you providing sufficient opportunities for faculty wishing to enhance their teaching skills and expand their range of pedagogies? How has technology affected the teaching of your disciplines? Are teaching assignments being made based on past history, or based on a careful analysis of faculty strengths coupled with the needs of beginning faculty to also establish their programs of scholarship? Such faculty development issues are at the heart of any examination of the quality of our teaching efforts.

We must also assure ourselves that we are rigorously, and routinely, evaluating — and recognizing — the quality and impact of what we do across all of our instructional programs . . .  whether taught by graduate students, part-time faculty or full-time, tenure track faculty.

Part-Time Faculty

Since 1990, part-time faculty have represented an increasing percentage of the faculty providing instruction to our students. As you can see from this chart, these percentages have stabilized, with the sharpest increase during the difficult budget years of the early 1990s.

Indeed, though not shown here, in Fall of 2000, part-time faculty presented almost 32% of UAlbany's undergraduate lectures and seminars, and graduate students presented some 9%.

Quality and Currency of Teaching

These part-time faculty contribute in major ways to the intellectual life of our University. Certainly, they allow us to deliver the full complement of courses required for our various majors; but, beyond that, many part-time faculty, given their experiences across a variety of professions, bring special perspectives and important insights to the courses they teach.

The University has taken a pro-active approach to integrating our part-time faculty into the life of our academic community. Indeed, with the leadership of Provost Santiago, guidelines have been promulgated in such areas as appointment, extended employment contracts, benefits, responsibilities, professional support, supervision and evaluation of our part-time faculty. These guidelines are a positive expression of UAlbany's intent to support our part-time faculty.

Quality and Currency of Teaching

And part of that support must embrace ongoing constructive evaluation. Indeed, for all involved in teaching, full-time and part-time faculty, as well as TAs, we need to have in place procedures for ongoing evaluation which provide the kinds of feedback necessary to enhance our instructional programs, procedures which do not depend exclusively on course-end student evaluations. "Best practices" need to be shared, and more campus-wide programs need to be developed which examine — and celebrate — teaching excellence.

I frequently hear faculty express the view that teaching is not valued here at UAlbany . . .  a comment I have heard at every research university I have been a part of. It is important, I feel, to address this concern directly, and to identify strategies to support and recognize teaching excellence.

UAlbany's Environment for Teaching and Learning

As we look to ways to enhance our environment for learning here at UAlbany, the quality of our teaching facilities and technology infrastructure must continue to be a major priority.

Thanks both to New York State's $2 billion Capital Construction Plan for SUNY, as well as to a number of the Strategic Partnerships I described at the outset of this talk, much progress has been made.

We will soon officially celebrate the opening of a totally renovated building which considerably expands faculty office and research space, as well as teaching spaces for the Arts and Sciences, the first such expansion since the uptown campus was constructed.

Our new, 195,000 square foot Life Sciences Building continues to rise on the east side of the podium, a building which will provide quality research facilities and small group teaching spaces for our faculty and their graduate students. Since the uptown campus was built, our science faculty and their students have had to make do with retrofitted research space. This building, designed to their specifications, will provide state-of-the-art facilities to support their excellent programs of research and teaching in the life sciences.

The Boor Sculpture Studio will be dedicated on October 18th. This new, 20,000 square foot facility, championed by our own Professor Edward Mayer, will provide faculty and some 200 students in the Department of Art with spacious workspaces, state-of-the-art tools, studio/offices and installation areas.

The expansion of space devoted to nanosciences and nanotechnology is the direct result of extensive partnerships with government and corporate partners. When completed a year from now, two new buildings will add some 364,000 square feet to the CESTM complex . . .  new space which will provide faculty and research staff offices and laboratories, small group teaching spaces, and specialized core research facilities which exist at no other university in the world.

Our East Campus, itself the result of a vision for cross-sector partnerships in the area of biotechnology and biomedical sciences, will soon be the site of a major new building which will house our new programs in Cancer Genomics, partner companies and start-ups, as well as state-of-the-art teaching spaces for our students.

Our downtown campus is in need of major rehabilitation. While some renovations of faculty offices and teaching spaces have already been carried out or are underway, a complete renovation is critically needed if we are to preserve these historic buildings. Husted Hall is slated next for renovation, a project which will create a state-of-the-art integrated classroom facility for our downtown campus.

Thanks to the State's Capital Construction Plan, we have also devoted close to $3 million to targeted classroom and instructional technology upgrades. Some classrooms, like Draper 313 on our downtown campus, are now able to support state-of-the-art multimedia presentations. This "Smart Classrooms" initiative has enhanced some 40 classrooms and lecture center spaces across our campuses.

While our various new buildings have greatly increased the number of quality teaching spaces here at UAlbany, clearly much more rehabilitation of our lecture centers and classrooms is needed. As all of you well know, the condition of many of our teaching spaces clearly runs counter to our commitment to teaching excellence. This situation must be addressed.

UAlbany's Environment for Teaching and Learning

As we seek to attract and retain students of excellence, we also need to continue to seek ways to increase the richness and currency of our curriculum and non-curricular educational opportunities. In student opinion surveys and in interviews and focus groups, some of our brightest students have reported that they are not being sufficiently challenged. We clearly need to address this concern.

Many of you have taken real leadership in addressing the quality, currency and breadth of our curriculum. And, even in times of fiscal constraint, new educational programs have been developed utilizing the funding received by many of the Strategic Partnerships I have described.

Degree programs in forensics are being developed in partnership with the State Police Forensics Labs. We currently have a Masters track approved in biology, an undergraduate track approved in forensic chemistry, and, this year, university governance will be considering a forensic track in the professional masters degree in Chemistry.

Indeed, the funding just received for our Strategic Partnership in Information Security will help to support the development of new models for education in cybersecurity and computer forensics.

Last December the East Asian Studies Department received a $1.9 million Freeman Foundation grant to enhance the department's existing undergraduate programs, including summer seminars and tours to East Asia for UAlbany students. Visiting and post-doctoral scholars will teach in tandem with our faculty, supported by a new computer laboratory funded by the grant.

In addition to such new programs funded by external gifts and grants, we also need to continue our commitment to honors courses and programs of independent study for our best students.

Such small group, rigorous academic experiences are the most sought after by our most talented students; indeed, such students routinely make their college selection based on the availability of such honors courses.

We also need to better publicize some of the distinctive educational opportunities students can avail themselves of here at Albany.

UAlbany has long been known for its extensive programs in area studies and languages. In today's shrinking world, we need to highlight our programs in languages, literatures and cultures, as well as Africana, East Asian, Latin American and Caribbean and Judaic Studies. And, I applaud the efforts of the faculty involved in the development of an International Studies major.

Our Strategic Plan expressed our commitment to " . . . fostering the international dimensions of [all facets of] our University."  . . .  from curricula, to study abroad to foreign language competency, and so on.

In that context, I am pleased to report that both the numbers of our international students — here shown for undergraduate, graduate and International English Language Program students . . . 

and the numbers of our own students studying abroad, continue to increase. Such overseas experiences, coupled with varied curricular opportunities here on campus, create an exceptional environment for learning for our students.

Finally, we need to highlight and publicize the many opportunities our campus provides for education outside the classroom. The intellectual climate of our campus is richly diverse and robust; however, I am not convinced that our students are adequately introduced to the many opportunities available to them. From the extensive programming of the Writer's Institute,

to the educational programming developed around our many exceptional Art Museum exhibits;

to special lectures and seminars — such as those which will be a part of our "Celebrating the Arts and Sciences" as we dedicate our new building and welcome our new Dean. What wonderful opportunities to learn and grow . . .  art exhibits, music, dance, theatre. And, such opportunities exist across our entire campus — every day of the academic year. We need to find ways to constantly celebrate and publicize the richness of the intellectual life here at Albany . . .  and to find ways to contribute to it by offering special seminars and panel discussions around pressing contemporary issues.

UAlbany's Environment for Teaching and Learning

Clearly, the most important factor in creating a quality learning environment for our students is the quality of our faculty. Each faculty line is precious; and we must maintain exacting standards in both our hiring and promotion and tenure processes if we are to achieve the institutional quality and resulting institutional recognition we all desire.

In this regard, there is a myth I keep hearing which needs to be dispelled. And that is the still widely-held belief that if a department does not support a particular tenure case it will lose that faculty line. Quite the contrary. The University, a number of years ago, made the commitment that if a department makes the extremely difficult decision not to support tenure for a colleague, it does not lose the line; rather, the line will be retained for future recruitment. Indeed, such a policy is critical to our faculty quality initiatives.

Which brings me to the issue of resources. Certainly, if we are to attract and retain the best faculty in our respective fields, we need to be competitive in terms of our salaries and competitive in terms of facilities and infrastructure for research and teaching.

As I've already discussed, the State's Capital Construction Plan, coupled with the major resources which have been derived from our Strategic Partnerships, have moved us forward in terms of facilities and faculty positions even during this time of fiscal constraint. Such new revenues, coupled with reallocations to the academic programs, have enabled us, again this year, to have a net increase in faculty numbers . . .  some 14 . . .  meeting a commitment I made to you several years ago to realize such a net increase every year.

However, suffice it to say, we need to develop additional sources of revenue if we are to continue to attract and retain faculty colleagues of excellence, especially as we anticipate a continuing fiscal challenge in terms of our state operating budget.

While clearly the quality of our academic programs and the quality of our faculty are the most important factors in the successful recruitment of a talented and committed student body, the overall quality of student life here at Albany also plays a key role.

Students at UAlbany have access to some 150 clubs and service-based organizations;

an extensive program of intramural sports, as well as the Division I level of intercollegiate sports competition;

and a huge array of cultural events, attracting students as both participants and audience members.

By far the largest "quality-of-life" challenge we have had to face over the years in our recruitment efforts has been the configuration — and condition — of our student residences. With the leadership of Vice President Doellefeld and Interim Vice President Lowery, an extensive schedule of renovation and rehabilitation of our major residence halls has been undertaken. Suffice it to say, converting 1960s-style dormitory rooms to 21st century living spaces competitive with many of our peer institutions is essential, but extremely expensive and time-consuming.

In addition to this ongoing program of renovation and modernization, we have also been challenged to respond to our students' increasing desire to return to on-campus living — a nationwide phenomenon — as well as the increasing size of our student body.

Given the urgency of these needs, a partnership which included our Divisions of Student Affairs, Finance and Business and Academic Affairs, as well as our Foundation, the Alumni Association and private sector developers was formed which, by January, 2003, will have brought on-line some 1,200 new beds in a residential community known as Empire Commons.

This apartment-based residence complex has received rave reviews from students and parents alike, and I urge you to sign up for a tour. Private bedrooms, totally-equipped kitchens — by the way, Chartwells is considering giving cooking lessons — living rooms, semi-private and private bathrooms, a community house featuring recreational spaces, extensive fitness facilities, meeting rooms — even a fireplace, all in a complex designed to create a village-like, community atmosphere.

Thanks to the public-private partnership developed to oversee this project, this tremendously attractive living option was designed, financed, constructed and opened in less than 18 months, and is already proving to be a major recruitment advantage for undergraduate and graduate students, alike.

Such on-campus living options are also increasingly important as the majority of our students reject the kinds of behavior recently reported in a number of off-campus student incidents in downtown Albany. As the handouts provided to you today document, we take such incidents extremely seriously; indeed, the decade-old, university-community relations initiatives led by members of our Students Affairs Division are a national model.

Even as we develop living alternatives for our students, and even as we work with our students around issues of good citizenship, I am sure you agree that we can not condone or tolerate the irresponsible and thoughtless actions of a minority of our students. We need to be very clear on this point, and work together with the city and with our students and their parents to address this critical, nationwide problem.

Leadership Strategic Plan

Throughout my remarks today, I have focused on a number of strategies which can be utilized to enhance the environment for learning here at UAlbany, even in times of fiscal constraint. We have seen how Strategic Partnerships can generate external revenues which not only enhance our teaching facilities, but also support faculty and staff lines and programs of curricular development.

And, I have discussed a number of issues regarding the quality and currency of our teaching and curriculum which will require the ongoing leadership of the faculty.

Let us, together, devote the coming year to the in-depth discussion and concerted actions which will be required to enrich the environment for learning here at UAlbany. Let us ask the difficult questions. Let us make the difficult priority choices which will speak convincingly of our shared dedication to teaching excellence.

Investment in Environment for Teaching and Learning

In that spirit, I am pleased to announce a Six Point Plan of institutional investment and programming based upon our shared commitment to providing a learning environment of distinction. This plan has been informed by suggestions made at our recent faculty forum on Strategic Goal I which addresses the provision of a distinctive, student-centered undergraduate learning experience, as well as by the rich conversation at a similar faculty forum held last year entitled, "What do we owe our students?" And I thank all involved for their thoughtful and creative suggestions.

Investment in Environment for Teaching and Learning

Point 1:  to address issues of quality teaching and curriculum, I am pleased to announce that this year we will reestablish our "Innovations in Teaching" program.

Investment in Environment for Teaching and Learning

Organized through CETL, this program will provide funding to teaching faculty to develop new curricula and develop new pedagogical strategies. By providing release time, graduate student support, and other resources to develop new and improved course materials, this program can have a direct impact on the quality of the learning environment. The Dean of Undergraduate Studies and the Director of CETL will work with the faculty to develop program criteria and procedures for the awarding of these Innovations in Teaching Awards.

Investment in Environment for Teaching and Learning

Point 2:  I propose that we establish, I believe for the first time here at UAlbany, campus-wide teaching awards for our part-time faculty and graduate student teaching assistants. These Awards will include a monetary component and will serve to recognize excellence among these critical contributors to our academic programs. The Provost will work with the Distinguished Teaching Professors to design this Awards program and develop nomination and selection criteria.

Investment in Environment for Teaching and Learning

Point 3:  Associate Dean and Distinguished Teaching Professor Judith Fetterley has proposed three initiatives to be spearheaded by our Distinguished Teaching Professors during the current year.

First, in order to address the question of how effectively we evaluate teaching, current approaches to evaluating teaching on campus will be reviewed and modifications, as necessary, will be proposed to reflect new approaches in evaluation and assessment and different teaching modalities.

Second, a series of lectures on pedagogy by Distinguished Teaching faculty;

And, third, the inclusion of endowed teaching professorships in our University's soon-to-be announced comprehensive Capital Campaign.

Investment in Environment for Teaching and Learning

Point 4:  We plan to make major investments in our physical facilities. In addition to continuing our "smart classroom" initiative to upgrade the technical capacities of our various lecture centers and the smaller classrooms on the uptown and downtown campuses, I am pleased to announce that in the summer of 2003, we will begin a cycle of full-scale renovation to the lecture centers on the uptown campus, as well as refurbishment of selected classrooms on all our campuses. This program will include upgrades to lighting and electrical systems, installation of new seats and tables, new carpet, sound and ventilation improvements. Our plan is to renovate two to three lecture centers a year, renovations which will cost between $250,000 and $600,000 lecture center.

Investment in Environment for Teaching and Learning

Point 5:  Despite the continued fiscal constraints predicted for the next academic year, faculty recruitment will continue to be a priority in the campus financial plan. I remain committed to continuing net increases in our faculty ranks.

Such prioritization will require very difficult campus-wide choices, and I look forward to working with the University Resources and Priorities Advisory Committee as we address the fiscal challenges before us.

And, Point 6:  Working with the Deans of our various schools and colleges in preparation for our upcoming Comprehensive Capital Campaign, we will ensure that the endowed chairs and professorships so essential to stabilizing our revenues in support of faculty excellence will be a major priority.

This Campaign, organized in partnership with our University at Albany Foundation, will be announced in April of this academic year.

And, if the annual totals for the past year are any indication, we can look forward, I feel, to a very successful Campaign. The $26 million raised is the largest single-year fundraising total in our University's history. Congratulations to Vice President Ashton and his staff . . .  indeed, to all our Deans and faculty who have joined us in this critical effort.

Investment in Environment for Teaching and Learning

The Campaign we are announcing publicly in April has, of course, been ongoing in its so-called "silent phase" for several years, and has already led to funding for new and renovated facilities, endowed chairs and many programmatic enhancements. Indeed, on the 30th of this month we are holding a reception in New York City to honor our many donors — including eight who have donated gifts of $1 million or more.

This Campaign will be central to our efforts to enhance our teaching and learning environment here at UAlbany, and I hope you will all be a part of it . . .  as advocates for your programs with potential donors and, dare I say, as donors yourselves — Bob Ashton made me say that! Seriously, your support and participation are critical, and we look forward to working with you on this major, campus-wide initiative.

As I close this talk on the importance of partnerships in improving the quality of our teaching and learning environment, I want to end, as I began, with thanks to all of you for all you do, day after day, to assure that our students receive the kind of educational experience which will allow them to fulfill their potential and be contributing citizens in our rapidly-changing world. I look forward to meeting again as a faculty in the Spring to review our progress during this year of renewed commitment to "Teaching Excellence."


University at Albany