President Hefner kicks off 2010-11 academic year with All-campus Address

Michael Barone

Remarks by President Dennis L. Hefner at the General Campus meeting  on Friday, August 20, 2010

Welcome back for the start of another very interesting year. We will elect a new Governor in November; the state will cut an additional $7 billion during the next year; and a rational approach to tuition might actually be in the offing, thanks to the herculean efforts of Chancellor Nancy Zimpher. We truly live in very interesting times.

I hope all of you had a chance to visit with family during the summer break. Jan and I visited our grandchildren in Austin, Texas, where 11-year-old Jillian fast pitched a softball game and hit two triples; grandson Callahan, who is 7-years-old today, set several pool records at a regional swim meet; and 4-year-old Caitlin made new little friends wherever she went. Jan and I boiled under the 100-plus degree Texas sun, but loved every minute of it.

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President Dennis L. Hefner welcomes university employees back to campus at the annual All-Campus Address, held Friday, Aug. 20, in the Juliet J. Rosch Recital Hall.

The move back into Maytum Hall has been delayed. Budget fighting in Albany slowed approval for the second phase of the Maytum renovation, so we used that time to alter the contract to add sprinklers throughout the building. Sprinklers make the building safer, and will be worth the extra delay.

This past summer saw our second successful May Term, two summer sessions, numerous youth camps, six summer Orientation sessions, and many renovations to academic buildings. Residence halls saw new windows; bathrooms; remodeled lobby and front areas; plus addressable fire alarm systems throughout. The campus-wide Facilities Master Plan made good progress, designs for the upcoming Williams Center renovation are nearly complete, and architects were selected to design the new addition to the Rockefeller Arts Center and the new Blue Devil Fitness Center planned for the old Dods Hall swimming pool area. All of this is good news.

Even better news, especially for Director Judy Metzger who has patiently waited eight years, was yesterday’s official ribbon-cutting for the new and impressive Campus and Community Children's Center. Beginning Monday, the center will add much needed child care services for both infants and children aged 1 to 2, who are called “waddlers.” Another ribbon-cutting will be held later this semester to dedicate the new rehearsal wing to our School of Music’s Mason Hall complex.

However, the most talked about construction project continues to be the new, $60 million Science Center, which goes out for construction bids later this semester. Ground breaking should occur in March 2011, and I can hardly wait.

The Princeton Review again placed us among the top universities in the Northeast, and on Tuesday, U.S. News and World Report ranked us 10th among public regional universities in the North. Another summer honor involved SUNY Fredonia being named a “Great College to Work For” by the Chronicle of Higher Education.

For the third consecutive year, student applications set an all-time record. Much of the application increase involved students of color. Five years ago we established a very ambitious goal to enroll 210 new students of color for Fall 2010 — the “210 by 2010” goal, more than doubling the diversity of our entering class in just five years. On July 12, for the very first time, we surpassed 200 paid deposits by students of color; and on August 1, we had reached 205. I’m anxiously awaiting Monday’s report, but even if we fall one or two deposits short, I’m very grateful for the campus-wide effort that has gone into improving our student diversity.

Now it’s time to talk about the budget and, of course, the Empowerment Act. To put some energy behind this topic, I’ve enlisted the help of the SUNY Fredonia cheerleaders.

[The cheerleaders led the auditorium full of employees in a custom-created “Empowerment” cheer... loud enough, as President Hefner — with pom-poms in hand — instructed, to be heard in Albany.]

The Governor and the State Senate supported many of the major elements in the Empowerment Act. Unfortunately, the Assembly did not. We were cut an additional $3 million dollars, on top of the nearly $5 million in cuts from the past two years. Unfortunately, there was no tuition increase to help offset these cuts, no tuition policy to help us plan for the future, and no reduction in unnecessary bureaucracy. Basically, it’s a very ugly budget.
 
Before addressing how we will handle this academic year’s budget, I want everyone to understand why we just performed the “Empowerment” cheer. Exactly three weeks ago, four days before the final budget vote, the State Senate came forward with a substantially scaled back Empowerment Act to try to reach a compromise. Many of you know about this last attempt because Central UUP (the local UUP Chapter was merely forwarding the message, not endorsing it) sent an e-mail to all of its members statewide expressing concern that SUNY Presidents had been asked by the Chancellor to support this mini-Empowerment Act and asking UUP members to individually oppose this final proposal.
 
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President Hefner reviews the final, scaled-back proposal which the State Senate submitted to the Assembly in an attempt to create a compromise solution for the Empowerment Act.  The Assembly did not approve this version either. 
Here’s that final proposal:
  1. Restoration of the 2 percent tuition increase for this year;
  2. Prior authorization for the SUNY Board to raise tuition by up to 4 percent in each of the next four years without legislative approval;
  3. Elimination of the tax on tuition, effective academic year 2011-12;
  4. Restoration of the TAP cuts for this year and a commitment to increase TAP to match SUNY tuition increases over the next four years;
  5. Streamlined procurement processes for goods and for construction contracts; and
  6. A commitment to maintain the same level of state support.
 
No differential tuition, no raising tuition merely to have state dollars taken away, no land lease, no public-private partnership, not even streamlining of service purchases. There was a commitment to maintain state support, a commitment to support low-income students, and a chance for the legislature to review and, hopefully, renew the Empowerment Act five years from now. Basically, no controversy. Nevertheless, the Assembly, with urging from UUP and NYSUT, rejected this proposal.
 
Here’s what the Senate version would have meant for our campus:
 
Structural Deficit, fall 2010                         ($5,400,000)
2% Tuition Increase, 2010-11                           500,000
4% Tuition Increase, 2011-12                        1,000,000
No Tax on Tuition                                          2,100,000       
Structural Deficit, Fall 2011                         ($1,800,000)                      
 
We would have been in much better financial shape going into next year’s difficult budget year, would have received an expressed three-way agreement to maintain the level of state support, and would have financially helped our lowest income students. It truly was a missed opportunity.
 
What about this year? First, the 21 positions we have cut over the past 13 months were eliminated just to reduce the structural deficit to $5.4 million. Second, the plan to handle our $5.4 million deficit published in the 2010-11 Budget Book relies on four key factors: enrollments remaining strong, auxiliary earnings remaining strong, utility costs remaining low, and the elimination of an additional nine full-time positions by December of this year. So far, those assumptions look good for this year. And third, I have asked the Vice Presidents to identify another 12 positions, as part of a contingency plan, that could be cut in January, depending upon the Executive Budget proposed by the new Governor. The Early Retirement Incentive, which has already generated more than 35 retirements, is likely to allow us to handle these additional reductions through attrition.
 
Overall, the budget is a challenge, but working together and with strong advance planning, and hopefully with passage of some form of rational tuition policy, we will get through these difficult times. We just need to keep working together.
 
One final budget footnote: The Cabinet made a decision to financially assist low-income students adversely impacted by the last-minute reduction in TAP. It’s a real stretch to add this financial burden, even on a one-time basis, but our students deserve better than they received from the legislature and need the fall semester to adjust to the new state financial requirements. This one-time assistance will come from non-state funds.
 
Before discussing several priorities for the coming year, I’d like to reflect briefly on a few of the many highlights from this past year:
 
  • The Statement alumni magazine’s new format won the Platinum “best of show” award from the Buffalo Niagara Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America.
  • Two students were awarded the first ever student Fulbright awards received by Fredonia students—one went to Andorra and the other, Turkey.
  • Junior Nick Guarino was the Division III national champion in both the indoor and outdoor mile.
  • The spring musical, “Kiss Me, Kate,” received rave reviews.
  • Dr. Ted Schwalbe and Nefin Dinc, both from Communication, collaborated on a U.S. State Department-funded, “Youth Filmmaking in Turkey,” project that brought 15 young Turkish filmmakers to our campus and resulted in several international screenings.
  • The Financial Aid Office completed the transition to the federal direct lending program in record time.
  • Our Educational Development Program reached a new milestone with a 91percent freshmen to sophomore retention rate.
  • The first year of the SEMILLAS grant, one of only 20 grants awarded nationally by Wal-Mart, saw 15 of 17 Latino Dunkirk senior participants decide to enter college this fall.
  • The Career Development Office won two awards at the SUNY Career Development Annual Conference: one for Excellence in Internship Programming and another for the use of Technology in Career Related Services.
  • Distinguished Professor Alberto Rey, Visual Arts and New Media, had work accepted into an “Art in Embassies Exhibition” that for eight months is on display in the U.S. Embassy at Vatican City.
  • The campus Internet Marketplace is growing rapidly, and now has over 30 stores open.
  • The Annual Campus Sustainability Report showed our campus making significant strides towards “Going Green.”
  • The FACE Center developed extensive opportunities for service learning and partnered with over 50 community organizations, over 70 affiliated businesses, and more than 1,000 community members.
  • Park and Ride Express Shuttle expanded to two routes and set a record with over 24,000 riders.
  • The Fredonia College Foundation raised $2,211,925 — the third best total in Fredonia’s history, despite the difficult overall economy.
  • The Technology Incubator, dedicated in December 2009, currently has 11 clients in residence, and already is one year ahead of its business plan.
  • The College of Education received approval for three new academic programs: Early Childhood/Childhood dual certification, the Intensive Teacher Institute Bilingual program, and the School District Leadership program.
  • Online education continued to grow with 48 class sections enrolling 731 students.
  • Vice President for Administration Tracy Bennett was named the Business Club’s 2010 Business Person of the Year.
  • Dr. Birger Vanwesenbeeck, English, and former archivist Jeremy Linden co-hosted an international conference on the Austrian writer Stefan Zweig that showcased Reed Library’s extensive holding of Zweig archival materials.
  • Student fundraising projects set new marks as the “Walk for Life” for the American Cancer Society raised more than $30,000 and the Up 'til Dawn fundraiser for St. Jude Children’s Hospital surpassed $10,000 at its inaugural event — both campus records.
  • The Fredonia School of Music and Potsdam’s Crane School of Music presented a well-received joint program at the Winter Conference of the New York State School Music Association. Included in the program were several arias from last fall’s magnificent production of “La Boheme,” which received a special standing ovation from appreciative teachers who were attending the conference.

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Distinguished Teaching Professor Tom Loughlin (left) and Distinguished Professor James Piorkowski share a proud moment at the post-address reception in the quad outside of Mason Hall.

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Several individuals filled, assumed, or returned to administrative leadership positions:
  • John Kijinski, Dean, College of Arts and Sciences
  • Roger Byrne, Associate Dean, Arts and Sciences
  • Ingrid Johnston-Robledo, Assistant Dean, Arts and Sciences
  • Thomas Loughlin, Chair, Department of Theatre and Dance
  • Beez Schell, Chair, Department of Sports Management and Exercise Sciences
  • H. Joseph Straight, Chair, Department of Mathematical Sciences
  • Reneta Barneva, Chair, Department of Computer and Information Sciences
  • Xiao Zhang, Director, Institutional Studies and Research
  • David White, Director, Educational Development Program
 

Faculty promotions include:

Distinguished Professor
  • James Piorkowski, Music

Distinguished Teaching Professor

  • Thomas Loughlin, Theatre and Dance
Professor
  • James Ivey, Theatre and Dance
  • Theodore Lee, Biology
  • Adrienne McCormick, English
  • Kim Tillery, Communication Disorders and Sciences                
 
Associate Professor
  • Cindy Bird, Language, Learning and Leadership
  • Sean Duggan, Music
  • Natalie Gerber, English
  • Matthew Gronquist, Chemistry
  • Kathleen Lesniak, Curriculum and Instruction
  • Kate Mahoney, Language, Learning and Leadership
  • Jennifer Moon Ro, Language, Learning and Leadership
  • Peter Reinelt, Economics
  • Lisa Rittelmann, Visual Arts and New Media
  • Charles Stoddart, Language, Learning and Leadership        
Associate Librarian
  • Dawn Eckenrode

Other promotions include:

Secretary 1
  • Tammy Bankoski             
  • Dawn Hunt                        
  • Sharon Markham            
  • Leah Betts                          
Building Automation Systems Coordinator
  • Timothy Bentham
Carpenter
  • Duane Blakely
Janitor
  • Darlene Burchett
  • Randy Goodemote
  • Elizabeth Kujawa  
General Mechanic
  • Wayne Dorler
  • James Kuras  
Grounds Worker
  • James Foringer
Supervising Janitor
  • Arthur Franklin
Maintenance Assistant Mechanic
  • Justin Jacques
Clerk 2
  • Shannon McKoon
Staff Associate
  • Lisa Melohusky
Secretary 2
  • Rebecca Nalepa
Motor Vehicle Operator
  • David  Thompson
Highway Equipment Operator
  • Nelson White
Congratulations to each of you!
 
Thanks to the leadership of Dr. Roger Byrne and Kerrie Wilkes, and the hard work of so many of you, Middle States reaccredited our campus for another 10 years. We have been asked to submit a written response 18 months from now to address consistency in assessment and greater standardization of personnel review procedures. Both topics will be priorities for the coming year.
 
As we enter the final year of the five-year Fredonia Plan, we continue to make progress. I’ve already mentioned our success in student diversity, and also am proud to report that every one of our degree majors has now incorporated a significant Senior Capstone Experience into their graduation requirement. Wireless technology now exists across the entire campus, including residence halls. This past spring saw more than 350 students involved in our largest ever Student Research Exposition, and publicity to enhance our campus image has seen a significant increase. A written report more fully describing the progress on the Fredonia Plan will be distributed via e-mail sometime in September.
 
 SUNY recently released its new strategic plan, “The Power of SUNY.” The timing could not have been better, as we were scheduled to use this year to develop and approve a new five-year strategic plan. The system plan revolves around six “big” ideas: entrepreneurship, a seamless education pipeline, a healthier New York, an energy-smart New York, vibrant communities, and the world.
 
Additionally, the SUNY plan wove diversity issues into each of these six areas. I am proposing that our next five-year plan identify how SUNY Fredonia can impact each of these six areas, while working diligently to ensure diversity becomes even better embedded into how our campus community thinks and acts. It’s time to move from just having diversity to being a truly inclusive community. In the coming weeks a campus-wide planning committee will be assembled to begin working on the new campus five-year strategic plan. We might even want to name the new plan, “The Power of SUNY Fredonia.”
 
Finally, I want to briefly mention a letter I received from someone who, for 19 years, sat where you’re sitting, from 1970 to 1989. The letter was from Dr. William E. Schall, who wrote he is “quite proud of the 19 years spent at SUNY Fredonia.” The letter covers a number of very positive subjects, including: his four children graduating from SUNY Fredonia and each going on to secure professional degrees and do well with their chosen careers; his wife (Carol) enjoying the opportunity to work as a reading tutor with the Fredonia Migrant Tutorial program; and how Dr. Schall still keeps in touch with some of his former Fredonia students.
 
What struck me about the letter was the fact that Dr. Schall left here more than two decades ago, but was describing examples that highlight the values that continue to be hallmarks of this university. Providing students with educational opportunities that change their lives; having a close and long-term connection between faculty, staff, and students; and helping others in the community who are less fortunate are what this campus is all about.
 
His letter is another reminder that what we do positively impacts the lives of others. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: what each of you does matters, and the professionalism you bring to your job makes a difference not only in how you perform, but in how this campus collectively helps others.
 
Thanks for doing such a terrific job, and have a great semester!

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