President John T. Casteen, III gave his 15th annual State of the University address yesterday in Old Cabell Hall, addressing an audience of over 200 people.
In his speech, Casteen reviewed the progress that the University has made in academics, finances and community relations over recent years. He also spoke of many plans to enhance the University's academic and physical resources by 2010.
"This is going to be a period of genuinely hard work," Casteen said.
According to Casteen, upcoming years of financial planning for the University will be focused largely on three parts: the South Lawn Project, unrestricted endowments and funding directed towards individuals in the form of salaries and scholarships.
Casteen praised the University's academic achievements, making note of the many honors that students and faculty have received this year. He said according to the National Survey of Student Engagement, University students described their college experience as more academically challenging and enriching than the average student at surveyed schools.
Casteen said 52 percent of first and fourth year students at the University rated their overall educational experience as "excellent," according to the survey. He compared this with the average rating at other research institutions, which was 32 percent.
However, Casteen also said the University ranked below average in terms of group participation and presentations in class, and the administration would try to improve these trends. He compared the University to other similar research institutions but said "all of these differences are modest."
Casteen said the math requirement for undergraduate students is under consideration. He said some members of the administration are concerned that students at the University would not take higher level math courses because of the exemption they received from Advanced Placement credits.
A significant part of Casteen's speech focused on issues of crime in and around the University community. He acknowledged an increase in physical attacks, including racial and sexual assaults.
"This is the recurrence of problems that occurred about a decade ago," Casteen said.
He said the University has made efforts to combat these issues, including revising the Sexual Assault Procedures. He also attributed many of the physical attacks to alcohol abuse.
Casteen also discussed the possibility of changing the first-year dormitory situation. He said there is a current debate over the effectiveness of an isolated community that does not have much interaction with upperclassmen and faculty. Casteen said the proposal for new buildings in residential areas will allow the University to rethink issues of first-year involvement.
"The dorms near the stadium that look like Holiday Inns in small towns need to be replaced," Casteen said, referring to the Alderman Road first-year dormitories.
Casteen also listed many construction projects for academic buildings that the University has planned for the next five years. Some of these projects, such as the South Lawn Project, have already begun. Casteen said the Cocke Hall renovation was scheduled to be completed by June 2006.
"It's important to stop and celebrate what donors are doing for the community," Casteen said.
Casteen credited financial gifts for making the South Lawn Project and McIntire School Project possible. He said donors have been very generous in recent years but also said the Capital Campaign still required attention.
Casteen encouraged student involvement and feedback, both inside and outside the classroom. He said the University would continue to monitor student opinion in order to measure progress.
"What we think we're doing best is not necessarily what students say we're doing best," Casteen said.
University Vice President Leonard Sandridge said he thought President Casteen showed the University's strength in its ongoing fundraising efforts.
"I think that any good organization has a good program for continuous improvement," Sandridge said.
Sandridge said the speech was a good opportunity for members of the University community to reflect on recent accomplishments. He said he was optimistic about the future financial success of the University and reiterated Casteen's acknowledgment of progress in the Capital Campaign.
"This is an institution that has high aspirations for excellence," Sandridge said.
Faculty Senate Chair Marcia Childress said she was pleased with the proposals that President Casteen discussed, but she also noted challenges in meeting fundraising goals.
"There's a lot that's very ambitious," Childress said. "On the one hand, it is very optimistic, it's positive. On the other hand -- and he acknowledged [this] -- there's a lot of hard work upcoming, for the administration, for the fundraisers, for those of us who teach here, do research here."
Childress said the Faculty Senate will have to work to ensure that its voice is heard in the upcoming stages of planning. She said faculty involvement was crucial to an improvement in the academic capability of the University.
"Everybody needs to prepare to roll up their sleeves and contribute to this effort," Childress said.
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