Criticism of BU students unfounded

I wrote this opinion piece, which was published on Jan. 13, in response to a letter that appeared earlier in the month. I want to share it with you as we begin the spring 2016 semester.

Since becoming president of Bloomsburg University eight years ago, I often have been told our institution is the focus of unfounded criticism because we are an “easy target.” That holds more than a small degree of truth.

As a comprehensive public institution, we provide access to higher education for students from all backgrounds, hometowns and ways of life: local students and those who hail from elsewhere, including our traditional stronghold in the five-county greater Philadelphia area; students who transfer from community colleges; veterans entering college after serving our country; and other non-traditional adult students. We welcome students who meet our admissions criteria, based on their high school class ranking, academic grade point average and performance on standardized tests; introduce them to the university and the town with a comprehensive orientation program; and offer support services, as needed, including tutoring, advisement and guidance.

The racial and cultural make-up of our nation and our commonwealth has changed significantly over the years. I am proud that enrollment at Bloomsburg University nearly mirrors the population of our state today with under-represented minorities making up 14.5 percent of our student body, up from just 2.25 percent in 1980. It is, I believe, the responsibility of every college and university to broaden students’ perspectives by introducing them to cultures and experiences different from their own. At Bloomsburg University, we not only believe in the importance of diversity, we embrace it.

We emphasize our commitment to a diverse student body, faculty and staff in our mission statement: Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania is an inclusive comprehensive public university that prepares students for personal and professional success in an increasingly complex global environment. This statement underscores our belief that diversity is essential to prepare our students — approximately 2,000 graduates per year — for the realities of the world in which they will live and work.

Most of our students take full advantage of the opportunities available to them and make a positive difference on our campus and in the Town of Bloomsburg. I have been delighted to work with student leaders from diverse backgrounds through the Council of Trustees, Community Government Association, fraternities, sororities and other organizations.

Overall, our students volunteer more than 68,000 hours to the local community each year, valued at more than $1.4 million. You’ll find students of all races serving as interns in local schools and organizations, sharing their marketing expertise with businesses, and helping with spring clean-up projects during the annual Big Events. Student organizations have raised thousands of dollars for local charities and provided tons of food to the Bloomsburg Food Cupboard. And this list just scratches the surface.

It is clear: Bloomsburg University students’ skills, talents, energy and enthusiasm enhance the quality of life on campus and in town every day, regardless of where they grew up or the color of their skin. This is one of the many reasons I am proud to serve as president of Bloomsburg University.

#CollaborativeLearning #SenseOfCommunity #CoCurricularLearning

We are well on our way

I have been traveling over the past few weeks – to Austin, Los Angeles and, most recently, to Philadelphia.

One week, I was away from campus to attend the annual meeting of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities in Austin. I serve on the AASCU board and was just appointed to the executive committee. I ended that trip in Los A
ngeles, where I spent a long weekend with my mom, who turns 94 this week.

This weekend I attended the annual fall meeting of the Pennsylvania Council of Trustees (PACT) at the State System Center City campus in Philadelphia. Bloomsburg will begin offering degree programs in this centrally located facility with state-of-the-art classrooms in summer 2016.

Back on campus and in Philadelphia, we marked a major accomplishment for Bloomsburg University, the launch of the public phase of It’s Personal: The Campaign for Bloomsburg University.

Events were held on the Quad, in a beautifully transformed Nelson Field House, and at the Benjamin Franklin Institute to celebrate our great university and the milestone of raising more than $37 million of our $50 million goal. Over 400 donors and friends of Bloomsburg University enjoyed outstanding and meaningful performances by our Concert Choir and a group of current students and alumni from our theater program.

We are well on our way to meeting our $50 million goal to support our students through academic and athletic scholarships, to recruit and retain our great teacher-scholar faculty, to provide experiential and career-focused learning experience through Professional U, and to take advantage of emerging opportunities to enhance our university, such as the Greenly Center.

This week I look forward to meeting with the CGA Senate and having dinner with the CGA Executive Committee at Buckalew.

#CollaborativeLearning #SenseOfCommunity #CoCurricularLearning

A pleasant and productive summer

Summer 2015 was pleasant and productive for Bloomsburg University and for me as president. Significant university accomplishments included:

• three successful summer sessions with enrollment equal to summer 2014
• the arrival of Dr. Robert Aronstam, dean of the College of Science and Technology, and Dr. Jeffery Krug, dean of the College of Business
• completion of the first Bloomsburg University Action Plan, which I presented to the State System Board of Governors
• successful projects completed by six undergraduates under the guidance of faculty mentors and support of Undergraduate Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity (URSCA) grants
• and the State System Board of Governors’ approval of a new major in Supply Chain Management

The summer’s personal highlight for Robbie and me was spending a week with all three of our children and all seven grandchildren at our home in a beautiful canyon in northcentral Washington.

Unfortunately, the fall semester did not begin as smoothly for me. I was involved in a significant vehicle accident, caused by severe anaphylactic shock in response to multiple yellow jacket stings. Luckily, no one was injured, including me.

However, I spent the weekend in Geisinger Medical Center in Danville due to the severity of the anaphylactic shock. I am now completely back to full health.

In addition to my day-to-day activities on campus, the fall semester started with meetings with special groups and other opportunities to represent our university. These included:

• hosting new and continuing members of the Presidential Leadership Program (PLP) at Buckalew
• meeting with students during the third annual Meet the President Day on the Academic Quad, sponsored by CGA
• focusing on enrollment management and the university budget in these trying fiscal times during the fall retreat and meeting of the Council of Trustees
• participating in insider campaign training for our It’s Personal comprehensive capital campaign
• taking part in a presidents’ breakfast meeting and town hall meeting in Harrisburg on proposed changes in the Middle States Accreditation Process
• and representing Bloomsburg on a panel with five other university presidents on Small Schools, Big Medicine: Working Together and Opportunities for Collaboration as part of Geisinger’s Centennial Celebration conference on A Century of Transformation and Innovation

During the coming week I will host the fall retreat for the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Board of Directors at Bald Eagle State Park with Steve Murray, commissioner. I serve as chair of the board, which is composed of the presidents of the 18 universities in the conference.

Also this week, Robbie and I will host a reception for the recently tenured and promoted faculty at Buckalew, I will hold my first “Fireside Chat” with the new and continuing members of the Presidential Leadership Program and, on Friday, I will participate in the inauguration of Dr. G.F. “Jody” Harpster as Shippensburg University’s 16th president.

#CollaborativeLearning #SenseOfCommunity #CoCurricularLearning