Dear Campus Community,
As
we begin the Spring 2005 semester, let me take this opportunity
to welcome back faculty, students, staff
and community members; reflect on the fall semester; and look forward
to the remainder of the academic year. While we continue facing difficult
budgetary challenges from reduced state resources, I remain enthusiastic
about the continuing progress toward the institutional goals outlined
in our strategic plan, “Higher Values In Higher Education,” and
the successes we have achieved thus far.
At
the close of the fall semester, I reminded members of the
graduating class how they should repay the benefits
and privileges of their college education through leadership
roles in their communities, and, we hope, their alma mater,
Western Illinois
University. Our graduates should continue to volunteer and
share their skills as well as their future good fortunes. It
is important that our University share with our students
the values
of academic
excellence, educational opportunity, personal growth and
social responsibility.
In that
context Western has supported civic engagement as a theme
for this academic
year. Our students have participated
in activities through the American Association of State
Colleges and Universities’ American Democracy Project. This
project’s
goal is to urge college students to engage in the democratic
processes in their local communities. The student
voter turnout last November reflected the success of the
American
Democracy
Project..
It has been rewarding
to read stories about the involvement of Western Illinois
University students in numerous volunteer
projects in the Macomb and Quad Cities areas. A few of
these include a People-To-People volunteer expo in Moline;
collecting
funds to
benefit Sudan; a fundraiser for St. Jude; sponsorship
of a hunger banquet; participation in a blood drive; donations
for community
service projects; the Big Pink Volleyball Tournament
for Breast Cancer research; and food drives for local pantries.
While
our students exhibit outstanding characteristics as good
citizens, the University as a whole is pleased with other
projects and programs such as the pilot First-Year Experience
for
students in the Illinois Centennial Honors College and
the high visibility we have received for our Cost Guarantee,
GradTrac, and the first
doctoral program on the horizon for Western, an Ed.D.
in educational leadership to serve educators in our region.
University
enrollment increased last fall and we are optimistic
we will have additional growth in 2005. Last fall
we had to close admissions by August 1, and we may
have to move that cutoff date earlier for next fall’s
incoming students. As part of our campuswide commitment
to new recruitment
initiatives
we have
a more diverse student, faculty, and staff population;
and we will continue to strive for greater diversity
in the coming
years.
We are thankful for
the progress we made on campus facilities projects. Last
fall
we opened a new residence hall and
partnered with the Western Illinois Credit Union for
a location for their new facility. Funds for the Memorial
Hall rehabilitation
were
released, and we have moved forward with plans to relocate
current operations and plan the renovations. Our Entrepreneurship
Center
and Small Business Development Center, along with many
related activities, moved off campus to partner with
MAEDCO,
and
many of you toured those
facilities during an open house.
While
we have not received funds for our new Quad Cities Riverfront
Campus, we are hoping that $1.5 million will be
allocated for architectural and engineering work as soon
as possible. And, of course, we continue to politic for
the release of the planning
funds for our Performing Arts Center on the Macomb campus
to serve the campus and the region. I
look forward to working with the University community
in 2005 as we continue to make progress on our strategic
plan and goals for Western Illinois University.
All
my best wishes for a great spring semester.
Al
Goldfarb, President
