Communication Review Quarterly, March 2017

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

Communication

Review Quarterly March 2017

President’s Office

Vision When I embarked upon this journey as president nine years ago, I talked about the importance of incorporating diverse experiences into Bloomsburg University, where 40 percent of those enrolled are firstgeneration college students. I outlined my goals of expanding academic and co-curricular opportunities and updating facilities while building on a history of excellence in education, science and mathematics, allied health and other fields. From my earliest days, I believed it was important to identify programs that meet the educational needs of the commonwealth’s residents and to increase private donations to help Bloomsburg remain affordable and accessible.

Today, I am proud to state Bloomsburg University is more connected to its alumni and community than ever before. We are more closely aligned with local and national industries and the needs of our region through BU programs and initiatives. We have introduced an innovative general education program, MyCore; the unique BASTL degree, launched the university’s second doctoral program, the Doctor of Nursing Practice; and expanded the number of educational partnerships with Geisinger Health System.

We are transforming our focus on student success with development of a strategic enrollment plan that, in conjunction with proactive advising, will improve retention and graduation rates.

Through the Professional U initiative, the Zeigler Institute for Professional Development and the McDowell Institute for Teacher Excellence we are laying the framework to ensure all students have a career-related experience annually and to enable them to prepare for successful careers with top organizations.

®

Office of the President Carver Hall Bloomsburg University 400 E. Second St. Bloomsburg, PA 17815-1301 Email: president@bloomu.edu Blog: bupresident.blogspot.com www.bloomu.edu/president ON THE COVER: Biology and allied health sciences faculty Angela Hess and Jennifer Venditti explain the operation of BU’s new Zeiss confocal microscope to Provost Ira Blake and President David Soltz. The microscope, located in Hartline Science Center, enables scientists to create 3-D images of cells and tissues.

I am grateful to the faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends who have joined with me throughout the past nine years to take Bloomsburg University to new heights. I am confident their leadership will help Bloomsburg continue to be a leading institution in Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education. It has been my privilege and honor to serve as president of this wonderful university.

David L. Soltz, Ph.D. President

Bloomsburg University is an AA/EEO institution and is accessible to disabled persons. Bloomsburg University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion,sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, ancestry, disability, or veteran status in its programs and activities as required by Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and other applicable statutes and university policies.

President’s Report Available Online This year’s Vision President’s Report 2016 focuses on alumni success stories. The report is available online at bloomu.edu/vision and a promotional video is here.

Employee Satisfaction Update A task force created to study the results of the College Employee Satisfaction Survey (CESS) is formulating action items that can be implemented immediately as well as more long-term solutions. The committee, composed of faculty, staff, and administrators, is soliciting the campus community for ideas. It will present its recommendations to President Soltz later this spring semester.

Academic Affairs

President’s Office

Middle States Self-Study The Middle States Self-Study Design Phase 1 of the four-phase Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) Self-Study process has started. The drafted Self-Study Design will serve as a blueprint for the entire Middle States Self-Study process. The self-study assesses the degree to which BU meets accreditation services. It also represents an opportunity to reflect on the institution’s progress and ask what should be done to improve our effectiveness in achieving our mission and vision. Two campus town halls were held in to solicit feedback on the Self-Study Design draft.

BU’s Self-Study is chaired by Sheila Dove Jones (lead chair) and Mindi Miller (co-chair academic affairs) and Tom Kresch (co-chair student affairs).

Trustees Approve Certificate Programs Bloomsburg’s Council of Trustees voted to approve three new credit-based certificates: n 24-credit Certificate of Digital Rhetoric and Professional Writing n 15-credit Certificate of Medical Genomics and Counseling n 49-credit Certificate of Pre-Medical Science Studies

BU students have voted in favor of a new student union but not to reinstate the Student Union Building Fee. There are no immediate plans to move forward with a new student union. More than 63 percent of student votes were in favor of constructing a new student union building, while 54 percent opposed an increase in fees to fund repairs and renovations in the Kehr Union Building and to fund planning costs for the construction of the building. University leadership and the Council of Trustees will continue to explore ways to address the student needs recognized in the Campus Engagement Survey.

SpringFest Weekend In the interest of student safety and security, the University is limiting non-BU student guests to one per residential student in the residence halls and apartments during the weekend of April 21-23. In addition, the following parking lots will be temporarily closed: • • •

Lightstreet Road Parking Lot ATM Parking Lot First Street (Green) Parking

These temporary changes to the visitation policy and parking lot restrictions reflect our desire to help provide as safe an environment as possible during this busy weekend.

Men’s Swim Team Record The men’s swim team finished the 2016-17 season with a 7-0 record. The Huskies placed second at the PSAC Championships for the second straight year, setting a PSAC record in the 400 Free Relay. Bloomsburg University’s top swimmers took eighth place in the four-day NCAA Division ll Championships in Birmingham, Alabama. More.

Presidential Search

Student Affairs

Student Union Referendum Results

Presidential Search Update The executive search firm Witt/Kieffer, has actively been recruiting candidates for the next BU president who match the qualities outlined in the institutional/leadership profile. The search process is on schedule. More than 55 highly qualified candidates have submitted applications.

The search committee has completed its review of candidates. The initial round of interviews will take place in late March. Three to five candidates will be invited to campus to engage in dialogue with campus constituents.

The campus visits are scheduled to take place between April 2 – April 19. During this time, the campus community will have an opportunity to participate in the interview process and provide feedback.

Faculty, staff, and student open forums will be held on April 4, 7, 11, 14, and 19 from 10 a.m. – 11 a.m. in Carver Hall, K.S. Gross Auditorium. More.

New Residence Hall on Track Work on BU’s new residence hall continues with the building set to open in fall 2017. Work in 2016 included the concrete foundation and base along with the placement of the building steel framework. The seven-story, $61.9 million structure will house 394 students in 138 suites on the upper six floors. The ground floor will provide space for the University Store, dining services, mailroom and interactive learning.

The building is BU’s first suite-style residence hall.

BU Financial Risk Assessment Summary In January, the Office of the Chancellor conducted a financial risk assessment of Bloomsburg University. The assessment aimed to assign financial risk to the university based on market demand, operating efficiency, financial performance, and management risk. Overall, BU’s financial risk is assessed as being within an acceptable range. Only two sub-components of the market demand component, brand strength and matriculation, were assessed below the acceptable range.

A briefing of the full assessment will be given at the Planning and Budget meeting on April 27.

Enrollment Management

Administration and Finance

Carver Hall and Scranton Commons on Tuesday, March 14, when campus was closed due to heavy snowfall.

Enrollment Management Update Bloomsburg University is closer to implementing a coordinated, strategic enrollment management plan (SEP). This plan addresses specific institutional needs while capitalizing on our unique opportunities.

The initial set of 15 Action Plans are complete with associated enrollment and budget projections applied.

Next steps include a capacity analysis and selection of the proposed action plans to be included in phase one of implementation.

The steering committee meets again March 28-29 to review the SEP strategies selected for implementation in year one; review the projected impact of each strategy; and discuss the development and implementation of the full five-year written plan.

Spring Enrollment Bloomsburg’s spring enrollment is 8,871 students, a decline of 1.5 percent from spring 2016 headcount of 9,008 students. Spring FTE (full-time equivalency) enrollment is 8,021, a decline of approximately 1.9% from spring 2016 FTE of 8,175.

Spring headcount enrollment was comprised of 8,244 undergraduate students and 627 graduate students.

Graduate student headcount enrollment increased by 46 students over 2016.

Winter session enrollment showed a 33% increase from 246 FTE in 2015-16 to 327 FTE in 2016-17.

Headcount winter session enrollment increased from 999 to 1,290 over the same period. Net revenue for winter session was $1.4 million.

BU in the News Several BU professors and programs received regional media coverage in the last few months, including WNEP-TV, WBRE-TV, WOLF-TV, WILK-AM, Wilkes-Barre, the Sunbury Daily Item along with the Press Enterprise and WHLM-AM. Those mentions included: NASA to feature professor’s research Regional STEM Center Receives PPL Grant Former NAACP Leader Speaks on MLK legacy Speaker to confront fear

University Advancement

Try this gamification trick

Faculty & Staff Campaign Bloomsburg University faculty and staff showed their support for BU by participating in the We make it Personal faculty and staff campaign. The campaign, an extension of the It’s Personal campaign, encouraged faculty and staff to make their support personal by choosing where funding from their gifts would be directed. At the end of its two-week push, there were 122 new faculty and staff donors bringing the total number of donors to 319. The campaign exceeded its goal of 25% participation, reaching a participation rate of 28.1%. Make a gift.

Professional U Champions Event The inaugural Professional U Champions Celebration will be held on Friday, March 31 in Kehr Union Ballroom. The focus is recognition of the personal contributions of alumni, staff and faculty to assist, support, and provide experiences which result in the personal and professional growth of a student while enhancing the student experience at BU. More than 80 faculty, staff and alumni have been nominated by students to be recognized.

How to beat digital depression Early America exhibit in Haas Gallery Don’t talk or text during a workout Gender-Inclusive Bathrooms to Stay at BU Speaker discusses tragedy and forgiveness

What’s happening on campus?

Read the e-newsletter, The Week Ahead, and check the Today page to stay up-to-date on campus events, including performances, lectures and special activities, many free and open to the public. You may also submit items to be published in The Week Ahead to efoster@bloomu.edu.

www.bloomu.edu