Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania
Communication
Review Quarterly June 2017
President’s Office
®
Thank you An unknown writer once penned, “Goodbyes are not forever, goodbyes are not the end. They simply mean I’ll miss you, until we meet again.” This edition of the Communications Review Quarterly (CRQ) is my last official correspondence to the campus community as president of Bloomsburg University and is my final time saying goodbye and thank you. Thank you for the wonderful send-offs you have given Robbie and me. From the tributes at the retirement gala to the CGA send off, to the many wishes for an enjoyable retirement at gradation last month, we were both overwhelmed by the outpouring of genuine emotion shared with us. This edition of the CRQ highlights the many accomplishments of the last few months at BU. Our new Anchor Program to aid older children in foster care debuts in July, while our concussion institute continues its tremendous work. We’re also excited to rollout the new five-year Strategic Enrollment Plan. These and the many accomplishments we’ve achieved over the last nine and a half years would not have been possible without the hard work of faculty, staff, students, alumni, donors and community members. I leave here knowing that the university is in the capable hands of Dr. Hanna who will lead BU to even greater heights.
David L. Soltz, Ph.D. President
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: President David Soltz speaks to students at a send-off celebration sponsored by the CGA in April.
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. For information regarding civil rights or grievance procedures and for inquiries concerning the application of Title IX and its implementing regulation, contact: Title IX Coordinator, Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, Warren Student Services Center, 400 East Second Street, Bloomsburg, PA 17815; Phone: (570) 389-4529; Email: titleixcoord@bloomu.edu. Additionally, inquiries concerning Title IX and its implementing regulation can be made to the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights, Region III, The Wanamaker Building, 100 Penn Square East - Suite 505, Philadelphia, PA 19107; Phone: (215) 656-6010; Fax: (215) 656-6020.
Hanna named 19th Bloomsburg president The Board of Governors of Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education unanimously selected Bashar W. Hanna to be the next president of BU, effective July 7. Hanna is a professor of biology and former vice president for academic affairs and dean of faculty at Delaware Valley University in Doylestown. He previously was associate provost at Ithaca College and dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and interim provost at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Hanna holds three degrees from Temple University, a Bachelor of Arts in biology, a Master of Arts in developmental biology and a Ph.D. in developmental neurobiology. More.
President’s Office
Presidential Search
Incoming BU president Bashar Hanna speaks with students at his announcement in May.
Campus Says Goodbye to President Soltz…. CGA hosts President Soltz send-off On Tuesday, April 25, students celebrated President David L. Soltz’s retirement. The event had activities for the students including walking tacos, airbrush tattoos, a caricature artist and a photo booth. There was a special performance from the Bloomsburg University Cheerleaders. At BU, Dr. Soltz concentrated on building programs and infrastructure for today’s students and those who will follow. The university’s strategic plan, Impact 2015: Building on the Past, Leading for the Future, was developed in fall 2010 under his leadership and updated as Impact 2017. As a result of the strategic plan, numerous academic programs and initiatives were established, largely focusing on experiential learning. A new general education model, MyCore, was designed to enhance learning opportunities for all students and to prepare them for success in an increasingly complex global environment.
Academic Affairs
College of Education changes James Krause will serve as the interim dean of the College of Education. Dr. Krause served as acting vice provost and dean of undergraduate education. He previously was a faculty member in the department of exceptionality programs. Tim Knoster, professor of exceptionality programs, is the new executive director of McDowell Institute for Teacher Excellence in Positive Behavior Support. Dr. Knoster helped establish the McDowell Institute five years ago. More.
New freshmen placement procedures Effective fall 2017, most incoming freshmen students will automatically be placed into a math course placement appropriate for their major, using SAT or ACT scores. Students in the following majors in the College of Science and Technology: biology, chemistry, EGGS, exercise science, mathematical and digital sciences, physics, and undeclared are required to complete the Assessment Learning in Knowledge Spaces (ALEKS) online testing system. If students are placed into an academic enrichment course (i.e. Enrich 80: Introductory Algebra) and wish to challenge their Math placement, they may use ALEKS. Students whose overall high school grade point average is less than 87% will be placed directly into Enrich 101: College Writing Enrichment. Students whose overall grade point average is equal to or greater than 87% will be placed directly into English 101. Students who feel their overall high school grade point average does not reflect their ability as a writer, have an opportunity in the summer to challenge their first-year writing placement by completing and submitting samples of their work.
Bloomsburg graduate students talk about their experience in Concussion Research Initiative.
New concussion research initiative BU is continuing its role in a nationwide study on concussions with the NCAA. BU’s clinical athletic training students are playing a key role in the study. A team led by Joseph Hazzard, director of BU’s Institute for Concussion Research and Services and its clinical athletic training education program, recently spent a week at the United States Military Academy in West Point, N.Y, assisting with baseline testing of cadets who participate in athletics for West Point. The concussion screenings are the initial data point for this summer’s phase of the NCAA-Department of Defense Concussion Assessment, Research and Education (C.A.R.E.) Consortium. The study, now in its fourth year, includes 30 schools nationwide. More.
Children aging-out of the foster care system are more likely to end up unemployed or worse yet, in prison, within five years according to numerous studies. A new Bloomsburg University initiative, the Anchor Program, aims to engage youth, ages 15-18, to help change those statistics. The Anchor Program will give children in the foster care program an opportunity to explore their academic interests and talents through a multi-year summer residential college life experience program and year-round mentorship opportunities. The inaugural session of the program is scheduled for July 15 to 22. Anchor students will be housed in residence halls on campus and supervised 24 hours a day by faculty, university staff, including BU students who will serve as residential staff.
PASSHE Business Plan winner A love of fly-fishing led to BU student Nathaniel Treichle to win the $10,000 first place prize in the sixth annual Student Business Plan Competition sponsored by Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education (PASSHE). The sophomore business administration management major also took home top honors in the Zeigler College of Business Husky Dog Pound competition in April.
Enrollment Management
Academic Affairs
Anchor Program launches this summer
Strategic Enrollment Management Plan implementation Bloomsburg University has implemented its first Strategic Enrollment Management Plan, 2017-2022. Thanks to the support and guidance of President Soltz and The Council of Trustees, more than 160 university faculty, staff, and administrators engaged in an extensive planning process during the last 15 months. This plan positions Bloomsburg University to remain a school of choice that continues to deliver on its promise of outstanding academic excellence, fiscal sustainability, and a commitment to supporting student success both in and out of the classroom. A critical component of the plan is the role of the newly-created Implementation Team tasked with monitoring the new enrollment strategies approved for the plan. This group will also support the planning processes for enrollment strategies identified during the life of the five-year plan.
Summer college enrollment shows increase Summer college enrollment reached 2,300 students as of May 15, a nearly four percent increase over the 2,218 students enrolled during this same time in 2016. Â To date, 12,274 credit hours have been scheduled for summer 2017. Headcount summer enrollment to date includes 1,848 undergraduate and 452 graduate students. The increased Summer college enrollment follows a winter session that increased to 1,290 students in 2016-17 from 999 students the previous year.
Dan Kreiger is BU’s first head coach for women’s volleyball. The announcement came nearly three months after the school announced the addition of women’s volleyball as a varsity sport to begin competitive play in the fall of 2018.
Huskies summer study abroad Hiking along the Artic Circle, visiting the Adriatic Sea and riding camels on an overnight desert trip are just a few adventures Bloomsburg students will enjoy around the world this summer. With the addition of new programs, nearly twice as many students are studying abroad this summer than last year. Among the countries they’re living and learning in are Argentina, Australia, Costa Rica, England, France, Ireland, Morocco, Norway and Spain. A majority of BU’s presence abroad — roughly 50 of the 70 total students — is through four facultyled trips. Shown above: BU student Facia Sirleaf in Morocco. Learn more about her experience.
Student Affairs
Enrollment Management
BU’s first volleyball coach named
Kreiger is no stranger to the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) after spending five seasons – the last four as the head coach – at Lock Haven University from 2011 to 2015. Last season, he was a volunteer assistant coach at Clarion University before heading to Juniata College to serve as the assistant men’s volleyball coach. More.
SpringFest recap The seventh annual Springfest Weekend, sponsored by the Division of Student Affairs and Community Government Association (CGA), was held in April. The event theme, Discover the Treasures Under the Sea, started with a Springfest Luau on lower campus Friday afternoon, followed by a performance by 3 Shades of Blue from the TV show, America’s Got Talent at the Scranton Commons Ampitheatre. Activities continued with Springfest bingo, followed by late night walking tacos. On Saturday, the festivities moved to upper campus beginning with the Quest Rock Wall and zip lines in the morning followed by a wide variety of other healthy alternative activities in/around Nelson Field House gym throughout the day. Activities included pet therapy, yoga, cash cab, DIY crafts, tie dye, dynamic duo contest, basketball, balloon artist, ping pong, double dutch, tattoo artist, bubble soccer, carnival games, inflatable obstacle challenges and student organization tables. WBUQ provided the music throughout the day with free Rita’s Ices and concessions. Total attendance for Springfest Weekend 2017 was 2,657, including 1,412 on Saturday.
Administration and Finance
Budget update The spring 2017 E&G budget update for FY 2016-17 and FY 2017-18 was briefed to the campus community at a series of meetings in April and May, including the Budget Subcommittee, Planning and Budget, and University Forum. The 2016-17 fiscal year budget remains balanced for all E&G funds without requiring the use of institutional reserve funds. Moving into fiscal year 2017-18, the institution’s largest revenue drivers, tuition and state appropriation, are not known. Tuition is expected to be set by the Board of Governors on July 13. Both the Governor and the House of Representatives have proposed a 2% increase in state appropriation funding for the State System. A final Commonwealth budget is expected to be enacted on or around June 30. Assuming a 2% increase in state appropriation and full implementation of the Strategic Enrollment Management Plan, a funding gap of approximately $5.0 million remains in the E&G general fund. Annual tuition increases have averaged approximately 3% since fiscal year 2012-13. If the Board of Governors were to take similar action for fiscal year 2017-18 and approve a 3% tuition increase, the funding gap would be reduced by $2.3 million to $2.7 million. Institutional reserve funds, estimated to be $17.7 million at the beginning of the of the 2017-18 fiscal year, will be used to cover E&G general fund funding gaps that remain after the Commonwealth budget is enacted and tuition rates are set. Bloomsburg University continues to be engaged in a dynamic process of budget improvement initiatives, which has been necessary to keep budgets balanced and re-realign resources to fund strategic initiatives.
Bloomsburg’s new residence hall as seen from the walkway behind Ben Franklin. At right: Infrastructure being installed for the chiller district 1.
Construction updates Work continues on the new residence hall, Soltz Hall, with the project 85 percent complete. It is planned to open in August. The steam plant boilers upgrade is progressing. The project replaces three coal boilers and one natural gas boiler with three natural gas boilers while retaining the current biomass boiler. The work is expected to be completed by August. The Columbia Hall chiller district work is also moving forward with the building’s concrete foundation being formed and poured. The project creates chiller district 1, which is more efficient than single building units, to immediately serve Columbia and Navy halls. The building will have space for capacity to service Montour, Northumberland, and replacement services to Haas Center and Bakeless Center for the Humanities when they reach the end of their life cycles. The Centennial Hall steam line replacement project primarily replaces the steam and condensate line around the building. Work includes replacement sidewalks and new LED lighting along E. 2nd Street and the Centennial Hall east sidewalk. The project will also provide a new steam system connection point for the Waller replacement building project.
University Advancement
BU in the news Program achievements and key strategic initiatives highlighted in the media include: Bloomsburg University to Guide Foster Care Youth Toward College Bloomsburg Names 19th president-WNEP
Faculty and staff campaign reaches record participation Faculty and staff have shown their support for the It’s Personal campaign through record levels of participation in response to the We Make it Personal faculty and staff campaign. Participation among BU faculty and staff members grew to 31 percent, a 10 percent increase from last year. The faculty and staff campaign has resulted in 140 gifts from new donors and 34 increased gifts from current donors who directed their support to areas of the university where they are most passionate. The accounting department and BU human resources department both achieved 100 percent participation. Several members of the facilities department were also inspired to join their gifts together and create a new scholarship fund that will benefit BU students.
Web redesign complete A new look has been unveiled to bloomu.edu, bringing with it full view responsiveness to all user devices, new mobile-designed page templates and improved communication abilities through Bloomsburg University’s first fully functioning Intranet. The fully integrated responsiveness design enables users to seamlessly view and interact with all bloomu.edu pages on any device — smartphone, iPad, laptop, etc. — without losing display quality or functionality.
Bloom U. seeks to ‘Anchor’ teens in foster care BU offers anchor to foster kids BU nursing students place first in event Students dig soil-sample work Bloomsburg nursing program ranked third in state PASSHE Business Plan Competition Students Not Fearful of Travel Abroad-WNEP Proctor grad Elliott invited to NFL mini-camp Helping Foster Care Children-WBRE Fulbright Scholar From BU Named
The new mobile-designed templates not only bring a fresh, sleek look to all pages but also enhance the website’s marketing and communication efforts. The newest feature — intranet.bloomu. edu — improves the website’s functionality for the campus community, specifically searchability and communication for current students, faculty and staff. BU’s website is a critical recruitment and communication tool. Moving forward web content will become more focused, succinct and purposeful with a prescribed action for users.
BU Hosts Cyber Security Convention-FOX 56 Students Compete in Shark-Tank Style Competition-WNEP
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 Eric Foster (efoster@bloomu. edu) or Tom McGuire (tmcguire@bloomu.edu).
www.bloomu.edu