President's Message from Fall Portraits 2010

Momentum continues to grow 

Dear Friends and Supporters: 

    These are the best of times for our institution as we strive to sustain the positive momentum that has been building for the last five years.  All members of our broader campus community — faculty, staff, students, alumni, Advisory Board, and supporters — continue to “row in the same direction,” aspiring to a shared vision and common purpose. Thanks to our unprecedented growth and prudent management of financial and material resources, we have been able to make significant advances across many areas of our institution, even as other institutions continue to buckle under the weight of recession and economic uncertainty.   

    The tremendous growth in our student population during the last few years impelled us to take stock of our facilities and services to ensure we were equipped to respond to the needs of students who now come to us from our immediate service region, from urban and rural areas throughout the country, and from as many as 21 countries.  Driving the effort to assess our readiness and make the appropriate adjustments is our collaborative strategic planning process. It should come as no surprise then that all of the remarkable milestones reached in the past year were either part of the original master plan for the campus or part of our recently completed five-year Plan for the Fifth Decade.  

    The $2.5 million Harriett B. Wick Chapel project is nearing completion, but the idea of a chapel on our campus was conceived as part of the 1994 campus master plan. On the other hand, the $5.9 million renovation of the science labs and the $5.45 million construction of a third residence hall in five years were top priorities in our recently completed strategic plan. Similarly, the expansion and beautification of our campus and creation of an Advising Center are outcomes of our very thoughtful and deliberate strategic positioning of our institution for the future. 

    While I have utmost confidence in our ability to sustain our positive momentum in the current year, it is probably unrealistic to believe that we will fulfill our aspirations without encountering threats and challenges.  Your support has been instrumental to our success thus far and your continued encouragement will inspire us to respond appropriately to the threats and challenges that almost certainly await us.   

     I thank you for your continuing support and invite you to stop in soon to meet our wonderful students and see the exciting new developments on our campus. 

Warmest regards,

Livingston Alexander
President