University Convocation addresses mission, growth

Georgia College & State University President Dorothy Leland presented her ceremonial convocation address this past Monday, September 12.

In the address, Leland discussed some obstacles the school will face this upcoming school year. Topping the list of these obstacles is the ability to sustain the schools liberal arts mission.

“A number of you have heard me talk about my concern regarding the long-term sustainability of our mission,” Leland said. “Some people have interpreted this to mean that I want to change the mission, but nothing could be further from my intentions. This is a wonderful university ,and its mission is critically important to the state of Georgia.”

Leland said that her concern stems from knowledge that certain factors are challenging the universities ability to maintain that mission. One factor is funding.

“By virtue of its mission, Georgia College is a limited growth institution,” Leland said. “But it is also an institution within a state university system, where most of the general revenue funding is tied to enrollment growth.”

Because of this, GC&SU will only see minimal increases in funding from the state of Georgia.

Another issue is GC&SU’s ability to keep its current faculty to student ratio, which is the lowest in the University System of Georgia.

“While a low faculty-student ratio is a hallmark of an institution of our type, for some influential stakeholders, this ratio makes us appear less efficient than other system institutions,” Leland said. “These stakeholders will continue to pressure Georgia College to admit more and more students without adding more faculty and staff.”

At least a few students agree with Leland’s point of view and are appalled at the idea of changing class size.

“If the classes go anything over 30, it will cut down everything,’ said Tristen Taylor, a undeclared GC&SU freshman. “Teachers won’t care what your name is. Individuality will be shot down. I think the school sells on individuality. I think it would kill that.”

Leland’s solution to the problem is to develop a strategy that will allow the university to be less vulnerable to pressures for speedy enrollment growth and to encourage funding that is looks at quality over growth.

Part of that solution for the future was the introduction of several new programs. Among the new programs are several designed to aid in the strategic focusing process. This process is designed to aid in the school’s path to national recognition as a consummate public liberal arts university.

To accomplish this, Leland has broken the process down into three separate programs.

“Our first area of strategic focus involves a review of the progress the university has made in achieving its liberal arts mission, an assessment of its competitive strengths and weaknesses and an analysis of external and internal factors that might challenge us as we seek to enhance our stature as a public liberal arts university,” Leland said.

The second group will focus on the total learning experience for students. Leland said that this experience was one shared by all students regardless of major and could be linked to the curriculum, extra-curricular activities or co-curricular activities.

The last area will look at the question of distinctiveness and distinction in the academic program.

“Four school-based workgroups will engage faculty in conversations that seek to identify academic programs, program clusters or program themes best positioned to advance the university’s stature and national prominence” Leland said. “A fifth workgroup, which includes the chairs of the school-based groups, will consider program clusters or themes across schools.”

A Strategic Focusing Advisory Council was also created to oversee the entire process.

Dean of Liberal Arts & Sciences Beth Rushing was in attendance for Leland’s speech and was pleased with what she heard.

“I thought it was really interesting, and I think what she did was really lay out the plan for how we are going to proceed with the next phase of Georgia College,” Rushing said.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Sep 16 2005. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry