September 7, 2004

Introduction

Once upon a time there was a company in the business of producing a fine, custom-made product.  The company had a fine plant, a good balance sheet, an outstanding group of employees, and a wise Board of Directors.  This was good.  Through long years of building up its assets and improving its product and physical plant the company gained a fine reputation.  It’s product was in demand.  This was also good.

But this fine company was run in a curious way.  It deliberately sold its product below its own cost.  The Board of Directors liked this arrangement because it meant more people could afford the product.  (No wonder the product was in demand!)  The company actually collected from the customers about 60 cents on the dollar.  This was good for the customer; but tough for the company.  Even high volume sales will not offset that gap.

Something had to be done to keep the company in production.

So the Board of Directors decided to ask the company’s former satisfied customers to give money.  The rationale was that as former customers they had benefited from the product so now they might be willing to pay some more.  The Board also asked business people whose companies made a profit if they would not like to give to this company that was not making a profit…and they did.  Some other people who had attained wealth were asked to give, and they did.  Still more money was needed.

You would not expect the company to be able to keep going this way year after year.  But this one has…for 166 years.  As a matter of fact, it is still going strong, still producing a fine product, still selling it way below cost, and still relying upon its former customers and other friends to help keep it going.  The name of the company is Greensboro College.

Although that was a prospectus for Greensboro College, it could just as easily have been a description of most private colleges and universities in the state of North Carolina.  The business of private higher education is different from that practiced by most of the commercial business world.  It is even different from the business of the state university system.  Even so, independent colleges and universities grant one-third of the baccalaureate degrees each year in North Carolina.  Independent Colleges award more than half of the medical degrees and more than 60 percent of the law degrees.[1]  And Greensboro College continues to do its share.

However, let’s return to the “prospectus” for Greensboro College.

I. IT IS STILL GOING STRONG

Students

Our total student head count on August 27 was 1,283.  This includes 1,134 undergraduates and 149 graduate students.  Students come from 27 states and 15 nations.  This year 577 students live on campus, 27 more than last year.  The top five states in number of students are North Carolina –946, Virginia –77, Maryland –61, New Jersey –28, and Florida –25.  The stated religious preferences of our students are 18 percent Southern Baptist, 17 percent Methodist and 10 percent Roman Catholic.

For the fourth consecutive year, we have had a strong and stable new student enrollment.  Our application pool increased 27 percent to 1291, and the actual enrollment of freshmen increased 9 percent.  Thirty-eight percent of this year’s freshman class is from out of state, mainly along the Eastern seaboard.  This entering class is 58 percent male and 42 percent female.

Our acceptance rate this year was 73 percent.  We continue to become more selective in the admission of students.  Last year we accepted 79 percent of all applicants.  The overall SAT average for the class is 1009, and their average GPA is 3.19.  Seven percent of the entering class will be participating in the Honors Program.  Their SAT average is 1236 and their GPA is 4.1

Financial aid is the major factor in attracting students.  Ninety-five percent of this year’s class received financial aid averaging $16,258 each (including $5,409 of institutional funds).   That is why $28 million of our $60 million campaign goal is for financial aid. 

The most popular major for this entering class is “undecided” –27percent (and that pleases me); 12 percent have said they would major in business administration; 7 percent said athletic training would be their major; 6 percent said education; 6 percent said biology and 5 percent each in theatre and exercise and sports studies.

It is always interesting to see where our students applied for admission in addition to Greensboro College.  The “competition” for our students came in this order: UNCG, Appalachian State, UNC-Charlotte, East Carolina, High Point University, UNC-Wilmington, Catawba, Elon University, Western Carolina, and NC A & T State University.

Our Adult Education office oversees several critical programs for us.  The regular undergraduate enrollment through Adult Education this year is down from 195 to 157 students.  However we now have 30 students in the Executive Bachelor’s program.  Additional graduate and specialty programs combine to keep Adult Ed officials plenty busy.  We will need to continue seeking opportunities to build the regular undergraduate adult program along with the graduate offerings.

As for retention, we have good news to report here also.  Last year 70 percent of our freshman class returned as sophomores.  This year 71 percent of the freshman class returned as sophomores.  To put that in perspective, over the last 10 years the average has been 64 percent.  This is good not only for this year, but for at least three more years to come.  Once again you have done a very good job in this important area.  Also, bear in mind that nearly twice as many students were suspended this year for academic reasons.

The 2004 graduating senior survey results have been compiled. Here are their plans as they expressed them in May: 53 percent plan to stay in the Triad; 50 percent had completed an internship at Greensboro College; 48 percent were employed as of graduation day; and 9 percent were going to graduate school.  I am happy to report that 82 percent said they would attend Greensboro College again if they had it to do over.

Faculty

A number of accomplishments have been claimed this year by our faculty.  Professor of French Dr. Nancy McElveen was selected to participate in the annual reading and scoring of the College Board’s Advanced Placement Examinations in French.  Assistant Professor of Music David Fox and his band, “The Dave Fox Group,” recently released a new album entitled “Gatewalk” under the label Assembled Sound.   Dr. Cheryl Brown spent two weeks in Mexico working with local officials there to develop a needs assessment for children in the community. 

I am very pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Mari Pino del Rosario as the director of Engaged and Experiential Learning.  In this expanded role she will work with faculty to increase opportunities to relate classroom work to practical situations.  It is what I call applied liberal arts.  I am also happy to note the addition of Hattie Mukombe as our Campus Compact Americorps VISTA worker.  She, along with Dr. Mari Pino del Rosario and Dean of the Chapel, A. C. Brock, will assist the College in making connections with our neighbors in Village 401.

We are also pleased we were able to expand our Information Technology staff.  Two additional technicians are now available to work with students, faculty and staff in this critical area.  There are now five professionals to assist us in this important area.

We have an additional member of the Department of Business Administration and Economics, Dr. Michael Dutch.  In addition we have new faculty in Kinesiology, Dr. Brenda Burgess; in English, Prof. Daniel Burns; and History, Prof. April Najjaj.   This brings our total fulltime faculty to 64.

With the addition of the new faculty this year, our full-time faculty now hold degrees from 101 different institutions.  I think this is an exceptional statistic to celebrate — that opinions and perspectives from 101 different centers of higher education, with all the diversity that represents, can be brought to one small liberal arts college. 

We are happy to welcome back to service three faculty who were away on sabbatical last year: Dr. Rebecca Blomgren, Dr. Randy Hunt and Dr. Ann Walter-Fromson. Likewise we wish Godspeed to three who will be away this year: Dr. Charles Hebert, Prof. Ray Martin and Dr. Marcia Reinholtz.

We celebrate the achievements of Dr. Rhonda Burnette-Bletsch who was granted tenure; Prof. Neill Clegg, promoted to Associate Professor of Music; Dr. Richard Crane, promoted to Professor of History; Dr. Lisa Gunther-LaVergne, granted tenure; and Dr. Russell Robinson promoted to Professor of Exercise and Sport Studies.

 

II. STILL PRODUCING A FINE CUSTOM MADE PRODUCT

Southern Association

Many of you are already involved in the preparation for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools 10-year review of our programs.   If not, you soon will be.  Dr. Judkins, assisted by Dr. George Cheatham and Dr. Cindy Hanson have been leading the way and their efforts will continue to require the cooperation and assistance of all of us.  A key component of SACS this time around is the preparation of a Quality Enhancement Plan.

The topic that Greensboro College has selected for its Quality Enhancement Plan is “Focused Learning, Focused Teaching.”  The mechanism the College has chosen to achieve greater student and faculty focus is a transition from a three-credit course model, in which a normal student load is five three-credit courses (a 3x5 model), to a four-credit course model, in which a normal student load is four four-credit courses (a 4x4 model). Initial research on 4x4 models suggests that when students take fewer courses in one term, they can focus more intently on each course, deepen their knowledge; and apply their skills.  Likewise, faculty members teaching three, rather than four, courses per semester are expected to have more time for professional development as teachers and scholars.

The short-term goals of the Quality Enhancement Plan are to increase depth of knowledge, to increase active learning strategies and to increase faculty professional development.  The long-term goal of the Quality Enhancement Plan is to increase student learning as currently defined and assessed through the general education program and the program area standing objectives.

At this time, all but one of our 17 academic departments have submitted good-faith models of their majors under a 4x4 system.  The faculty has reviewed the 20-page draft of the Quality Enhancement Plan and provided feedback to the committee through a series of small and large group discussions at the August 2004 opening faculty meetings.  The current timeline calls for a general education proposal to be submitted by the College’s Curriculum and Instruction Committee to the full faculty during the 2004-2005 academic year, after which the departments will prepare their final models for submission.  The College is planning for implementation of all curricular changes during the 2006-2007 academic year.

Our Compliance report will be submitted today (September 7).  The external review committee will gather in Atlanta, Georgia to consider our reports between September 21-30.  The on-site committee will be on campus April 4-6, 2005.

Intercollegiate Athletics

An important part of our program, one that involves over half of our entering freshman class, is intercollegiate athletics.  Our fall teams continue to receive a healthy dose of respect in terms of anticipated conference finishes. Volleyball and men’s soccer have been projected to finish first in the USA South Athletic Conference, women’s soccer second; and men’s and women’s cross-country third.

Greensboro College will be the official host for the 2004 men’s and women’s soccer national championship to be held November 26 and 27.  This is the first time in Division-III history that the men’s and women’s championships have been held simultaneously at the same venue.

This year we will host four USA South Athletic Conference Tournaments: men’s and women’s cross country; men’s basketball, women’s lacrosse and men’s golf.

Last year Greensboro College finished 3^rd in the conference President’s Cup race, which recognizes the top overall athletic program in the conference.  This matches our highest ever finish.

This year two individuals have joined our exceptional coaching staff, and it is no exaggeration to say they bring with them the equivalent of a “terminal degree” in their individual sports.  Tracy Ducar is the proud owner of a World Cup gold medal in soccer and Rusty LaRue sports an NBA World Championship ring.  If winning begets winning, we are optimistic about what these two will do for our teams.

Student Health Care

I am happy to tell you about a new development in the important area of student health.  A partnership with Pamona Health Care will enable us to provide the best possible health services to our students.  In addition to expanded physician services each week, our students will have after-hours, on-call services and support.

New Web Pages

Have you looked at our Web pages recently?  The News Releases pages have been redesigned as a very friendly and helpful tool for finding Greensboro College information. Give it a test; type your own name into the Releases “Search” spot and see what happens.

Also, look for a brand-new Greensboro College Web home page sometime during the fall semester. It will be even more attractive and functional, making it easy and enjoyable to navigate through our site.

III. STILL SELLING IT WAY BELOW COST

and STILL RELYING UPON ITS FORMER FRIENDS

Financial Affairs

The total operating budget of the college last year was $22.84million.  You all know the tensions we experienced as a result of the stock market’s failure to perform and shortfalls in undesignated gifts.  Our budget for this year is up 4 percent - $24 million.  Our enrollment this year and with normal retention rate from Fall to Spring is 2/10 of 1 percent of budget. That’s about $50,000.   Budget controls begin again. 

Institutional Advancement

The Campaign for Greensboro College: A Promise to Keep continues to move out to other people and other locations.  So far we have kicked off campaigns in 10 cities.  Everywhere I go, as we talk about this campaign and what it will do for us, I tell the people what you, the faculty and staff, have done for the college.  I tell them that the faculty and staff have exceeded your goal of $300,000 by $10,000.  They are impressed.  I hope those of you who have not pledged will want to impress them some more. 

As of September 3, the total pledged to the campaign is $53.4 million.  This year we will wrap up the campaign in the 10 current cities and move on to other campaign areas.  That capital campaign must raise at least $1,250,000 to cover the debt service required by the campus expansion including The Royce Reynolds Family Student Life Center, The Inn at Greensboro College and The Greensboro College Sports Park.  It will be a big challenge and it will occupy a great deal of my time this year.

In addition to the Campaign for Greensboro College, our annual College Fund continues.  In fiscal year 2003-04, the College Fund raised $510,570.  We must raise at least $500,000 this year to cover ongoing operating expenses.  It is necessary for both of these campaigns to run simultaneously along with a systematic program of Planned Giving.  We will have a busy year. 

You are aware that Dr. Alan Sasser left the College to become Minister of Cedar Cliffs United Methodist Church in Graham.  The Institutional Advancement office is being restructured to meet the financial challenges the college faces.  For the foreseeable future, I will coordinate the work of Institutional Advancement.

CONCLUSION

And so the business of Greensboro College continues.  We intend to continue at least another 166 years.  We will continue to produce a fine, custom-made product.  We will continue selling it well below our cost.  And we will continue to rely upon former customers and friends to keep us going.  Hope we can count on you.

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