Office of the Chancellor > State of the Campus Address 2004

State of the Campus Address
September 28, 2004

It's clear that we are now in a different — and more challenging — economic and political environment. However, our mission and commitment remain the same — to educate future citizens and leaders; to contribute to Colorado's economic vitality and development; and to make the discoveries that improve our quality of life and our understanding of humankind.

So what are our choices for moving forward, in light of the economic challenges that we face? The way I see it, there are three options: We could acquiesce to a decline in quality. That is unacceptable to me. We could decide that we're just going to hunker down and try to survive. That is unacceptable to me. Or we could decide to advocate aggressively for our vision and our expectations for the campus.

In a recent planning retreat with the faculty, staff and student members of the Chancellor's Executive Committee and our deans, the consensus was clear. We want to be aggressive andforge ahead; we want to become a new kind of academic enterprise.  We aren't willing to slide backward — so we're going to start by making strategic investments.

We are committed to making the University of Colorado at Boulder one of the top universities in the nation and the world - not because it is a notable achievement, but because the state of Colorado needs a great comprehensive research university to sustain and improve upon the quality of life for its citizens now and into the future. Our plan for achieving that goal, Quality for Colorado, is built upon bold aspirations — aspirations that will stretch our imagination, not to mention our resources. For example, here's the CU-Boulder I would like to see 10 years from now, in the year 2014.

• I envision that CU-Boulder will continue to be one of the most beautiful campuses in America, with at least four new academic buildings — Law, ATLAS, Business and Visual Arts, as well as a new academic research complex on the east campus — and an invisible but robust technology infrastructure.

• We will be ranked among the top 25 public research universities and one of the top five between the coasts.

• We will recruit and retain many more top, tenure-track faculty who are drawn to the campus's intellectual environment offering interdisciplinary opportunities, as well as by competitive compensation and research support. I envision at least 100 endowed chairs and more faculty members of the National Academy of Sciences and other prestigious professional societies, more national teaching awards, and excellent Ph.D. students.

• We will be known as one of the best undergraduate public universities in the country — with students who are high achievers, highly motivated, studious and winners of prestigious fellowships and awards. The average GPA of incoming freshmen will be 3.85; they will be diverse racially, socioeconomically and geographically; 100% will have a first-year academic neighborhood experience; 30% will participate in the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program; 30% will be engaged in service learning; 100% will have an academic capstone experience; a large number will participate in Study Abroad; and all will be engaged in an undergraduate experience that is challenging, rewarding and excellent.

• Our graduate programs will be robust. We will have 500 students in five-year bachelor's/master's programs; the number of our Ph.D students will have doubled and many of them will aspire to be future faculty; and we will have 20 of the most sought-after professional master's programs.

• I envision that our faculty will continue their research success and accomplishments. We will compete successfully for research contracts and grants, reaching more than 400 million dollars in research funding per year. Our departments, institutes and centers will be recognized by funding agencies, foundations and academic societies as among the best. Our scholars will rank in the top tier. And we will be recognized as the best in many disciplines and areas of interdisciplinary research.

• An increased number of staff will be well trained, professional and competitively compensated. They will make important contributions to the academic mission of the Boulder campus, as well as the personal growth and success of our students. Their efforts will bring them state, regional and national awards and recognition.

• We will be a university with a public mission, but one that functions as an academic enterprise. We will have more than doubled our private fundraising per year, compared with current levels. We will have profitable entrepreneurial programs in each college and school and we will have built-in incentives for excellence, core functions, and profitable enterprises.

• Non-resident students will continue to pay higher tuition, but have more merit aid available. Resident students will pay the cost of education less the state voucher, and about 25% of tuition revenue will be used to reduce the resident cost of attendance. Financial aid from private giving and other sources will provide more access and opportunity for qualified resident students, students of color and first-generation students.

• We will join library consortia to help us maintain rich resources for research and studies. We will join purchasing consortia for higher education resulting in significant savings.

• We will have successful energy conservation programs.

• We will have a safe and nurturing campus and community, where all members of that diverse community feel welcomed and appreciated for their contributions.

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