We Will Sustain Our Momentum

As I was preparing my comments for today, I reflected on the parallel between a president’s comments at a faculty/staff meeting and commencement addresses. They are both required by tradition, they are both rapidly forgotten and all hope that they are relatively brief. I will be brief, and I accept the fact that most of what I say today will be quickly forgotten.

However, I ask that you take one important thought away from this afternoon’s meeting, because it is going to be very important to each of us as we work through the year ahead. We, and no one else, are in control of the future of this university – not the national economy, not the state economy, not any of the other negative forces swirling around our environment.

Honoring Our Commitment

Four and half years ago, we made a decision to be an academic community committed to research and service, and we made a decision to be a university of choice for the best and brightest. Four and a half years ago, we made a commitment to compete with the best for the best and to become one of the best. And, I am very proud to stand here this afternoon and tell you that I believe we have honored that commitment. We are stronger today as a community of research scholars, our level of service to our community and state has never been more significant or more substantial, and the numbers clearly indicate that we are a university of choice for the best and brightest.

Last fall, we enrolled the largest and best qualified freshman class in the history of The University of Alabama – 4,500 young men and women selected from a pool of more than 14,000. To date, we have already received 17,000 applications for next fall’s freshman class and, in a few months, we will once again enroll the largest and best qualified freshman class in the history of the University.

We have grown with balanced excellence across all of the core elements necessary to move a university forward. We have grown with balanced excellence in academic programs, research, service, outstanding students, outstanding new faculty and staff, and our extraordinary new facilities.

Continuing Our Progress

“We” is a word that we use a lot on this campus, and I believe that “we” – our sense of community – is one of our major strengths. It is who “we” are, it is how “we” function, it is how “we” think and work together. I hope you can see as clearly as I can what a strong academic community we have and how much stronger we have become in recent years. And, I hope you can also see that, as an academic community, we have been moving very rapidly and that the pace of that progress is not going to slow down.

I spoke to the President’s Cabinet recently and said to them that I was convinced that today as a faculty and staff we are more committed, more focused and more productive than we were a few years ago. And, I am certain that in the years ahead we will become even more committed, focused and productive.

I think we can and should look back on the past few years with pride. We have accomplished a great deal, but it is equally important now that we take a very realistic, hard look at where we are and what the next year – and probably the next two years – will have in store for us.

The State of Alabama is facing a serious revenue shortfall. House Bill 319 currently calls for a $28 million reduction in our current state appropriation. Mandated but not funded increases in retirement and healthcare will add at least $3 million to that budget shortfall. And, we are looking at a minimum $1 million increase in our utility expense.

In total, we face the very real specter of a $32 million budget shortfall in the coming fiscal year. There are two fair questions that might be asked. Am I concerned? Obviously, yes, I am. Do I believe that the problem, even if it reaches the level of $32 million, is going to slow or stop our progress? The answer is definitely not. What can we realistically expect over the next several months, and over the next two years? What is actually going to happen?

First, under the leadership of our Executive Vice President and Provost Judy Bonner and our deans, we are going to continue to recruit outstanding new faculty members, and we are going to continue to invest in our academic programs. We are not going to slow down, proration is not going to occur, and we are going to continue to make the investments we need to make in our academic future.

Under the leadership of interim Vice President for Research Joe Benson, we are going to continue to increase and strengthen our research infrastructure, to work hard to generate additional external research funding, and to become more productive as scholars.

Under the leadership of interim Vice President for Student Affairs Mark Nelson, we will continue our progress in making the Alabama educational experience one of the defining elements of our university.

Under the leadership of Vice President Lynda Gilbert, we continue our aggressive program of construction, renovation and campus beautification. The new science and engineering building will open on schedule, and we will break ground this fall on our new nursing building.

Vice President Samory Pruitt will continue to develop and implement the community service programs that are integral to the University’s mission.

Athletics Director Mal Moore will continue his outstanding work and ensure that The University of Alabama continues to have one of the country’s premier athletic programs.

And, under the able leadership of Vice President Pam Parker, we will not only meet but substantially exceed our $500 million capital campaign goal. Our progress on the capital campaign, I believe, is a direct reflection of how much confidence our friends and supporters have in The University of Alabama today. At the end of February, we had reached $465 million in cash and pledges toward our $500 million goal. I believe we will meet that initial goal and substantially exceed it. We have received more than 100 gifts of $1 million or more. We have had 100,000 individuals make contributions, and this faculty and staff have given or pledged more than $7 million. That is an exceptional endorsement.

Equally important over the next few months is what is not going to happen. As I have said, we are not going to yield control of the future of this university to the economic environment. We are not going to slow our rate of progress, and we are not going to abandon, redefine or reduce any of our goals. We will use already established financial reserves, the incremental revenue that comes from enrollment growth – particularly non-resident student growth, the tuition increases that I am very optimistic our board will approve, and our debt capacity to keep the University moving forward.

Staying Focused on Our Vision and Goals

When each of us entered our cars this morning, we encountered the same two pedals – accelerator and brake. The University has an accelerator and the University has a brake, and no one in your senior administration is going to move a foot anywhere near the brake. We have an obstacle in front of us. We are going to go directly through it. We are going to stay focused on our vision and goals. We are going to execute our plans, and our progress will continue.

Judy Bonner, our provost, is my resident truth teller. She tells me the truth whether or not I want to hear it and asks questions that need to be asked. We were in a planning meeting recently, and Judy looked at me and said, “Why are you so absolutely certain that, looking at what we are looking at financially, this university is going to stay on its course and keep on moving as successfully and rapidly as it has?”

I was able to answer that question with one word, and that word is “you” – Alabama’s faculty and Alabama’s staff. I have had five years to get to know you, to work with and for you, and to come to believe completely in you. And, I am confident – completely certain – that, working together, our progress will continue. Thank you very much.