A major focus of the past academic year at The University of Alabama has been growth with quality. The cornerstone of our vision for the future is to become a university of choice for the best and brightest. This year that vision became a reality. Last fall, 3,364 freshmen enrolled at The University of Alabama, up about nine percent over the previous year. These freshmen averaged in the top 20 percent nationally on the ACT and carried an average high school GPA of 3.4. Also last fall, the inaugural class of our Honors College enrolled — 557 freshmen who averaged in the top five percent on the ACT and had high school GPAs averaging over 3.8. The University of Alabama CAN grow with quality. It is right and appropriate for the Faculty Senate and others to watch carefully over the University's growth plans because growth without quality is not progress. But I can commit to the Faculty Senate, the faculty, in general, and the University community that we will only grow with quality, and growth with quality is possible.

Last fall we had a record number of applications to the University — 9,200. To date, that number stands at 10,400 for fall 2005. The academic reputation of The University of Alabama is spreading and growing steadily stronger. We are aggressively advertising, promoting and communicating our academic strength. Our recruiters in Atlanta, Dallas, Houston and Orlando are reporting record levels of interest in the University. I'm confident that in the years ahead, we'll see not only enrollment growth, but growth in the quality of our student body. A special note of thanks is due to our alumni and members of the President's Cabinet. They are in large part responsible, along with our recruiting and admissions office, for this growth in enrollment. They have opened their homes; they have devoted hours to supporting us with recruiting receptions; they have become a network of individuals referring outstanding students to us.

During the past academic year, we have stressed the need for balanced progress. It won't do The University of Alabama any good to attract the best and brightest students if we do not also have the faculty and staff they need and expect to find. The only way we will have that faculty and staff is if we have a competitive faculty and staff salary structure. I'm pleased that last fall we took a significant step forward in terms of reaching the SUG (Southern Universities Group) 50th percentile. A couple of years ago, the faculty of this University laid out a goal of reaching the SUG 50th percentile within five years. I am very optimistic that this fall we'll have a faculty and staff merit raise pool comparable to the one we had last fall. If we do, we will reach the 50th percentile next fall in almost all our colleges and schools, and then we will begin to push very aggressively for the 75th percentile.

Faculty recruiting this year has been very successful. We have made several excellent additions to our faculty and even though the recruiting year is not complete, I'm confident many of the pending offers will be accepted and we will go into the coming academic year substantially strengthened in our faculty ranks. Our academic programs continue to receive national recognition, several being ranked by U.S. News & World Report and other ranking entities. I'd like to especially note the efforts of Ken Randall and his colleagues in the School of Law. The School of Law this year ranked 18th among public law schools and 41st in the total list of law schools. In the last decade, our School of Law has moved up more places in the U.S. News rankings than any other law school in the country.

Our students continue to be recognized. This year, we again had five USA Today Academic All-Americans, leading the country for the second time in the last three years. We had two Goldwater Scholars and one Truman Scholar. Our students are increasingly taking pride in The University of Alabama. The SPIRIT Award campaign this year asked students on tight budgets to help provide scholarships for other students. Just a few days ago, four scholarships were awarded. Almost a third of our students participated in the campaign in its first year, and I'm confident the percentage, as well as the dollar amount, will go up in the years ahead.

Our facilities continue to improve. New buildings opened this year include Shelby Hall, University Medical Center, the Student Recreation Center and improvements to athletic facilities. The amount of construction activity currently in process is exceptional. The Child Development Research Building will open in the fall, and the new Student Health Center will open in the near future. Three new residence halls are on target for opening in August 2005 and we have broken ground on two additional residence halls and a new dining facility. We are relatively near groundbreaking for a new chemistry lab building, and planning is under way for two additional buildings — much needed facilities for our nursing program and our biology department. Senator Richard Shelby has committed to two additional facilities, both to support engineering and science. I anticipate construction on the first of those two buildings will begin in three to four years.

Many of you know we're engaged in a massive campus master planning process. As we expand the size of the University, as we engage in construction of new facilities, as decisions are made about the renovation of existing facilities, it's important that we have a coherent long-range plan — we're making excellent progress.

An integral part of our vision for the future is to become a tier-1 research university. During the last year, we substantially strengthened the research environment at the University — strengthening our grants and contracts office and providing better support for faculty. Provost Judy Bonner was able to identify a substantial increase in funding for start-up costs to facilitate the recruiting of research faculty. Effective next fall, a scholarship program for graduate research assistants appointed against external grants and contracts will be implemented. That scholarship program will cover the difference between instate and out-of-state tuition fees making it possible for our research faculty to attract and employ more graduate students.

It has been a very good year. With the potential that our campus offers and the momentum that we have developed, I'm confident that next year will be even better.