President Soltz gives 'State of University' at Forum
BU president David Soltz discussed enrollment, construction and administrative changes in his state of the university address to the University Forum Wednesday, Sept. 17.
The university has more than 2,200 new undergrad students this semester, 400 of them transfer students, said Soltz, who added the number of transfers may be a record.
"We had an increase of 750 applications over last year," said Soltz. "We are clearly a university of choice. We can be selective. Our fall freshmen class is not only the largest, but the most diverse and best prepared academically."
Soltz noted that the expansion and renovation of Haas Center for Arts should be complete in December. As the fall semester concludes, renovation of Bakeless Center for the Humanities will begin. Renovation of the old wing of Hartline Science Center is scheduled to begin in May 2009.
Soltz also announced plans to bring back the position of vice president for university advancement, which BU had in the 1990s. When the new vice president is hired, the university will move forward with fundraising priorities, said Soltz.
Soltz discussed the possibility of opening a branch campus in the Sunbury area. He stressed that discussions of a branch campus are in the very preliminary stages and any action will be several years away. Soltz also announced that the university has purchase the Lindenfeld property on Chestnut street nearest to Andruss Library.
At the meeting, provost James Mackin discussed BU's performance funding from the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. This year, BU will receive $3.15 million for performance funding. In general, the university did well on measures of student outcomes and success, said Mackin, but less well on measures of diversity, particularly employee diversity.
The meeting opened with welcoming remarks from CGA president Gia Adornetto, SCUPA president Gretchen Osterman, AFSCME president-elect Shawn Makar and APSCUF president Steve Kokoska. Kokoska stressed the importance of shared governance, which was echoed by president Soltz.