Faculty and staff who had been awarded emeritus status were recognized at the Council of Trustees meeting Wednesday. Shown from left are: Glenn Bieber, director of technology; Charles Hoppel, department of computer information systems/management information systems; Jack Pollard, University Safety and Police; Janice Keil, department of business education/business information systems; John Switay, facility services; Ann Diseroad, interlibrary loan coordinator; BU president David Soltz and Council of Trustees Chairperson Steven Barth. Not available for photo: Ann Diseroad, interlibrary loan coordinator.
Bloomsburg University hits enrollment milestone
BU's admissions office received a record 10,716 applications for the Class of 2012 and recently welcomed 1,390 fall freshmen, Preston Herring, BU's vice president for university and student affairs, told BU's Council of Trustees during the quarterly meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 3.
A previous record was set last year when 9,783 freshman applications were received and 1,335 first-year students were admitted, he added.
The number of transfer students also increased slightly this fall with a 13 percent increase in applications for a total of 1,251 applications and 415 students admitted.
"University residence halls are filled," Herring said. Also at capacity is Honeysuckle Apartments, owned by the Community Government Association, which is home of 407 students, including 142 who previously lived on campus.
At the Trustees meeting Wednesday, BU presented the Town of Bloomsburg with donations of $38,000 for the fire department and the fifth installment of an eight-year pledge of $25,000 annually toward the cost of the fire department's ladder truck. Shown from left are Fire Department Lt. Jason Reynolds, Town Council members Sylvia Costa and Carey Howell and BU president David Soltz.
During the meeting, BU President David Soltz formally presented the university's annual contribution to the Bloomsburg Volunteer Fire Company, represented by Lt. Jason Reynolds, and the Town of Bloomsburg, represented by Town Council members Sylvia Costa and Carey Howell. Each year, BU donates $38,000 to the fire department. The university is in the fifth year of an eight-year pledge of $25,000 annually toward the cost of the fire department's ladder truck.
In other action, the Trustees:
- Accepted BU's 2009-2010 budget request of $117.7 million. Each of the 14 universities within the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education submits a budget request that is used as a basis for PASSHE's appropriation request to the state legislature.
- Heard an update from Richard Baker, chair of 18-member steering committee preparing for BU's reaccreditation visit from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education in April 2009. Baker said six working groups have been addressing the 14 standards that are part of a self-study and offering recommendations. The groups' findings reinforce that "BU is strong academically and fiscally," Baker said.
- As required by PASSHE regulations, voted to certify compliance of the affiliated organization, the Husky Research Corp. The corporation was established to further the educational and scientific purposes of the university, administer grants and contracts, provide flexibility to respond quickly to the demands of contracts and sponsored programs, and promote technology transfer.
- Learned that financial contributions given directly to BU totaled $4.6 million for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2008. This total of private giving, as listed in the Voluntary Support of Education (VSE) survey, does not include funds from state or federal government, according to Jim Hollister, assistant vice president for university relations. It does include external scholarships and donations from alumni, students' families, and faculty and staff, including annual fund donations. The VSE survey is a national source of information on private giving to higher education from about 85 percent of U.S. colleges and universities.
- Recognized retired faculty and staff who were granted emeritus status. They are Janice Keil, department of business education/business information systems; Charles Hoppel, department of computer information systems/management information systems; Ann Diseroad, interlibrary loan coordinator; Glenn Bieber, director of technology; John Switay, facility services; and Jack Pollard, University Safety and Police.
- Approved a resolution which "highly commends and heartily endorses the performance of the president." The Trustees recently conducted an informal review of Soltz's performance over the first eight months of his presidency and the resolution praised his "excellent job managing the many aspects of the university."