State of the University Address, Sept. 19

Date: 9/19/06
Contact: Eric Jome

As Illinois State University prepares to honor the past during its upcoming Sesquicentennial Celebration, President Al Bowman proposed his vision for the University's future in his State of the University Address on Tuesday, Sept. 19.

Bowman called for the entire University community to take part in the planning of the next generation of Educating Illinois: An Action Plan for Distinctiveness and Excellence. Bowman urged campus constituents to review the plan's goals and values and offer constructive input to ensure that the document will continue to be an effective guide for Illinois State's future.

"For almost seven years, we have tied all our goals and accomplishments to Educating Illinois," said Bowman. "It has been our guide for success and it has been our rallying cry. Indeed, Educating Illinois' five core values - Individualized Attention, Public Opportunity, Active Pursuit of Learning and Scholarship, Diversity and Innovation - have been our foundation. Today, I am asking the entire University community to re-examine that foundation."

Bowman called for the process of re-examining Educating Illinois to begin immediately and for the results of that process to be compiled by the end of Illinois State's Sesquicentennial Celebration, in February 2008.

Faculty salary improvements will also be a high priority in the coming year. Bowman stated that average salaries for assistant professors are close to comparison group averages and that average salaries for civil service and administrative professional employees are at, and in some cases above, comparison group averages.

"There are still pockets of employees within each of these groups that are behind comparison group averages and in the coming years we will work to address those salary issues," said Bowman. "But, for the current academic year, the group that requires our greatest attention is faculty members. This year, our funding levels direct that the Salary Enhancement Program must target full and associate professors, the group that remain the furthest behind comparison group averages."

Bowman noted that during the last fiscal year, average salaries for all employee groups on campus increased. The Salary Enhancement Program, an effort to bring aggregate employee group salaries closer to comparison group averages, added nearly $700,000 to the salaries of faculty, civil service and administrative employee groups.

The enhancement of campus facilities and operations will continue to be a key part of Illinois State's future. "As we continue to build and grow our academic enterprise, our facilities and technologies must keep pace," said Bowman. He highlighted the recent and ongoing renovations to campus classroom buildings and residence halls, made possible by state funding. Future building and enhancement projects will help to serve the needs of the campus community in the coming years. "Planning and design work have begun for a new Student Recreation Center. In addition, I have appointed a committee to evaluate current and future uses of the Bone Student Center."

Efforts to enhance the University's physical environment also include a larger environmental pledge. "Illinois State has signed the Illinois Sustainable University Compact, as developed by the Illinois Green Government Coordinating Council," said Bowman. "The Compact is an action-based pledge to improve how our campus interacts with the environment and to promote ecology, encourage respect for life on earth and highlight the growing concern over the over-pollution of the soil, air and water. As a university community, there is nothing more important we can do for our future generations."

While looking to the future, Bowman also praised the present culture of academic excellence on campus. "I believe our faculty members deliver the best educational experience of any institution in Illinois, and among the best in the country," Bowman said. "We are rewarded with an increasingly gifted and engaged student body. This year's freshman class is the most academically talented in Illinois State's history, with an average ACT score of 23.9 and a GPA of 3.4. Our freshman retention rate stands at 84 percent, near our historic high."

"While Illinois State is still an excellent investment and value, we must continue to find sources of private funding to keep our University strong and ensure that the family investment in higher education remains affordable," said Bowman. He stressed that the University's culture of philanthropy, broadened during the recent $96 million Redefining "normal" comprehensive fundraising campaign, will continue to grow. "In the two years since Redefining "normal" concluded, Illinois State has raised almost $30 million in support from alumni and corporate constituencies."

Bowman stated that the coming year will be an excellent time to reflect on the University's past success and its bright future. "In just five months, Illinois State University, Illinois' first public university, will begin a year-long celebration of its sesquicentennial. As president, I believe we will begin our 150th year with an institution that is as strong, vibrant and relevant as any time in our history."