Kennesaw State strong in face of fiscal challenges‚ says President Daniel Papp
“State of the University” address(For the complete story‚ please click on headline above)
Georgia
(Jan 1, 2006) — To read the full text or listen to an audio of Dr. Papp's address ‚ visit: www.kennesaw.edu/president/address.html"
The challenges of the institution’s current fiscal climate ––including a $10 million
budget reduction –– have not derailed Kennesaw State University from achieving strategic
objectives of enhancing academic quality‚ improving student life and building external
and funding support‚ said KSU President Daniel S. Papp Wednesday in his 2009 “State
of the University” address.
Papp delivered his third annual address to nearly 1‚000 KSU faculty‚ staff and students
in morning and afternoon sessions held at the Dr. Bobbie Bailey & Family Performance
Center on the university’s campus.
Papp has served as president of Georgia’s third−largest university since July 2006.
He joined KSU after serving as senior vice chancellor of academics and fiscal affairs
for the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia for six years.
“Fiscal year 2009 has been a challenging year for KSU . . . but the good news is that
KSU has met the challenges well‚” Papp said. “The bad news is that serious challenges
will continue in the upcoming year and beyond. However‚ I am confident we will meet
and surmount the challenges.”
Fiscal challenges
The most significant challenge the university has faced in the past year is a 10.5
percent cut in the institution’s state allocation‚ Papp said‚ prompting a series of
actions to balance the budget.
“To weather this cut‚ we have hired fewer faculty and staff‚ delayed the start dates
of (new hires) by up to three months‚ cut technology . . . asked for reduced travel‚
closed the university for four additional days over the December and January holidays‚
and delayed repairs of facilities‚” he stated. Accordingly‚ Papp said‚ “if no other
(USG) budget reductions occur this fiscal year‚ we will make it to the end of the
year without requiring additional austerity measures.”
A “destination campus”
On the positive side‚ as an affirmation of KSU’s progress‚ Papp noted that in late
2008 KSU was named by U.S. News and World Report as an “Up and Coming University.”
This distinction was earned by only 70 of 3‚500 U.S. higher education institutions.
The president also spoke to the changing demographics and the stronger academic performance
of the institution’s student population. He said KSU is accommodating the changing
needs of the growing number of students today who attend the university — 21‚500 this
academic year. Those students are better prepared academically‚ are younger‚ and
are more apt to live and spend more time on campus.
Five years ago‚ two−thirds of KSU students carried a full course load‚ Papp noted.
That number is now three−fourths of the student body. The average age has gone from
26 a decade ago to slightly under 24. SAT scores of entering freshmen are more than
50 points above the national average — and 80 points above students in the USG. The
times when KSU students take classes also has changed. A decade ago‚ 20 percent of
the university’s students were exclusively evening students. Today‚ that has decreased
to 14 percent.
“We are now a destination campus‚” Papp said. “Students want to come to KSU‚ stay
at KSU‚ and graduate from KSU. This is a place where students want to be.”
New degrees‚ new buildings‚ new land
Over the past year‚ the university added three new master’s degrees and a bachelor
of arts in dance. KSU recently added a third doctoral program‚ a doctorate in Nursing
Sciences‚ this spring‚ and expects to add a fourth one‚ a Ph.D. in international policy‚
later this year.
Faculty received more than $5 million in grants and contracts this year‚ up from $4.3
million last year.
KSU also continues to add buildings to accommodate the university’s growth. A new‚
1‚500−seat dining hall in the heart of campus‚ scheduled to open in August‚ will have
an immense social impact on campus‚ Papp said. The $60 million Health Sciences Building‚
slated to open in 2010‚ is ahead of schedule and on budget. The Joe Mack Wilson Annex
has been added to KSU’s facilities inventory. A new lab sciences building for the
College of Science and Math is expected to break ground in 2010.
With KSU enrollment continuing to grow‚ the recent acquisition by the KSU Foundation
of 88 acres east of I−75 will provide land for fields and facilities for intramurals‚
club sports and intercollegiate athletics. The new land‚ to be called the Student
Recreation and Sports Park‚ will have as many as nine athletic fields‚ jogging trails
and possibly a track‚ tennis courts and a small multi−use stadium‚ in addition to
a 12−acre lake. Two sports fields will be ready for use by August. “Currently‚ for
21‚500 students‚ we have a 1.7−acre field‚” Papp said. “By any measure‚ this is not
enough.”
The cost for the recreational facilities will be covered by student fees and by a
shared−use agreement KSU is negotiating with Cobb County government. “We also are
conducting discussions with an outside source to possibly construct a multi−use stadium‚”
he added.
Diversity as a strategic goal
Papp stressed his commitment to creating “a more welcoming and warmer environment
for diversity at KSU‚” and he cited that a sixth goal would be added to the university’s
strategic plan focusing on diversity. The action steps associated with the new goal
will be aimed at improving hiring practices related to diversity‚ better educating
students to “live in a global society‚” and graduating alumni who “both understand
and appreciate all of the various dimensions of diversity‚ multiculturalism and internationalism.”
To achieve this agenda‚ Papp said the university “must implement programs‚ policies‚
practices and procedures that recognize the unique contributions that all types of
people who are different in many ways can make.”
“The KSU community should engage in an open and honest conversation about race and
ethnicity‚” Papp said‚ “to ask the questions‚ ‘Are we doing all we can to be a warm‚
welcoming‚ and inclusive community‚ and if not‚ how can we improve?’” He stated that
KSU stands “at an ideal juncture to accelerate our progress . . . and to serve as
a national model” in the diversity arena among higher education institutions. The
president indicated that he will appoint a task force to tackle these questions‚ headed
by KSU’s new Chief Diversity Officer Jennifer Wade−Berg.
Strained and stretched‚ but steady and strong
Touching on other operational areas‚ Papp reassured the campus community that KSU
is investing significantly in technologies to enhance campus security. He also praised
the foundation’s role in funding the university‚ and applauded the success of the
university’s current $75 million capital campaign‚ which has raised nearly $45 million
in its first year.
In conclusion‚ Papp reassured the KSU campus community that the university continues
to thrive. “In short‚ we are doing an excellent job with limited resources‚” he stated.
“Times are tight‚ but they will get better. We are strained and stretched‚ but we
will remain steady‚ strong‚ and self−confident as we strive to become the best learning−centered
university in the nation.”
A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers more than 150 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 41,000 students. With 11 colleges on two metro Atlanta campuses, Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia and the second-largest university in the state. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the region and from 126 countries across the globe. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 6 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.