Chair's Remarks to the Board
August 4, 2004
Board of Regents Chair Joel O. Wooten, Jr.
The advent of a fall term always means change. This is just as true for this Board of Regents as it is for any of the more than 250,000 students or 35,000 faculty and staff on our 34 campuses. As we prepare to begin another semester and a new fiscal year, we find ourselves not just managing but creating and driving some significant changes. Yet, as we consider how to do things differently, our decisions must always remain rooted in basic principles and goals.
For example, over the coming months, I've asked the staff to structure our monthly meeting agenda somewhat differently. My goal is to provide the opportunity for each of you to more fully participate in every aspect of our agenda. I think we can thus become a more informed and better prepared Board.
Let me take this opportunity to outline what I see as our priorities over this coming year as well as to make some comments regarding the support this great University System of Georgia has and continues to receive from our many partners in both the public and private sector, but first, a word on this Board and its members. We have an outstanding Board of Regents, one whose members display a solid range and depth of experience from many walks of life. I feel confident in the ability of this Board to rise to meet its heavy responsibilities to this state. And that confidence is further strengthened by the presence of Regent Tim Shelnut, who serves this year as Vice Chair and who I am certain will do an excellent job.
I am thankful for the outstanding appointments that Governor Perdue has made to this Board. We have a talented group of new Regents available to us as a result of the Governor's actions, but we, as a Board, cannot make progress alone. And for this reason, the support of our elected officials is very important if we expect to make progress toward our goal of "creating a more educated Georgia." Fortunately for us and for the citizens of Georgia, that support starts at the top. We deeply appreciate the cooperation and the support the University System receives from the Governor's office. And I appreciate the good working relationship we have with the General Assembly and its leadership. We are indeed fortunate to have strong and informed supporters in both the executive and legislative branches. The Governor and the General Assembly hold the University System in high regard. They have confidence in our ability to provide quality public higher education, but we can't expect that confidence to endure if we do not take action on a daily basis to reaffirm it. In other words, our funding partners - and others - are holding us accountable.
I know that accountability is a word that is tossed around by many people, but for us, accountability has to be a bedrock principle. As we focus on how we manage or drive change to benefit our students and the state, we must evaluate our decisions from this tradition of accountability. We must ask ourselves, "Will this action truly serve the best interests of our students and the state?" I want us to look at how we can more fully integrate the principle of accountability into all of our decision making and operations. The time we spend to increase the level of accountability we provide will, in turn, strengthen the level of confidence in which we are held.
We will also focus this year on the confidence our partners have in our ability to manage this University System. We must continue to send the message that we, as a Board, understand the important role we have in educating Georgians and in promoting the state's economic growth. We do not take those roles and that responsibility lightly. Our partners in government and in the private sector - and that includes our students - are making a significant investment in the University System. We must take our responsibility to manage that investment very seriously. Over the coming year, I want us to focus on how we can serve more students with a higher-quality educational experience. We know from projections, data, and surveys that we will continue to see rising enrollment at our institutions. This increased demand comes as no surprise. Rising enrollments are changing the face of higher education in this state and across the country, and our responsibility as a Board is to take action to create the kind of positive change in our programs and policies that truly meets the needs of these new students and the needs of our state. We also have a responsibility to meet increased demand with no slackening of academic quality. This is a very challenging proposition, but one we must address. This, too, will require us to look closely at what must be maintained in its current form and what must be changed if we are to move forward and strengthen the quality of our educational experience.
One thing that must change, I believe, is the current level of investment in public higher education. Even with continued improvement in our operating efficiency, we must make the case to our funding partners that increased funding of education is critical to our ability to be successful. This means we will look to our partners in both the public and private sectors to increase their investment in this University System. This will require both the traditional funding approach as well as developing some new concepts to reach the level of investment needed. We must also continue to mobilize all of the System's resources to strengthen the state's economic growth. This is critical for our state's long-term economic well-being. During this meeting, we have heard a presentation of how we are helping that cause through the very successful Health Professionals Initiative. That public-private partnership initiative not only has created jobs in Georgia, it also helps meet the healthcare needs of Georgia's citizens. So, we will continue to place a very high priority on how we can be creative and how we can use our intellectual capital to benefit this state, its business community, and its citizens.
Over the next decade, we must prepare to educate more than 150,000 and perhaps as many as 200,000 new students. To paraphrase former Governor Carl Sanders' 1964 remarks, "No Georgian should have to leave this state to receive a quality education." But that means that this Board must plan for the future. We have to continue to increase our building programs. Our campuses need new technologically advanced classrooms, faculty offices, and support facilities. Our campuses must be centers of academic excellence. We also have to continue cutting edge research that leads not only to an increase in academic quality but also economic development. This requires new labs and modern research facilities. And let's not forget our students. In addition to new classrooms, we must provide them with a quality of life on campus to encourage and to challenge them. This means cultural and recreational opportunities in addition to world-class academics. We must figure out how to fund and build new residence communities, student learning centers and recreational and cultural venues for them. All of this requires top-notch faculty to teach and to lead and to inspire.
We have to continue to meet the challenges of a changing economic world. Not only do we have to retool our factories; we must also retrain our work force. We have to lead the way to encourage and establish in Georgia a culture of lifelong learning. All of this is a tall order, a challenge, but it is one that we must meet. We cannot afford to fail. The future of Georgia is too important. That is why we must have multiple funding sources and good relationships with our partners and encourage new investment and creativity. All must work together with us and with our other educational partners: the State Board of Education and the Department of Technical and Adult Education. We must continue to work to improve the K-12 program and to improve our graduation and retention rates. We must work to increase our technological resources and to use them to more efficiently teach our students. These areas are interrelated: accountability, confidence, quality, building and planning for the future, investment, partnerships. All come together to serve our students with one goal in mind: "creating a more educated Georgia."
As we work toward this goal, we must be flexible to changing circumstances and new opportunities. However, we must operate within a framework of principles and policies that provide accountability and increase the confidence of our partners in our ability to manage well and to plan soundly. Though we face many challenges, our outlook this year is bright because of the strength of this Board and of this System, because of the history and the solid record of success we have enjoyed in providing quality public higher education, and because of the confidence and trust of our partners that past Boards have earned.
We are blessed to have an outstanding chancellor in Tom Meredith. He is a nationally respected leader, and Georgia is fortunate to have his talents leading this University System. Chancellor Meredith is backed by a dedicated and hardworking staff. They are consummate professionals who serve this Board and this state well. We have great presidents, staff, and faculty at our 34 campuses, and I appreciate the good work they are doing to further the missions of their respective institutions.
Let me also express my thanks to Regent Harris. It was a pleasure and a real education for me to serve as his Vice Chair over the past year. All of his life, Joe Frank Harris has selflessly served this state - in the Georgia House, as Chair of the Appropriations Committee, two terms as Governor and, most recently, two consecutive terms as Chair of the Board of Regents, during some very trying economic times. His life is a great example of the concept of servant leadership. Governor Harris, I thank you for the fine precedent you have set for each of us to follow in our own lives and as members of this Board.
In conclusion, I know that in the up-coming year, whatever actions we take as a Board will be backed up by the great preparation and the dedicated follow-through of many, many people in the System. I know that as a Board, we will continue to meet our responsibilities with excellence. I look forward to the challenges and to the opportunities we face in the coming year, and I thank each of you for your dedication, your support, and your willingness to serve this state.