Chair's Remarks to the Board
August 6, 2002
Board of Regents Chair Joe Frank Harris
Chair Harris made the following remarks to the Board to commemorate the beginning of his Chairmanship:
Thank you. During my 26 years as an elected official, including 18 years in the Georgia House and culminating in 8 years as Governor, I have received many awards and honors. Such awards and honors never failed to leave me humbled. And in accepting the honor of serving as the Chair of the Board of Regents, I reflected upon my past years of service. Truthfully - this new role is as important as any I have undertaken in my life. And while I am honored by this leadership role, I know all too well this position carries with it high expectations and great responsibility. I pledge to each of you that I will work as hard as I've ever worked to meet your expectations and reward your recognition. That is my commitment to this Board.
However, our success depends on all of us. For my part, I commit to being a tough taskmaster. I will make sure that we stay focused on our key priorities and that we provide clear direction for the University System. From the Chancellor, I have his assurances that we can continue to expect from him and his staff presentations of substance and depth to enable us to make sound decisions. And from you, I seek your pledge to come well informed about our work to date, prepared to engage in our discussions and decision-making, and committed to meeting our strategic timeline. If we all continue to work together, we will meet our goals and fulfill our governance responsibilities to the state, as our predecessors have done for the past 70 years.
During the coming year, I would like this Board to focus on three key areas:
- The first year action plan of our revised strategic plan;
- The importance of operating with an eye on the future; and
- Our educational partnerships.
In June, we approved our strategic plan. It has an ambitious agenda for the first year. We will follow aggressively the excellent roadmap that has been developed. This first year action plan covers all of our 11 strategic goals, and I want to highlight a few areas.
I don't need to tell you that we have a lot of work ahead of us. The good news is that we have made reportable progress in some critical areas since our last Board meeting. We have made program awards to our campuses for both our ICAPP® [Intellectual Capital Partnership Program] Health Professionals and our 4-4-2 initiatives. You have seen the excellent articles on the ICAPP® initiative in the news media. Senior Vice Chancellor Dan Papp will provide you with an in-depth report on the 4-4-2 initiative.
The request for proposals for our research and marketing study on African-American male college attendance has been issued. The Systemwide task force also has been formed that will be charged with bringing you its findings and recommendations. In June, System leaders also were charged with tackling several other challenges in our action plan. These include expanding student retention programs and internship and cooperative programs and increasing service learning opportunities for students. Efforts also are underway to develop stronger academic and business ties and increase collaboration between our two- and four-year institutions on curriculum revision. And later this week, your System presidents will be assigned a number of actions related to the first year plan.
So we are underway. We asked the presidents, faculty and staff in the University System to support our goal, and they have responded in their usual fine fashion. That's why it's important for this Board to keep our collective foot on the gas. As your Chair, I will be driving, and driving hard. We must stay on schedule, and we must seize the opportunities that are presented. That's why I need your commitment, your informed opinions, and your support. We must not lose sight of our main goal: creating a more educated Georgia.
This next priority comes under the thought: "Even in tough times you plan for the future." Let's be realistic! Over the past year, this state has gone through some tough economic times. And we're not yet clear. As we look forward to the fiscal year '04 budget discussions, we cannot expect the significant increases in funding we have experienced in the past. We must continue to be visionary and be ready to act when funds become available. At that time, we need to be in a leadership position to help Georgia continue its historic growth patterns. The economic downturn means a leaner University System. Yet, it also means more Georgians will look to public higher education to improve their lives. Our responsibility as a governing board is to manage this increased demand with fewer resources. And we need to be able to manage for the short-term, yet still think strategically and long-term. That's why I intend that we do not let the tough economic times of today prevent us from also keeping an eye on the future. I know the benefits of planning for the future. In fact, planning for the future is a key Board responsibility.
During my political career, I was extremely fortunate to participate in a number of key developments that have had a positive, long-term impact on this state and the University System. I've seen first-hand what happens with such long-term planning. One of these was the creation of the Eminent Scholars Endowment Trust Fund. This has been a great benefit for this state. Another came while I was in the legislature. This was the creation of the Formula for Excellence in 1982. And I was Governor when it was implemented and fully funded for the first time. So, I know the history and the value of the formula. It has served us well over these 20 years. Proof of that can be found in the System's growth, development, and rising national prestige. A third example was the creation of the Georgia Research Consortium that later became the Georgia Research Alliance ("GRA"). Today the GRA is a national model.
All of these historic achievements are not cast in stone. They are living programs that adapt to the present and the future. They help us today and tomorrow. So, it is important that we keep our eye on the future in regard to these - and other - key programs. We need to lay the groundwork to ensure our structure gives us the right "footprint" to meet the state's expectations, to satisfy the needs of our growing population, and to fulfill our governance responsibilities. We must not let this year pass - we must not let this opportunity slip by - to discuss and analyze how our structures can best serve the System in the future. However, we also must work to identify ways in which we can improve our own internal efficiencies. That means we're going to have to stretch our dollars even further. Our action plan includes identifying and implementing best business practices throughout the System. We also will seek to maximize our collective buying power to save money.
This leads me to the final area of emphasis: partnerships. Governor Barnes, Chancellor Meredith, and others continually stress the need for strong partnerships. Let me recall the words the Chancellor said in his inaugural address: "K-12 cannot be what it needs to be without the involvement of the University System of Georgia. The technical colleges under the Department of Technical and Adult Education ("DTAE") cannot be as effective as they need to be without the involvement of the University System. The University System cannot be as effective as it needs to be without working in partnership with these two groups. Our joint goal must be a more educated Georgia. Whatever that requires across these segments, we must do. Our individual interests must always be subservient to the needs of this state and its citizens." I couldn't say it any better - or stronger. Between now and next June, this is a theme I'm going to stress: we are all linked together. I expect to see us reaching out to the Board of Education, to the DTAE board, to the Office of School Readiness, and to the Georgia Student Finance Commission. Our success in creating a more educated Georgia will depend on our success in forging stronger partnerships. I believe this is the key to our efforts.
We have a challenging year before us. But we have a good blueprint in our strategic plan. We have the continued and strong support from the Governor and general assembly. We have a strong and hard-working Board. We have a new Chancellor who is committed to our goals. Since his arrival this past January, Chancellor Meredith worked very hard to establish an extremely cordial and positive relationship with the general assembly. He has guided us through the final revisions and the adoption of our new strategic plan. He has embarked upon an ambitious and to date successful series of tours that link the University System and our effort to assist economic development throughout Georgia. We have a great staff here in the University System Office. We have professionals who are dedicated to the System and this Board's objectives. We have great presidents, faculty, and staff on our campuses. We have outstanding students. And we have strong and supportive partners. Personally, I look forward to the year ahead and the opportunity you have given me to serve you in this role.
In conclusion, I need to express my appreciation to two people. One of them is not here today, but I will be sure that he understands that we appreciate the job that he has done, and that is Regent Hilton Howell. It was my honor to sit on his left and support his leadership as our Chair, and I thank him for leading in a very successful Chancellor search. I thank him for his extra efforts to provide the Chancellory and the housing at the last minute during the Christmas season and the holidays, which was a very difficult time, and for his many hours. Certainly, those hours are very much appreciated. Let me also thank Regent Jimmy Yancey for sitting on my left. I have known and respected Jimmy Yancey for many, many years, and I am honored to have his wisdom and experience so near. Jimmy, I thank you for your support. I want to thank each one of you for the confidence that you've expressed in allowing me to have this year to serve as your Chairman, and I would certainly invite each one of you as we pray each day to pray that God will lead and guide our work and each one of our decisions throughout this year. Thank you for allowing me this opportunity.
Regent Joe Frank Harris