President Lambert previews 2003-2004 academic year

President Lambert announced that Thomas Henricks, professor of sociology, has been named the second Distinguished University Professor (see related story). Lambert also recognized Office Employee of the Year Debbie Perry, Physical Plant Staff Person of the Year, Teresa Graves, and Administrative Staff Person of the Year, Vickie Somers.

In reviewing accomplishments of the NewCentury@Elon strategic plan, Lambert noted that this year’s incoming freshman class has an average SAT score of 1160, exceeding the plan’s goal of 1150. Other marks of progress include the following:

• the first cohort of the redesigned Honors Fellows program has been enrolled with a mean SAT score of 1372
• spending on library acquisitions exceeded $1 million last year for the first time in Elon’s history
• several new facilities have been added, including the Center for Undergraduate Publishing and Information Design, the new foreign language lab in Carlton, the Isabella Cannon International Studies Pavilion, the Kenan Honors Pavilion, new student housing, a new greenhouse and Belk Track and Alan and Norma White Field
• fundraising for the Ernest A. Koury, Sr. Business Center is off to a successful start
• experiential learning programs, including Project Pericles, are flourishing
• contributions to the Elon Fund exceeded $1 million last year for the first time
• Elon continues to receive top marks in the National Survey of Student Engagement

Lambert said that the 2003-04 institutional priorities could best be described as “making substantive progress on projects already under way.” Among the most significant initiatives this year are achieving AACSB accreditation for the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business, completing the feasibility study on a possible school of law, and supporting faculty initiatives toward the goal of achieving a Phi Beta Kappa chapter.

This year will included continued major investments in library resources, according to Lambert. Patron counts have doubled in the past five years and spending on electronic journals and other digital resources has increased 728 percent.

“Our next priority, over a seven-year period, is to increase the number of volumes in the collection from 220,000 volumes to more than 300,000,” Lambert said. He called on all faculty and staff to work together to accomplish this goal.

With good progress already under way in strengthening arts and sciences programs, Lambert said the faculty will work this year on the language and cultural experience components of the general studies program. Funding will also be provided to hire an associate director of the Honors Program, who will work to promote graduate studies and prepare qualified students for national fellowships.

The AACSB accreditation team is scheduled to visit campus in February, and Lambert commended the entire faculty and staff of the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business in its preparations for the review. Twelve new faculty positions were funded and more than 20 new faculty members have been recruited. Last year, Love School faculty members contributed 32 refereed journal articles that were published or accepted for publication.

The task force studying the feasibility of the law school will deliver its report to trustees in October. Lambert said Elon can take pride in the study process. “First, it reflects institutional foresight to examine big and important questions about our future – to think ahead – and second, we can take pride in the thoroughness of the investigation, the quality of thinking and the seriousness of purpose that task force members have committed to the process.”

Lambert says a decision on a school of law will not come before the spring and may remain an open question for some time as several options are weighed. He said Elon may decide to move ahead, to defer the decision for several years or determine that a law school is not fiscally feasible.

Campus diversity will be a focus on campus this year, and Lambert noted that the incoming freshman class includes 103 minority students, nearly double last year’s number. The Academic Council will examine strategies to attract and retain a more racially and ethnically diverse faculty, and other groups will study ways to discover and celebrate the diversity that currently exists on campus.

Elon joined the Southern Conference for athletics this summer and Lambert said he looked forward to new rivalries with outstanding institutions. He also said a five-year plan to achieve gender equity goals has been submitted to the NCAA. In addition, new recreation facilities in support of an expanding club sports program will be developed on the land purchased from Elon Homes for Children.

Lambert announced that former presidential adviser David Gergen will be on campus during Winter Term as the first Isabella Cannon Distinguished Visiting Professor of Leadership (see related story). He also announced a Sept. 4th panel discussion on intercollegiate athletics reform moderated by Dr. William Friday, president emeritus of the University of North Carolina (see related story).

Lambert concluded by encouraging faculty and staff members to make special efforts to foster community, getting to know new colleagues and attending campus functions. He said he will continue his tradition of adding community dollars to faculty/staff Phoenix Card accounts to facilitate informal gatherings among faculty, staff and students for coffee and lunch.