Centralight

Up close with… President Running a large university is a tough but rewarding job. CMU President George E. Ross has been at the helm for nearly two years and is focused on steering the university toward a new era of success. CMU has achieved numerous accomplishments and has tremendous opportunities ahead. Challenges will continue, but will be met with determination and resolve. Dr. Ross believes the best is yet to come. Ross The fall enrollment figures show another year of 28,000-plus students. What's behind this positive trend? I believe people are taking notice of the high quality of education at Central Michigan University. Granted, this year's fall enrollment of 28,311 is smaller than last year's record enrollment of 28,389, but we planned it that way; we purposely limited on-campus freshman enrollment to reduce overcrowding and to make sure the academic and campus experience was excellent for all students. We have strong academic programs and a great reputation for academic research, along with top-notch faculty and staff. On top of it all, we promote a culture of academic excellence and high quality called the "Central Commitment" which is dedicated to ensuring that students graduate from CMU with knowledge and character, that they are prepared for life, and that they will go forth as lifelong learners. People who notice a university's success will gravitate toward it. That's the dynamic taking place here at CMU. The Academic Prioritization process began a year ago and its completion has just been announced by the provost. How will this impact the university going forward? The entire campus community undertook this year-long initiative, and we are grateful for everyone's support. We began prioritization for the purpose of making sure everything we do going forward is more streamlined and efficient. The prioritization process moves CMU forward with strategic investments in programs that transform how we prepare our students to meet the future. It also attracts and retains high-quality faculty, students and staff. We've already hired new cohorts who will focus on Great Lakes research, and we recently announced new cohorts will be hired in the area of rare isotope research in the Department of Physics. More than 400 academic programs already have been assessed and prioritized. Prioritization will strengthen CMU and guide us toward future success. Higher education faces numerous challenges. How do you see the future of higher education in Michigan? The realities of Michigan's struggling economy and the affordability, quality and accessibility of education are just some of the issues we face. We have to acknowledge some basic challenges: access to students, affordability in terms of controlling costs and tuition, the quality of what we do, and being accountable and responsible through transparency in our role as educators. We have to be more effective in how we operate. And our strategic planning as educators must include not only improving the quality of education and how we teach but also training our young people to tackle the workforce of the 21st century. It's all a matter of priorities. If we make higher education a top priority, our state and the nation will have a brighter future. President George E. Ross welcomes students and their families to campus. What's next on the administration's agenda? There are a number of challenges that lie ahead and we're meeting them with all deliberate speed. We intend to develop and implement a strategic, proactive and comprehensive undergraduate student enrollment and management plan to directly and effectively support the recruitment, retention, persistence and graduation of CMU students. A strategic planning process began in earnest this fall and will conclude in the spring. This initiative is crucial because it guides planned investments in our academic resources and infrastructure and provides a framework for future evidence-based decision making. The new College of Medicine has been granted applicant school status by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, and we anticipate it will receive preliminary accreditation from the LCME by next February so we can start recruiting for our first class. We're also updating our facilities master plan that will focus on campus renovations and upgrades to some of our older buildings, and we have in the works plans to construct a bio-sciences facility. Our plate is full and the challenges are great. Yet we are one university, and we will meet our challenges and lay a foundation of excellence in a renewed spirit of togetherness and collaboration. The best is yet to come. • centralight winter '11 5

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