{"74040":{"#nid":"74040","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Meredith Delivers State of the System Address","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAs the University System of Georgia prepares to turn the corner from \u0022some very challenging budget years,\u0022 Chancellor Thomas C. Meredith used his annual State of the System address today to highlight significant accomplishments that have both strengthened the state\u0027s 34 public colleges and universities and driven the board to exhibit national leadership on key higher education issues.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAddressing the monthly meeting of the Board of Regents, Meredith recapped key strides made by the University System during the past 12 months in fulfilling the central themes of his administration: maintaining and enhancing academic programs and efforts, preserving access and quality, and operating more efficiently and effectively. Accountability was one of the central threads running through Meredith\u0027s report, and he outlined the System\u0027s progress in serving as good stewards of state dollars as well as developing programs to improve performance on key accountability measures.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We have made significant progress in these areas, so much so that on a number of higher education issues, today Georgia is viewed as a national model,\u0022 Meredith stated. The System\u0027s rise in national prominence, the chancellor said, is rooted in the Board of Regents\u0027 adherence to long-range thinking and planning. \u0022Because of the Statewide Assessment we conducted,\u0022 Meredith said, \u0022we have initiated a mission review process that has the potential to change the face of the System. This will enable us to better meet the evolving demands and needs of Georgia in the 2005 to 2015 period.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EA major development that emanated from that assessment is the Board of Regents\u0027 plan to convert the Gwinnett University Center to a permanent institution. \u0022Proof of the wisdom of this (planning) process can be found in your request to the General Assembly to authorize the creation in Gwinnett County of the System\u0027s first new four-year institution in 30 years,\u0022 Meredith stated. The campus, if approved by the legislature, is expected to help the Board of Regents meet burgeoning student demand anticipated over the next 10 years, particularly in metro Atlanta.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe USG reported record high enrollment in fall 2004 of 250,659 students -- the third straight year of record enrollment growth. The average SAT scores of entering freshmen also increased 6 points last fall, to an average score of 1,042, again surpassing the national average. Student retention also improved, another quality indicator reflecting the number of USG students who return as sophomores after completing their freshmen year. \u0022We have focused on retention over the past several years,\u0022 said Meredith. \u0022This focus, in combination with better-prepared students, has led to a record high 81 percent System-wide retention rate.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMeredith would like to see improved performance in the six-year graduation rates of USG institutions, which is 54 percent System wide. Among the USG achievements attracting national attention, Meredith cited the appointment and resulting report of a special Graduation Task Force he empanelled in 2004. \u0022Last January we were one of the first systems in the country to appoint a graduation rate task force,\u0022 Meredith said. \u0022Implementation of its recommendations is underway. It\u0027s the focus we should have -- on our educational outcomes.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMeredith also cited another national leadership role the USG had assumed, in tackling the costs of student textbooks. \u0022I am pleased to announce that we will be holding a series of statewide forums on textbooks costs,\u0022 Meredith stated. \u0022These forums should attract national attention, as this has become a national issue with the heightened interest of Congress. Georgia is among the leaders looking at this issue.\u0022 Three forums are slated statewide throughout February at USG campuses.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOther major issues addressed by the regents\u0027 during the past year include the formal relationship with foundations and the issue of presidential pay, improved audit reports for USG institutions, targeted programs to help provide both access and preparation for college, and the innovative construction of facilities. These specific accomplishments were among those highlighted by Meredith:\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0095 The Board\u0027s ability to maintain Georgia\u0027s historic position as a low tuition state, despite budget cuts.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u0095 A National Science Foundation $34.6 million grant awarded to the University System to strengthen math and science programs in 13 Georgia school districts through the Partnership for Reform in Science and Mathematics (PRISM) project. \u0022The results of this initiative will be watched closely nationally,\u0022 Meredith said.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u0095 Development of the \u0022Education Go Get It!\u0022 program to make more Georgians aware of the critical need for post-secondary education.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u0095 The continuation of the USG\u0027s nationally recognized American-American Male Initiative that researched the reasons behind the decline in African-American males who attend college and developed recommendations and pilot programs to begin to reverse this decline. \u0022African-American male enrollment in the USG has grown by 9.6 percent over the past two years,\u0022 Meredith said.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u0095 The continued responsiveness of the System in addressing emerging state workforce needs, as evidenced by the Intellectual Capital Partnership Program\u0027s (ICAPP) Health Professionals Initiative. Meredith noted that Phase One of the initiative, launched in July 2002, produced 632 new licensed healthcare professionals, surpassing the goal of 500.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u0095 The Board\u0027s decisions to revise its basic memorandum of understanding with cooperative organizations and to move all presidential pay to state dollars, ending direct foundation presidential pay supplements. \u0022This was a tough issue,\u0022 said Meredith. \u0022This board has exhibited national leadership on an issue that permeates public higher education.\u0022\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u0095 The use of creative public-private partnerships outside the state\u0027s normal construction bonding program to meet facilities needs. \u0022We have constructed more than $1 billion dollars worth of construction in 60 plus projects around the System through public-private partnerships,\u0022 Meredith said.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u0095 The record increase in research grants and contracts to System institutions, which rose to $795 million in FY02 and $861 million in FY03.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u0095 The creation of a \u0022Best Practices\u0022 awards program to identify and highlight institutional programs that promote more effective and efficient operations.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u0095 The USG\u0027s use of technology to create new distance learning and online course and degree programs such as WebMBA, as well as what Meredith characterized as work that places Georgia \u0022at the national forefront of educational and administrative applications of information and instructional technology.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMeredith emphasized his gratefulness for the pending turnaround in the budget picture. \u0022We deeply appreciate the fact that Governor Perdue has recommended a FY06 increase of 8.3 percent for the University System,\u0022 he said. \u0022If the Governor\u0027s budget recommendation is passed, we will be on the positive side.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMeredith also noted the ever-increasing impact of the University System on the state\u0027s economy, as measured in the recently released report produced by Dr. Jeff Humphreys of UGA\u0027s Terry College of Business. Humphreys cited the USG\u0027s economic impact in Fiscal Year 2004 at $9.7 billion, up from $8 billion two years ago. \u0022Those dollars helped to create more than 106,000 jobs,\u0022 Meredith said, \u0022both on our campuses and in many communities throughout Georgia.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENote: \u003Cem\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003EChancellor\u0027s Meredith\u0027s full \u0022State of the System\u0022 address is available at: \u003Ca href=\u0027http:\/\/www.usg.edu\/admin\/oc\/reports\/2005\/\u0027\u003Ehttp:\/\/www.usg.edu\/admin\/oc\/reports\/2005\/\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Speech Outlines System\u0027s Recent Achievements, Future Challenges"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"Chancellor Thomas C. Meredith highlights significant accomplishments that have both strengthened the state\u0027s 34 public colleges and universities and driven the board to exhibit national leadership on key higher education issues.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Meredith recaps progress made by University System"}],"uid":"27301","created_gmt":"2005-02-02 01:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:02:30","author":"Elizabeth Campell","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2005-02-02T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2005-02-02T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.usg.edu\/admin\/oc\/reports\/2005\/","title":"State of the System Address"}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[{"id":"2630","name":"business school"},{"id":"1052","name":"Management"},{"id":"3263","name":"technology square"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cstrong\u003ELisa Grovenstein\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ECommunications \u0026amp; Marketing\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=lgrovenste3\u0022\u003EContact Lisa Grovenstein\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-894-8835\u003C\/strong\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["lisa.grovenstein@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}