2009 Florida Atlantic University

State of the University Address

and Related Presentations

Speakers

FAU Board of Trustees Chair Nancy Blosser

FAU President Frank T. Brogan

FAU Interim President John F. Pritchett

Performances by the FAU Chamber Singers and the FAU Marching Band

September 9, 2009
University Theatre
Boca Raton Campus

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Announcer Paul Metcalf: 

Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Nancy Blosser, chair of the Florida Atlantic University Board of Trustees.

Chairwoman Blosser:

Those were wonderful performances, and, on behalf of all of us here this morning, I'd like to thank the FAU Chamber Singers, under the direction of Dr. Patricia Fleitas, accompanied by Kristina Kover on the piano. The last piece, titled "An American Trilogy," was arranged by FAU alumnus David Rossow.  I'm sure you'll agree the talent of our Music Department's faculty and students is just phenomenal.

It's my great privilege to be here with you this morning to bring greetings on behalf of the Board of Trustees.  I'd like to begin by recognizing some very special people who are with us today, and I'll ask them to stand to be recognized.  Please join me in welcoming the members of our Board of Trustees, Foundation Board of Directors and the University Executive Committee.      

It's hard to believe that we're about to hear President Brogan's last State of the University Address, but he's given his alma mater more than six years of truly visionary, highly energetic, results-oriented leadership, and now he's going to provide that same kind of dynamic leadership to Florida's entire State University System.

It goes without saying that President Brogan will be missed here at FAU, but there can be no doubt that he's leaving the University better than he found it and well positioned to keep on moving forward. I'd like to take this opportunity to offer the board's sincere thanks to Dr. John Pritchett for agreeing to accept the challenge of serving as FAU's president on an interim basis.

As provost, Dr. Pritchett has worked very closely with President Brogan, the Board of Trustees and the rest of FAU's leadership team on all of the major issues that have faced the University over the past five years, giving him a truly global overview.  He's ideally prepared to provide the kind of informed leadership the University needs at this moment in its history, and he's greatly respected and admired by people throughout FAU and the community at large. The board is confident that FAU will be in very good hands with John Pritchett at the helm.

Despite the budget challenges that we've faced and are still facing, Florida Atlantic University is looking toward a future that's filled with great promise. We're advancing on all fronts, from steadily rising admission standards to immensely productive research activities to deepening involvement in community service. Our strategic plan is providing us with clear direction about the ways in which we want the University to develop, as well as objective ways to measure the accomplishment of important goals.  We'll continue to rely on this carefully constructed road map as we move FAU into the future.

As President Brogan has so often said, the best days of Florida Atlantic University are yet to come, and we'll all keep working together toward the fulfillment of that vision. And now, I'd like to direct your attention to the screen for a brief video presentation.

VIDEO PRESENTATION:

Announcer Paul Metcalf:

A whole new era in FAU's history began in 2003 when Frank Brogan became the University's fifth president.  1981 alumnus of FAU, he brought extraordinary commitment and energy to the challenge of leading his alma mater into the 21st century. President Brogan, First Lady Courtney Brogan and their son Colby John - "the littlest Owl" - were familiar faces at events both on and off campus. From the academic quality of its incoming students to its world-class research partners on the Jupiter campus, the University has advanced rapidly on all fronts during the past six years.

Dr. Clevis R. Headley,

Associate Professor and Chair,

Department of Philosophy:

Student success is the top priority of FAU's dedicated faculty, who bring learning to life in the classroom, the lecture hall and the laboratory. The University's 27,000 students have the benefit of meaningful interaction with permanent faculty members, who make up more than 90 percent of the instructional staff. Graduating seniors overwhelmingly report that their relationship with their professors was the most important part of their FAU experience.

Sandra Saint-Victor,

Medical Student:

The University of Miami at FAU's medical regional campus has opened up a world of opportunity to aspiring physicians. From encountering patients at our community preceptor's office to working with local attendings at hospitals, we are definitely well received by the South Florida Community. Like many of my classmates, I hope to establish my very own practice right here in this community.  Through this innovative program, FAU is most definitely doing its part to remedy the shortage of physicians both here and around the country. 

Sue Skemp,

Executive Director,

Center for Ocean Energy Technology:

The research revolution of the 21st century has already begun, and FAU is fully engaged in this critically important worldwide endeavor.  Researchers at FAU - faculty, engineers and students - are making discoveries in a host of areas, from developing new therapies for life-threatening diseases to generating energy in clean and sustainable ways. Every day at Florida Atlantic University, research is taking place to provide solutions to improve the quality of life and the environment.

Tony Dutra,

Teacher of the Year 2010,

Broward County Public Schools:

The Broward campuses have continued their development, with a focus on student life in Davie, urban affairs in Fort Lauderdale and cutting-edge research at SeaTech in Dania Beach. FAU graduates occupy a broad range of key positions in Broward's public and private sectors, providing leadership in both government and industry. 

Martin County Commissioner Doug Smith:

FAU's commitment to the community can be seen in its rapid extension on the Treasure Coast. As academic programs have increased, so has the university's outreach to the greater community. There can be no doubt that FAU is the Treasure Coast's hometown university.

Tiffany Weimer,

FAU Student Body President and

Board of Trustees Member:

In today's environment of shrinking public funding, assistance from the private sector has never been more important. Students in every major benefit from the generous individuals and organizations that choose to invest in the future of FAU. Over the past six years, donations and matching state grants have totaled more than $120 million. The student body offers sincere thanks to these loyal friends and supporters of our University.

Krystena Castro,

FAU Student Athlete and

Student Athlete Advisory Committee Vice President:

Intercollegiate sports bring so much excitement to FAU life. Many students take advantage of the chance to hang out with friends at a game, work out at the recreation center or go to Coyote Jack's and hang out with some friends. FAU life has never been better and there's a lot more to come, so stay tuned!

Announcer Paul Metcalf:

Working together, the people who are FAU have laid a strong foundation for the University to build upon in the years ahead. While President Brogan is always the first to credit teamwork for the remarkable advances made by the University during his presidency, there can be no doubt that a great team requires a great leader and he's been just that. The entire FAU community thanks him for his dedicated work and wishes him well as he moves on to become Chancellor of the State University System. He leaves with the knowledge that he laid a solid foundation for FAU to build upon during the years of growth that lie ahead.  Thank you, President Brogan.

[Video ends to applause.]

Announcer Paul Metcalf:

Ladies and gentlemen, the president of Florida Atlantic University and the next chancellor of the State University System, Mr. Frank Brogan.

President Brogan:

Thank you very much. I want to give a special shout-out to the great people who put that video together. I had the opportunity to see it for the first time the other day when we did the walkthrough. That was done in-house by our own great people and I think it truly symbolizes and exemplifies in so many ways all of the wonder that is Florida Atlantic University, and I thank them for the hard work that they put in on that. 

I'd like to begin by taking a couple of points of personal privilege. First of all, I would like to acknowledge my wife, Courtney, and our son, Colby John, who are with us in the audience today. This has truly been a family experience at Florida Atlantic University, and I want to say special thank you to Courtney and Colby John, who was born right here at FAU. There may never be another four-and-a- half-year-old living in the presidential mansion, ladies and gentlemen. Courtney and Colby John have not only been my family members, they've been wonderful partners in our journey at Florida Atlantic University.

[Mrs. Brogan and Colby John stand to applause.]

And I'd like to say another quick hello to an extended family member who is with us today, Marleen Forkas, who, with her husband, Harold, has given us our beautiful new alumni center. We recently lost Harold, but Marleen is here and we're delighted about that.

[Mrs. Forkas stands to applause.]

This is truly a bittersweet moment for me - not a final goodbye because my heart will always be here and I'll be coming home to FAU as often as I can to celebrate the ongoing achievements of this wonderful University with you. Instead, this is a time for saying thank you to everyone who has worked so hard to take FAU to ever higher ground over the past six years. First I would like to thank the members of our Board of Trustees, whose chairwoman stood at this podium just moments ago. We had occasion to break bread together this morning and share some thoughts about Florida Atlantic University stretching back over the last six-and-a-half years. I can tell you folks there is no more dedicated and committed group of men and women than the 13 members of the Board of Trustees of Florida Atlantic University, many of whom are here today. They are our colleagues, they are our friends, they share the vision and they help to create the vision for the future of this University, and I say thank you to them for all of those things that they do for our University.

I also want to thank our world-class faculty. During the course of the academic year, I sometimes have occasion to sit in the back of a classroom at Florida Atlantic University. I go unannounced, I walk in with the students, go directly to the back, sit in the last chair and leave when the students leave. I do not typically get introduced because I don't want to be. I just simply go for no other purpose than to watch great faculty members interact with students, to make sure that when parents ask me, "What's your faculty all about at Florida Atlantic University," I have the ability to look them directly in the eye and say, "They are the best you'll ever find. Your son, your daughter will be blessed to come to this University and share time in the classrooms and in the laboratories with the world-class faculty that we boast." They have been special friends throughout the years, and so many of the achievements that you saw symbolically portrayed in the video we viewed this morning are directly related to the genius of the faculty at Florida Atlantic University. I thank them for all that they do and will continue to do to help our students not only chase their dreams and goals and aspirations, but catch them as a result of time spent with our faculty at Florida Atlantic University.

Among the outstanding faculty members who are here today is Michael Zager, the Dorothy F. Schmidt Eminent Scholar in Performing Arts with a specialization in music in our College of Arts and Letters. Michael spent the summer in Thailand helping to found a student-run record label at Payap University patterned on FAU's own Hoot/Wisdom recording label. He's also led an effort to develop a commercial music program there that's modeled on the very successful one he's established right here at Florida Atlantic University. Michael carried out these projects under a grant from Payap University that funded continuation of work he began under two Fulbright Specialist grants. This February, during the 60th anniversary celebration of the Fulbright program, he'll be honored in Washington, D.C. for the many contributions he's made to the program during his distinguished academic career. I'd like to ask Michael to stand because we want to congratulate him for his ongoing commitment to Florida Atlantic University and higher education and through him take the opportunity to say a special thank you to all of the marvelous faculty members who have been and will continue to be the heart and soul of FAU.

[Prof. Zager stands to applause.]

I'd also like to thank members of the FAU family who oftentimes are not thanked but should be. They are the support staff on all of our campuses, whose services quite literally allow the wheels of Florida Atlantic University to keep going around year in and year out. Special thanks to the members of our University community who work hard to keep our campuses safe, clean and beautiful. I'd like to ask our dedicated police officers, our parking and transportation services staff - who, believe me, have never been under such pressure as they are today - our housekeepers and groundskeepers and all the dedicated office staff who work quietly behind the scenes each and every day to make this University go -I'd like to ask all of them who are here this morning to stand so we can show our thanks to them and, through them, to the thousands of wonderful support personnel at FAU.

[They stand to applause.]

I'd also like to ask members of our Environmental Health and Safety Department to stand at this time, but they were unable to be here because they're involved in a very important function. They're working on the Breezeway today, and I'll tell you more about that in a few moments.

And now I'd like to thank our students, who make us so proud. They're the reason we all pull together to make the resources of Florida Atlantic University available to them regardless of age, race, religion, life situation or income level. As of today, student headcount officially passed the 28,000 mark, the highest in FAU's history.

We are so fiercely proud of all 28,000 of them and the more than 111,000 degree recipients who have been part of Florida Atlantic University. FAU continues to have the most richly diverse student body in our State University System. As of this fall, 43 percent of the undergraduate and graduate students enrolled at FAU are classified as African American, Hispanic, Native American, Asian or International. This level of diversity enriches our entire University community beyond measure and it is something in which we take tremendous pride. You know, our University embraces diversity both inside and outside the classroom. This year, the President's Diversity Committee has worked very hard to raise awareness and encourage ongoing dialogue. I would like to thank the committee co-chairs, Dr. Clevis Headley and Dr. Maria Santamarina, for their leadership. Dr. Headley is in class right now, but I believe Dr. Santamarina is here, and I'd like to ask her and any other members of our Diversity Committee who are with us this morning to please stand and let us say thank you. They put in countless hours working for the enrichment of our entire University community.

[They stand to applause.]

The budget continues to be the elephant in the living room, and we've had to make some truly difficult decisions over the course of the past two-and-a-half years. We're not out of the woods yet. I'd like to offer my personal thanks to everyone for their cooperation during this period of great financial stress. Our top priority continues to be preserving and protecting the University's core academic functions. As I've interfaced with my colleagues around the country, I've learned that what we're dealing with is as bad as most, worse than some and not as bad as others. We've managed to navigate it thus far with great professionalism, great dignity and great attention to the maintenance of our core mission, which is always our top priority. The University is becoming leaner and more tightly focused following reductions in personnel, programs and centers. It's been a very painful process, but the upside is that it's provided us with an opportunity to reinvent our University, to downsize and streamline as we rebuild FAU for the 21st century.

A few months ago, Gerri McPherson retired from FAU after rendering years of invaluable service to the University, first as a founding member of the Board of Trustees and then as vice president of our northern campuses. She was deeply involved in all of the activities that went along with the serious and very difficult budget decision-making process, as she served not only those northern campuses but all of Florida Atlantic University. Gerri made a tremendous contribution to the growth of our University, and she left shoes that were very hard to fill. Instead of looking far and wide for her successor, we asked another highly energetic and accomplished member of the FAU leadership team to put on a new and bigger hat. Dr. Joyanne Stephens, who has been at the helm of our Broward campuses since 2001, has been named vice president and associate provost of all regional campuses. Let me give you a little context about that: When I arrived at Florida Atlantic University there were six campus vice presidents. Joyanne is now the regional vice president for ALL campuses. She assumes oversight responsibility for all of our partner campuses throughout our very, very large service area. This is a tall order, but, as we all know, Dr. Stephens is very much a "can-do" kind of person and she's already shown that she's more than equal to the challenge of providing leadership to multiple campuses. Dr. Stephens, please stand so we can thank you and through you recognize one of the most diverse and unique models of higher education in the entire country, with seven campuses and sites that stretch along 140 miles of Florida's coastline, providing tremendous opportunity to people in search of access to higher education. Thank you very much, Dr. Stephens.

[Dr. Stephens stands to applause.]

And now another welcome and a goodbye: As most of you know, we work very hard to provide our students, faculty and staff with all the technological services that are needed by an institution of FAU's size. For many years, Dr. Jeff Schilit oversaw all of our technology efforts and now he has finally decided to retire and take up that new chapter in his life. As he leaves, we thank him for all he's done to make FAU technologically competitive with other universities. As we bid farewell to Jeff, we welcome Jason Ball, our new associate provost for information resource management and chief information officer. Jason brings with him a great resume, high energy, vibrancy and a vision for all things technological at Florida Atlantic University. Under his watchful eye, we'll put even greater emphasis on seeing to it that our students have access to the very best hardware, software and instructional strategies available through high technology. Jason, if you're here this morning I'd like to invite you to stand. Welcome.

[He stands to applause.]

As we move FAU forward, we continue to concentrate on three very important focal points: undergraduate teaching, graduate education and research. Let's talk about undergraduate teaching first. Faculty dedication and expertise continue to be world class at Florida Atlantic University. This semester marks the introduction of our new general education curriculum, and the faculty is playing a central role in its implementation. Dean of Undergraduate Studies Ed Pratt says faculty members have spent countless hours not only debating and drafting the new curriculum, but reviewing all courses to make sure that they meet objectives. While the names of many courses remain the same, the philosophy driving that new curriculum is the belief that general education is not simply preliminary to concentration in the major field of study, but a comprehensive course of study in and of itself that produces well-rounded students versed in a broad range of disciplines. The knowledge and skills students learn through their general education coursework at Florida Atlantic University will stay with them throughout their lives and enable them to think critically, which is vital in the 21st century. Many of the Faculty Learning Communities that started this semester are geared toward this important goal. For example there are learning communities on teaching critical thinking skills and on ethics across the curriculum. And, thanks to programs such as our Living Learning Communities, the Writing Center and the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, we achieved a 76 percent freshman retention rate in the fall of 2007, which surpassed our target. Preliminary data indicate that rate increased to 78 percent between fall 2008 and this fall. We are definitely on the right track. As a point of comparison, when the retention office was created in 2000 our freshman retention rate was 68 percent. So we are moving forward every year in the right direction, keeping more and more of those first-timers in college and helping shepherd them through to graduation. Overall undergraduate credit hours have gone up by more than 4 percent this year.

Dr. Pratt truly has done a phenomenal job of leading the transformation of our undergraduate program, and I'd like to ask him and the entire Undergraduate Studies team to stand so we can express our appreciation to them. They are making a tremendous difference in the quality of the academic experience at Florida Atlantic University.

[They stand to applause.]

And now on to graduate education: FAU is also offering graduate students an ever-expanding universe of opportunities. Dr. Barry Rosson, dean of the Graduate College, reports a remarkable 15 percent increase in the number of a newly enrolled graduate students over this time last year. As this fall semester begins, our graduate student population stands at 4,149, and that is an FAU record. Several programs in Education and Executive Business enroll graduate students throughout the semester, so that figure will go even higher.

Graduate credit hours are up more than 8 percent over last year. The most remarkable change has occurred over the last five years at the doctoral level. Since 2004-05, our doctoral student population has increased by 12 percent and the number of doctorates FAU has awarded has gone up by 51 percent. I would like to invite Dr. Rosson and the staff of our Graduate College to stand so we can congratulate them on their excellent work.

[They stand to applause.]

Many of our graduate students come here specifically to work side-by-side with our graduate faculty, and we thank those faculty members for the amazing work they do.

Last spring an initiative was launched to reorganize and re-prioritize our research efforts at FAU, with the goal of identifying three to five broad research priority areas that will help distinguish Florida Atlantic University and bring us to national prominence. Faculty members have been providing input to the Division of Research over the summer, and that process will continue through October 1st.

During the 2008-09 fiscal year, the University received more than $40 million in sponsored research awards and made nearly $44 million in research expenditures. Those are very impressive totals in and of themselves, and we have every reason to believe that they are going nowhere but up in the years ahead.

One of the most exciting news developments of this past year was the announcement that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration , known as NOAA, has selected Harbor Branch as the site of the new Cooperative Institute for Ocean Exploration Research and Technology. This designation comes with more than $22 million in funding spread over a five-year period. Our primary partner in this important enterprise is the University of North Carolina Wilmington, which has a highly regarded marine science program. Other members of the consortium are the University of Miami Rosensteil School of Marine and Atmospheric Science and SRI International, one of the world's largest non-profit research organizations. The mission of the new NOAA center is to advance ocean science by developing underwater technologies to further the exploration of the eastern continental shelf and beyond and to improve our understanding of coral ecosystems.

Another example of FAU's emergence as a nationally prominent center of ocean research is provided by our Center for Ocean Energy Technology, which is at work at SeaTech in Dania Beach, on the Boca Raton and Jupiter campuses and at Harbor Branch - a truly University-wide initiative. This statewide Center of Excellence has garnered more than $15 million in state and federal funding to support researchers' efforts to harness the power of Florida's strong off shore currents to generate energy - a critically important initiative at this point in our nation's history. Last February, a milestone was reached when four Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers were successfully anchored to the ocean floor. These devices are gathering information that will pave the way for the placement of a 10-foot-wide test turbine in the Gulf Stream, which our researchers intend to carry out next spring.

As a University community, we indeed appreciate and admire the genius of all our faculty and student researchers. The office that most directly supports their work is the Division of Research, and I'd like to invite Dr. Michael Moriarty, interim vice president for research, and his staff to stand so we can thank them for their dedication to Florida Atlantic University's rapidly developing research mission. Ladies and gentlemen, would you please stand.

[They stand to applause.]

The deep budget cutbacks that all publicly funded education institutions have experienced over the past few years make it more important than ever for us to keep on identifying innovative ways to secure our future, and we have been doing just that at FAU. Our long-term broadband lease contract with Clearwire Corporation is expected to bring us about $170 million over the next 30 years. The first surge of Clearwire income has kicked in, and we're using it to fund academic enhancements, including such undergraduate programs as student learning communities, supplemental instruction, tutoring services and undergraduate participation in research. We also see great promise in partnerships, and we've already realized a host of benefits from our alliances with organizations such as Scripps Florida and the Torrey Pines Institute for Molecular Studies. Now, in an effort to continue expanding our research facilities and to realize the benefits of joining forces with another giant in the field of biomedical research, we are about to welcome the Max Planck Society to our Jupiter campus. The state-of-the-art facility that will be homed to Max Planck scientists will include 10,000 square feet of research space specifically designated for FAU faculty and students.

Here on the Boca Raton campus, we recently concluded an agreement with Crocker Partners for the construction of a $69 million, 1,200-bed student residence hall that will be part of Innovation Village. The bond sale is expected to produce upwards of $12 million for the University to put into other elements of the project, which will be anchored by that 30,000-seat football stadium that we've waited so long for. It gives me great satisfaction to know that Innovation Village and all it will mean to the quality of student life at FAU has been part of the last six-and-a-half years of visioning that we've all put our hearts and souls into. You can be sure that I'll be coming back to campus in my role as proud alumnus to cheer for the Owls when they finally get the opportunity to play on their own home turf.

Let's talk for a minute about the University's strategic plan. Since January, Dr. Kristen Murtaugh has served as our first vice president for strategic planning, and she already reports that the effectiveness of our strategies in the area of undergraduate education has made goal 1 of the strategic plan one of the most successfully implemented. Goal 1, objective 3 states: Promote the academic success and improve the retention rate of first-time-in-college students. In addition to the progress that's been made toward achieving our student retention and graduation goals, Dr. Murtaugh points to the rapid development of traditional campus facilities that enhance student life, such as the new recreation and wellness center and, thanks to the Clearwire funding, the upgrading of information technology at Florida Atlantic University, which is moving us well along in meeting the objectives in goal 5, building a state-of-the-art information technology environment.

Despite the severe financial problems that the University has faced over the past two years, many elements of our strategic plan are still right on target. Goal 2 charges us with the responsibility of meeting statewide professional and workforce needs, a mission that's being vigorously pursued by our very active Career Development Center under the talented leadership of Sandy Jakubow. More than 10,000 students have used the services of this center over the past year, a whopping 44 percent higher than the year before. The Career Resources Library and Lab actually saw a 90 percent increase in usage. These are truly remarkable increases, and I'd like to ask Sandy and her staff to please stand so we can show our appreciation for their very effective efforts.

[They stand to applause.]

Similarly, we have made substantial progress on goal 3, building world-class academic programs and research capacity, as evidenced by information I have just shared with you, and on goal 4, meeting community needs and fulfilling unique institutional responsibilities, always remembering that a university should not be a destination in the community but a very important part of the community. In the history of FAU, our students, faculty and staff have never been more deeply or more meaningfully involved in the life of the greater community than they are right now, and that's due in huge measure to the joint efforts of the Weppner Center for Civic Engagement & Service and the office of the Dean of Undergraduate Studies. Volunteer opportunities and academic service learning opportunities have grown tremendously in recent years, and that very positive development is bringing lasting benefits to the University as well as to growing numbers of outside organizations. Dr. Murtaugh we'd like you to please stand so that we can thank you for taking on the challenge of overseeing our strategic plan, along with our Board of Trustees, and for turning in your usual outstanding performance. And I'd like to invite Dr. Murtaugh's very able assistant Rachel Mondesir, a recent FAU graduate, to stand as well. Let's say thank you to both of them for the important roles they're playing in Florida Atlantic University's ongoing strategic planning effort.

[They stand to applause.]

The strategic plan is a passion of the Board of Trustees, which wants to make sure that the University moves into the future as a well-oiled machine operating with a blueprint for excellence. We thank the board for providing dedicated leadership for this great visioning process, and we're energized by the positive results it has already begun to yield.

Here are some statistics that I think you might find interesting regarding the newest members of the FAU family, and that's our freshman class. Our 2,260-member fall freshman class is the best prepared cohort of first-time-in-college students we have ever welcomed. This class has a combined math, verbal and writing SAT score of 1602 - up 53 points from last fall; a composite ACT score of 23.43 - up almost a point and a half from last fall; and an ever-increasing average GPA that is now up to 3.42. The Office of Admissions received - and this is breathtaking to me - almost 13,000 freshman applications and nearly 7,500 transfer applications, both far exceeding any previous record in the history of Florida Atlantic University and evidence that our great University has arrived.

More than 2,700 students applied to live in the residence halls, and I know Jill Eckardt and many of her staff members are here today. It's a labor of love, and with the growing number of students who now live on campus and the additional ones who will come with the next round of 1,500 bed spaces followed by another round of 1,500 that's already on the drawing board, traditional residential life continues to grow and provide something very important to the future of Florida Atlantic University. Jill, if you're out there, would you please stand and let us recognize you and the housing staff.

[They stand to applause.]

A very quick story: This year a number of us, including faculty members, staff members, administrators and a huge number of students, all worked together to help move freshmen into the residence halls on Freshman Move-in Day. After my chief of staff, Randy Goin, and I helped one particular mother and her daughter carry boxes to the daughter's room, the mother asked, without knowing who we were, "Could I tip you guys for your hard work?" [Laughter.] True story. The easiest five dollars I ever made!

This year's Freshman Convocation, the third to be hosted by Florida Atlantic University, was the best attended ever, with about 2,000 members of the freshman class taking part. The Freshman Convocation Committee literally works all year long preparing for the August ceremony, and I'd like to ask the members of that great committee to stand and let us thank them not only for the months of preparation they put into making the convocation a success every year but also for establishing an important tradition at FAU that will serve our students well far into the future.

[They stand to applause.]

And now I'd like to offer some comments about the ongoing development of the traditional side of the University. The Boca Raton campus continues to evolve as a center of traditional student life, and the Division of Student Affairs, under the leadership of Dr. Charles Brown, is playing a huge role in that process. Significant restructuring of the division has taken place, with the goal of bringing the many services offered by the Student Affairs office under one roof, that of the Student Union. Dr. Corey King has been on board for a year as associate vice president and dean of students, and he, Dr. Brown and the Student Affairs staff are doing a truly outstanding job. I would venture to say they are the most student-focused group of people in the entire State University System. We have seen across-the-board increases in the number of students participating in such activities as intramural sports and membership in clubs and Greek organizations. We currently have 23 active Greek organizations, and we want to increase that to 30. Students are also taking increased advantage of our career counseling and, of course, our health and wellness programs.

FAU is well on its way to becoming a university that offers the best of both worlds to students: a richly developed university environment complete with year-round extracurricular and co-curricular activities for undergraduates who seek the traditional university experience, and a broad and varied spectrum of higher education opportunities for those who simply want to go to class, learn from the best faculty in the world and earn degrees that will help them advance in their lives and their careers.

I'd like to ask Dr. Charles Brown, Dr. Corey King and everyone who works in Student Affairs to please stand and allow us to say thank you for what you do for our most important constituents, our students, every single day. Dr. Brown, Dr. King, staff, thank you all.

[They stand to applause.]

You know, you can't tell everything about a university by the construction that's taking place on its campuses, but, if you think about it, buildings tell a story in themselves. Some of our buildings have been long established and have played a huge role in the University's history, while new buildings are changing the skyline of FAU, providing a foreshadowing of the University's exciting future. The thing that matters most is what happens inside those buildings - the teaching, the learning, the research, the service, the opportunity for people to learn and grow and ultimately change the world and make it a better place.

More than a quarter billion dollars' worth of construction has taken place University-wide during just the last several years. All of the major projects that you see on these slides and a host of smaller ones are on track.

[The following slides appear on the screen behind President Brogan.]

Major Projects Started or Completed in 2008-09

Davie Campus

Student Union

Parking Garage

FAU/UF Joint-Use Building

Boca Raton Campus

Marleen and Harold Forkas Alumni Center

College of Engineering and Computer Science Building (LEED Platinum)

Office Depot Center for Executive Education

Computer Center Expansion

Recreation & Wellness Center (Phases I & II)

Culture and Society Building (LEED Silver)

Pine Jog

Pine Jog Environmental Education Center (LEED Gold)

Pine Jog Elementary School (LEED Silver)

Jupiter Campus

Scripps Research Facility

Roadway and Parking Project

Treasure Coast Campus

Phase II Classroom Building

Palm Pointe Educational Research School at Tradition

Harbor Branch

Remodeling Project

Major Projects Scheduled to Start in 2009-10

Boca Raton Campus

Henderson School Expansion

Innovation Village Apartments (Phase I)

Jupiter Campus

Max Planck Research Facility

Harbor Branch

Research Laboratory II

Link Building Renovation

I'd like to ask Vice President for Facilities and University Architect Tom Donaudy and his staff to please stand so we can thank them, and, through them, also thank the members of the construction companies, engineering firms and architectural firms for bringing their genius to bear so we can provide our faculty and students with world-class campus facilities.

[They stand to applause.]

The University's commitment to green practices continues to grow and is becoming a central component of FAU life that's reflected in everything from construction projects to routine recycling. Food services recently introduced an interesting new option for students buying takeout food at our campus cafeterias. Now instead of getting their food in those familiar foam boxes that live on forever in the landfill, students can ask for reusable plastic containers that can be washed and used over and over again. Since takeout orders account for more than 30 percent of the 800,000 meals served annually, it's easy to imagine the big impact that this one simple change could have.

I'm so glad to share with you that our students are making the cause of environmental sustainability their own in a multitude of ways, including by establishing an important new campus organization, one of which I am very proud, the Mission Green Student Association. Among their many early accomplishments, members of this new organization hosted FAU's first Earth Week and planted a live oak tree on the Free Speech Lawn. These and other outreach efforts have earned the association the accolade of Best New Club at Florida Atlantic University. I believe we have some members of the Mission Green Student Association here with us this morning, and I know we also have members of our overall University Sustainability Committee who work on these issues every single day. Would you all please and let us thank you for your leadership in making FAU a model of environmental responsibility in the 21st century.

[They stand to applause.].

I can tell you from firsthand experience that as our freshmen came on campus last month, they were met with green gifts and their rooms were adorned with signage about being good to the environment. All of this was made possible by our Mission Green group and our Sustainability Committee, and we thank them for getting our freshmen off to a great start not only in the classroom but as citizens of Planet Earth.

FAU is serving increasing numbers of people of all ages, and this is rather unique. Not everyone is aware of this side of Florida Atlantic University. Yes, people know that FAU offers baccalaureate degrees, master's degrees, specialist degrees and Ph.D.s, but they're less aware that our Karen Slattery Educational Research Center for Child Development serves kids from birth to five years of age, with a current enrollment of 92. We're very proud of the Alexander D. Henderson University School, the K-through-8 laboratory school located here on the Boca Raton campus that once again has achieved an A ranking from the state; the Henderson School serves a student body of 535 girls and boys. In West Palm Beach, Pine Jog Elementary School was created through an innovative collaboration with the Palm Beach County School District. This school literally sits on the property of Pine Jog Environmental Education Center, which has been a mainstay of FAU's environmental education program for many years. It offers a unique curriculum that attracts faculty from all over Palm Beach County who not only teach at the school, but take away a master's degree from Florida Atlantic University at the end of their time there. The Palm Pointe Educational Research School at Tradition in Port St. Lucie is a brand new affiliation and offers teaching and research opportunities to both new and veteran teachers.

FAU High School is an A school with an enrollment of 120. As many of you know, when a student enrolls at FAU High, Florida Atlantic University becomes that student's high school. Students have graduated from FAU High with as many as 80 credit hours toward a 120-credit-hour baccalaureate degree, putting them just a few semesters away from college graduation. This is an amazing demonstration of what young people are really capable of and what higher education can do to prove that point. This past May, our high school's fifth graduating class included National Merit Finalists, a student with a perfect SAT score in math, and the youngest FAU High grad ever at 16 years of age.

The University's total pre-school, elementary school and high school student count is about 2,900. At the other end of the age spectrum are our Lifelong Learners, whose enrollment University-wide stands at about 43,000. If you stop and consider that number, it rivals enrollment levels at our nation's largest universities. The members of FAU's Lifelong Learning Society are primarily senior citizens, and they have a catalogue of coursework that resembles the one presented to our incoming freshmen. But these senior learners receive no credit and they take no tests; they come from everywhere to be part of one of the most amazing programs of its kind in the United States and also to become great friends of Florida Atlantic University.

Factoring in the University's 3,300 faculty and staff members gives us an overall FAU community of more than 77,000, a truly large, diverse and fascinating universe of people who are attached to this institution in one way or another.

And now I'd like to spend some time talking about our colleges and all that they're accomplishing. We are so very proud of them. I've already spoken about the growth of our Graduate College, and now I'd like to tell you a little bit about our other colleges.

The Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. That's hard for some of us to believe. Coincidentally, the dean of the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College also happens to be celebrating a birthday today. Dean Buller, I won't tell them which one it is, but we congratulate you on your birthday and, more important, on your dedication to the ongoing growth and evolution of an outstanding honors college and the greater development of honors programming throughout Florida Atlantic University.

[Audience applauds Dean Buller.]

Let me tell you about the incoming class at the Honors College this year. These are eye-popping figures. These students bring with them truly stellar academic credentials. One hundred and six new students were admitted to the Honors College this fall. They include five valedictorians, two salutatorians, 14 international baccalaureate graduates and two National Merit Finalists. This is also a richly diverse group, and we're very proud of that fact. Twenty-four percent of our incoming Honors College students are classified as non-white and 11 percent as international. Nations represented include Columbia, France, Germany and Russia. The average grade point average of these students is a whopping 4.04, their combined SAT score is 1903, and their composite ACT is 29.

I'd like to offer a special word of welcome to one of our new Honors College students. His name is Brian Fleishman, and Brian, I'd like to ask you to stand while I tell this audience a little bit about you.

[Brian stands.]

Brian joined the Army after graduating from the International Baccalaureate Program at Fort Myers High School, and he went on to serve two tours of duty in Iraq. He is now beginning his college career and we're so glad that he has decided to do that here at our Honors College. Brian, please accept the congratulations and thanks we offer to you and, through you, to everyone at the Honors College and to all who still proudly serve our nation in so many ways. Congratulations on what has already been an outstanding life and career and best wishes for the future. Thank you, sir.

[Audience applauds Brian.]

The Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing introduced the doctor of nursing practice degree in the fall of 2008. Dr. Cynthia Archibald became the first faculty member in the college to receive the highly prestigious Mentored Research Scientist Development Award from the National Institutes of Health. She was awarded $275,000 to study HIV/AIDS prevention in Afro-Caribbean youth.

The College of Architecture, Urban and Public Affairs is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Last spring the college hosted Governor Charlie Crist at the unveiling of downtown Fort Lauderdale's first large scale solar roof installation. This project, consisting of 240 photovoltaic panels placed on top of the Higher Education Complex, was the brainchild of graduate student Rachel Kalin and spearheaded by our own Dr. Jaap Vos, director of the School of Urban and Regional Planning. It was supported by funding from both public and private sources. You can click on fausolar.com and actually track the actions of the panels in real time and see a daily report of the environmental benefits, including the pounds of CO2 offset by the system. Some of the utility bill savings coming in the University from this source are being put into a special scholarship fund, giving FAU the distinction of having the first scholarship in the nation that's completely paid for by the sun.

In the Charles E. Schmidt College of Biomedical Science, our first group of medical students started on third-year clinical rotations; this is a major milestone for our medical education program. We are very proud of our budding doctors at Florida Atlantic University. Many of our pre-med students have been involved in a very effective outreach program to high school sophomores who are interested in pursuing careers in the health sciences. This initiative focuses on students from medically underserved communities and it is a pilot program for the State of Florida. In the area of funding, the college recently received two federal stimulus grants to study macular degeneration and cardiovascular disease.

The Charles E. Schmidt College of Science recently added the Ph.D. in geosciences to its graduate programs. During the past year, the college awarded 34 doctorates, the highest number in its history. The first five federal stimulus grants to come to FAU went to the College of Science.

The brand new headquarters facility of our College of Engineering and Computer Science is currently under construction on the Boca Raton campus. It's hard to miss, and it's going to be an amazing facility. As I do my daily run and get all the way down to the end of Spanish River Boulevard, I marvel at the fact that I can see the top of it from there. It's going to be an impressive structure and provide a real landmark for Florida Atlantic University. We are especially proud of the fact that FAU is the home of the first building in South Florida that's being constructed to the Platinum LEED standard. This facility will serve as a model of sustainability in the construction, operation and maintenance of buildings all over our area. It's scheduled to open next summer.

Turning to the College of Education, I'd like to offer congratulations to Dr. Valerie Bristor, who served with distinction as interim dean and was recently named dean of the college. This, by the way, is the college from whence I came in 1981. The college's FIAT program -- which stands for Florida Institute for the Advancement of Teaching -- is one of just 10 programs nationally that has been chosen to receive the 2009 Mutual of America Community Partnership Award. This news is so fresh that it hasn't even been announced publicly yet. The selection committee was greatly impressed by the effectiveness of the three multi-faceted FIAT programs, which focus on helping students in all majors explore teaching as a career, placing student teachers under the guidance of master mentors and channeling new teachers into under-served urban and rural schools. This innovative program is just one of the ways in which our College of Education is maintaining its leadership role and not only providing new teachers and administrators for public schools all over our state, our nation and our world but working with existing teachers to help them upgrade their skills in dealing with the students of the 21st century. 

In the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters complex on the Boca Raton campus, the Culture and Society Building is now under construction. This unique addition to campus life will house four state-of-the-art, all-digital movie theaters and a cafe as well as classrooms, conference rooms and office space. When this facility, which is being built to the Silver LEED standard, opens about a year from now, FAU will have the only theater complex of its kind in the United States, and we should be very proud of that.

At the College of Business, the Office Depot Center for Executive Education, which was funded by a very generous gift from Office Depot and then matched by the state, has been in operation for the past year. The college's mutually beneficial relationship with Office Depot provides an excellent example of a public-private partnership that really works. More than 200 students are currently enrolled in the college's executive MBA program, higher than at any other university in the state of Florida. 

All of our undergraduate and graduate programs, all of our students, faculty and staff and, indeed, many people from the FAU community continue to take advantage of the voluminous resources of the FAU Libraries, which are under the direction of a true FAU veteran and leader, Dr. Bill Miller. Even in the face of the budget cutbacks and staff reductions, Dean Miller and his colleagues on all campuses have managed to maintain and even, in some instances, expand the services offered by our excellent library system, and we do thank them so much for that. The Wimberly Library here on the Boca Raton campus is in the midst of a major upgrade on the ground floor. By the way, as part of the effort to make it more welcoming a Dunkin' Donuts recently opened for business just off the lobby area, and it's already a hot item at FAU.

Now that I've completed a quick run-through of just a few of the accomplishments of our wonderful colleges, I'd like to invite the deans of all of the colleges to please stand and let us thank them for their contributions to Florida Atlantic University.

[The deans stand to applause.]

The deans would be the first ones to say that they represent additional administrators, marvelous faculty members, dedicated staff members and those 28,000 students of whom I spoke a moment ago.

You know, safety is an ongoing issue for all of us. In the wake of the tragedies that have befallen higher education in this country over the last several years, it has become more important than ever before; in fact, safety is a subject that is of critical importance to all American colleges and universities in the 21st century.

The FAU Alert System continues to be fine-tuned, and we do test it regularly. Siren systems are now operational on both the Boca Raton and Jupiter campuses. Please be sure to keep your contact information current. This is a commercial message: If you have not updated your contact information so that we can utilize the reverse 911 system to text message you, to call you in an emergency, please make sure to update that information right away.

While safety always takes high priority at FAU, special focus is placed on it every September, which is Safety Month.  And so once again safety-themed events will be taking place during the month of September on all of our campuses. I mentioned earlier that most of the members of the Department of Environmental Health and Safety couldn't be here with us this morning because they are taking care of business on campus. That business is the Boca Raton Campus Safety Fair, which is taking place in the Breezeway right now and will continue until 2 o'clock this afternoon. For the first time, carbon monoxide detectors are being distributed free to students living off campus in homes that have CO2 hazards, such as gas stoves or attached garages. We'd like to express our sincere thanks to the Boca Raton Fire Rescue Department, which obtained a grant that made this life-saving program possible. 

Safety Month events will continue to be held on the Boca Raton campus all this week and on the Broward and Northern Campuses throughout next week. Our thanks to the University Safety Month Committee, which put in long hours to make this Safety Month the best ever. Like our EH&S staff, many members of the committee are working at the Safety Fair right now, but I'd like to ask any of them who might be here to please stand and let us thank them and all of the people who work every day to make certain that the health, safety and welfare of everyone affiliated with Florida Atlantic University remains our top priority. If any committee members are here with us this morning, please stand.

[They stand to applause.]

I'd like to talk about one more group of very special people who, on one hand, get great visibility because of what they do, and, on the other hand, go about their business quietly each and every day, bringing great pride to this institution. Some of you know that I've just stepped down as a member of the NCAA's national board of directors because I'm leaving the presidency of FAU to assume my new post. I have also been proud to represent the Sun Belt Athletic Conference as its president over the last two years, and I can assure you that what we are doing here, what we are putting together at Florida Atlantic University, is something truly special. Our great Athletics Department and great coaches give us the opportunity to show off the genius of almost 500 student athletes who come to this University with a desire to acquire a degree and leave here with that degree and a more finely honed athletic skill set. Some of them might find their way into the professional ranks. But whether they do or they don't, while they are here they live the university experience and at the same time they bring great pride to our University in the classroom and laboratory, as well as on the field, the court and the diamond. One hundred and eighty two of our student athletes earned GPAs of 3.0 or higher during the 2009 spring semester. The Owls football team was the only football team in Florida and the NCAA to win back-to-back bowl games in 2007 and 2008. If you go to one of our football games, you'll see that the students now sport the "owl eyes" when something good happens, just like the football players do. The team is looking for a "three-peat," a third bowl championship this year.

Our softball team captured its 10th conference title in 11 years, a remarkable accomplishment.

Sophomore Marc Abdelnour finished the 2009 season ranked number 116 among 2,000 college tennis players, placing him in the top 10 percent in the nation. 

Our student athletes and their dedicated coaches are doing wonderful things for our University, raising FAU's profile nationally and helping bring us increased recognition. Each and every day, the people in our Athletics Department on both the athletic and academic sides work diligently to make certain that priority one is always that earned degree. It is the degree that will give the student a bright future. At the same time, our student athletes have God-given ability that they bring with them to this University and hone to a fine professional skill level. What an accomplishment, when you stop and think about the dual track those student athletes march down and the amazing people who embrace them, whether it's the professor in the classroom, their coaches, the Athletics Department staff or the wonderful fans of Florida Atlantic University. If done well, if done right, athletics at the intercollegiate level can truly create a spirit and a camaraderie that can elevate all of what we do. I'd like to ask Director of Athletics Craig Angelos, the Athletics Department staff and the coaches and student athletes who are here with us this morning to stand and let us recognize you for your accomplishments.

[They stand to applause.]

And now I'd like to take this final opportunity to say thank you. Thank you for the most amazing six-and-a-half years that a person has ever been afforded. When I came here with my wife, Courtney, six-and-a-half years ago to begin a new chapter in our life, we had been married only a very short time. We already had a predisposition to be passionate about this University. I talked about this University relentlessly with Courtney. I told her this is the University that afforded me a graduate degree that unlocked doors I never thought imaginable to walk through. It gave me life experiences that should be afforded someone so much better. And yet I had those opportunities because of what FAU provided to me and for me. I had the chance to sit in those classrooms and work side-by-side with dedicated faculty members who changed my life forever in such positive ways. I had the chance to see a young university, which, as Nancy Blosser said, still has its best days ahead of it, its best accomplishments still unwritten. I had the opportunity to learn first-hand why Florida Atlantic University was going to be one of the great universities in the country. And the chance to come back home and become its fifth president. And the chance, ultimately, to birth a son and begin to raise a son as part of the FAU family and to see all of the things that I've just talked about happen during this watch, during this important period of FAU's evolution. This has been such a remarkable experience. "Thank you" is an often-overused term and it's thrown around quite liberally in the 21st century. We thank everybody for everything. But, you know, I've thought and I've thought and I've thought and for those of you who know me words are not a problem. And yet as much as I thought and as much as I toiled, I can't do better than that.

Thank you.

[Audience rises in a standing ovation.]

As Courtney, Colby John and I begin our adventure in Tallahassee, I take up the charge of making certain that just as Florida Atlantic University has found its rightful designated place among great universities in the country, our entire university system will march proudly into the 21st century and be recognized as one of the great systems -- not just in the country but in the world. The Board of Governors and the leadership there mirror the passion and dedication of our own Board of Trustees here. I'll be working with the Governor's Office, the members of the Florida House, the Florida Senate, and the giant business community that lives and breathes what we turn out in the world of higher education. As I strive to pull everyone together, I am convinced that the experiences that I've had at Florida Atlantic University will assist me immeasurably in the job that I've been asked to do.

This is the hardest goodbye I have ever had to make because of what you've all done for me. But I leave behind a university that is able to walk on its own two feet. The mark of a leader is not worrying about what he leaves behind. The mark of a real leader is knowing that what you leave behind is perfectly capable of going to the next level without you. And that is exactly what Florida Atlantic University will do. This University cannot be denied its rightful place in the 21st century. It's an incredible access point for students who otherwise would be shut out of a higher education degree. It cannot be denied its rightful designation as an outstanding teaching university and a wonderful research university, where geniuses every day are looking for cures and treatment for disease and finding ways to fulfill the energy needs of our entire planet in the 21st century. This is a university whose students will look back someday and say, "Those were the best years of my life." And while some of them might say those were the best 10 years of my life, they will be the best. [Laughter.] All of that is because of you. One person doesn't do that. And the best challenge I leave behind is the challenge to take care of it.

FAU belongs to us. It belongs to the 120,000 people who have graduated from FAU. It belongs to the previous four presidents. It belongs to the amazing faculty and staff who plied their trade over decades and those who ply their trade with such professionalism today. It belongs to the staff members who don't just go to work every day, but go to work at Florida Atlantic University and feel privileged to do so. This University belongs to the world and now what once was a quiet story has become an explosion of opportunity as we have burst onto the scene on the national and international levels. And every person in this auditorium, every person at this University needs to be very proud that they have contributed to that in some important way. 

I am convinced that Florida Atlantic is setting the standard for what all universities in Florida should aspire to: Never accepting the status quo; always looking for ways to innovate, create, be different; always looking for ways to measure what you do and making sure that it's better than what you did the year before. Our students deserve nothing less. And so as I leave the presidency of Florida Atlantic University, I take you all with me in my heart and my soul. I will carry the life's lessons that I learned here for the rest of my life, and I thank each of you for being a part of that.

I now have the opportunity to invite to the podium the gentleman who had the courage to step up to the plate and say, "Pass the torch to me." Because it is his leadership now that will make sure that this University does not atrophy, doesn"'t even remain status quo. With his vision, his leadership, his understanding of our University and his dedication to it, I am convinced, the members of the Board of Trustees are convinced, that as our interim president he and his beautiful wife, Ginger, will take up the cause of Florida Atlantic University in a very new and unique way. He has served this University for five-and-a-half years as our provost and chief academic officer. During that time he has amassed incredible credibility here at Florida Atlantic University, prepackaged from the immense experience and credibility he brought with him when he walked through the door. He is a champion of our faculty. He believes in our students, and he has learned in five-and-a-half years the sheer power potential that lies at the very soul of Florida Atlantic University. We will be proud to call him, as of Monday morning, the interim president of Florida Atlantic University. Let us please stand and congratulate Dr. John Pritchett.

[The audience rises in a standing ovation as Dr. Pritchett comes to the podium.]

Dr. Pritchett:

I have to thank Frank for that very wonderful introduction. About a month ago, when Frank came to visit with me and share with me his decision to pursue the chancellorship, the first thing I did is look in his eyes and say, "What a loss. What a loss." And then later that night, when I was thinking about this, I said, "What a gain for the State University System." And I sincerely mean that because Frank Brogan has meant a lot to me over these past five years. I would also like to thank Frank for bringing Ginger and me here five-and-a-half years ago. We have never been made to feel so much at home, and this is truly our University family. So if you'll permit me I would like to introduce Ginger. Ginger will you please stand. She is truly my anchor and my rock, and I am always introduced as being Ginger's husband.

[Mrs. Pritchett stands to applause.]

I am greatly honored to have been asked to serve as our University's interim president, and I'm confident that with your help and support this University is going to continue to move ahead. As you just heard in President Brogan's State of the University Address, this institution is standing on a very good foundation. We have started a lot of initiatives. But I am going to say this morning that there is more to be done to solidify that foundation. And building on that foundation and solidifying it will be our focus in the future. 

At this time I'd like to pass out some personal and profound thanks. Despite having to cope with over $50 million in budget cuts over the past three years, our faculty has truly stepped up to the plate and this semester is delivering instruction to a record 28,000 undergraduate and graduate students. I find that nothing less than heroic. And I'd like to ask everyone in this audience to join me in recognizing the men and women who are truly the heart and soul of our great University. Faculty members, will you please stand and let us recognize you one more time.

[They stand to applause.]

Of course, our faculty is supported in a multitude ways by the most dedicated staff that you'll find at any university anywhere in this country. Our support staff is much leaner now than it's ever been in the past, and yet staff members at all levels are working harder than ever to get us through these tough times, they are pitching in wherever and whenever they are needed, and they are routinely doing whatever needs to be done to make sure that the University stays on track both in terms of the quantity and the quality of services. So one more time, thank you to all of our staff, and let's give them another round of applause.

[Applause.]

Frank also mentioned our leadership team, our vice presidents, our deans, indeed everyone who serves in an administrative role. This leadership team is also much, much leaner than it was five years ago. But I'm going to tell you that I've never worked with a more cohesive group of people, people who have the same mindset, people who are committed and people who are dedicated to serving our faculty and serving our students. So let's give them one last round of applause.

[Applause.]

So where are we going from here? I think there's no doubt that we have a lot of issues on our plate. One of those issues deals with compensation -- compensation for our faculty, compensation for our staff. I can tell you at this point in time that we are exploring several innovative approaches to address that issue. One that you've already heard of comes from the Division of Research. Dr. Moriarty is putting together an incentive program to recognize those people who pushed forward as far as research is concerned. And Mike, I know that's going to be very successful.  Something else that you may or may not have heard of is a special initiative to develop more named professorships to recognize the outstanding achievements of our faculty. This is a proposal that we will be taking to our Board of Trustees for their review in the near future. 

We will also focus on continuing to build upon the research foundation that we have established at FAU. As we all know, this University's research capability is advancing very rapidly, and I'd like to take a moment this morning to discuss what that means for our institution as a whole. There are many important benchmarks that can be used to measure success in the delivery of higher education, but it is through academic research that a university truly achieves recognition and gains the respect not only of its peers but also of the world. There is much we have achieved in the very short time that our young university has had a formal research structure. Under the leadership of Dr. Mike Moriarty, our research efforts have flourished over the past two years. In the pursuit of continued excellence, he's restructured, streamlined and formalized operations and procedures in the Division of Research to enhance the delivery of services to our students, faculty and staff. Dr. Moriarty is now leading the effort to identify three to five broad research priority areas that have the potential to place FAU in a position of distinction and bring us national recognition. President Brogan mentioned this very important initiative in his address and you will be hearing much more about it later. Mike, we appreciate so much what you have brought to us and all that you and your staff are doing. Thank you.

[Applause.]

FAU's growing stature as a research university ties directly into the rapid development of our Graduate College, which is taking place under the leadership of Dr. Barry Rosson. I was struck, as I'm sure many of you were, by the 15 percent growth statistic among our newly enrolled graduate students. This increase is exceptionally significant, and I look forward to working with Dr. Rosson and his staff in the Graduate College to keep our graduate student population in all disciplines growing. Barry, thank you so much for what you and all your staff do. Thank you.

[Applause.]

Going forward, we will simultaneously continue to emphasize the fundamental importance of undergraduate education as we press on in our efforts to promote the success of our students. Another statistic that jumped out at me during the State of the University Address was the 78 percent freshman retention rate that's been achieved this year. When I first came here that number was 68 percent. I think this is a tremendous accomplishment on the part of Dr. Ed Pratt and the entire Undergraduate Studies staff, particularly everyone in the Office of Student Retention. Under the dedicated leadership of Jennifer Bebergal, this office will continue to offer innovative programming such as supplemental instruction and themed learning communities that engage students in university life both intellectually and socially. Ed, I'd like to again congratulate you and Jennifer and all of your staff for doing such a fantastic job.

[Applause.]

Now more than ever, we're relying on FAU's friends in the private sector to recognize the great value of all the University has to offer the community and to support our efforts with philanthropy and generous gifts. While it's universally understood that this is a very challenging time for fund-raising, it's the perfect time for friend-raising in anticipation of better times ahead. FAU's Division of University Advancement is doing just that as we speak, and they are doing it under the committed leadership of Randy Talbot. I'd like to recognize Randy and his exceptionally hard-working staff for putting us in a position so we are poised for success in the future.

I have always been exceptionally impressed with the way that this University is engaged with its community, with its surroundings. Across disciplines, across campuses, across colleges and departments, our faculty, students and staff are addressing critical societal issues and driving the innovative spirit that we practice at our University. In the months and years to come we will continue to emphasize community involvement across our large and diverse service area because we want FAU to become woven even more deeply into the beautiful tapestry that is South Florida.

I also want to say that our eyes are on the future. You'll soon be hearing much, much more about Project Vision, which is being launched as part of the University's ongoing strategic planning process. Dr. Susan Clemmons of the College of Business at Florida International University has been selected to be the chief facilitator of this most important project. She has been hard at work since late in the spring, and she'll soon be organizing focus groups to get input from a broad cross-section of the University's constituencies with the goal of creating a workable and sustainable plan for the future. We want to move from a reactive to a proactive stance, to take the lead in creating our own destiny. The participation of faculty, students and staff will be absolutely essential to the success of this very important initiative, and I know that you will all be part of it. 

As our program ends this morning I'd like to leave you with one thought: Florida Atlantic University is first and foremost about teaching and learning. It's about preparing students, both undergraduate and graduate, to go out into the world to make their own contributions to the common good. Students are what FAU is about, first, last and always. Our focus will remain on them during this time of transition and our energies will be directed toward serving them to the best of our ability. My favorite saying originated with an Irishman in the early part of the last century. His name was William Butler Yeats, and he was the 1923 Nobel Laureate in literature. William Butler Yeats defined what teaching and learning are all about, so listen to his words: He said teaching and learning are not just about filling the bucket - putting out facts, conveying concepts. It's not just about filling the bucket. It's about lighting the fire. It is truly about lighting the fire. It is about faculty and the teaching and learning process, lighting the fire in the hearts of our students. But it goes the other way, too. It's about students further lighting the fire in those who teach them. So that's what this University is about -- lighting the fire. 

In closing I deeply appreciate the opportunity to lead this vibrant University community and I am greatly honored by the confidence that the Board of Trustees has placed in me. I sincerely hope that I'll have the support of every one of you as we work together to guide the further development of our great University. Thank you so very much.

[Applause.]

Announcer Paul Metcalf:

Thank you. And now please welcome the president of the Faculty Senate of Florida Atlantic University, Dr. Tim Lenz, who will make a brief presentation on behalf of our faculty.

Dr. Lenz:

Last Friday, the University Faculty Senate approved the following resolution, recognizing President Brogan's service:

Whereas, Florida Atlantic University President Frank T. Brogan has worked tirelessly on behalf of FAU and inspired others by his enthusiasm for the University; and

Whereas, he has served as a role model for public service on behalf of public higher education in the State of Florida; and

Whereas, he has served as a goodwill ambassador to the community served by FAU; and

Whereas, under his leadership FAU has developed valuable partnerships with research institutes and other entities; and

Whereas, under his leadership admission standards have been raised; and

Whereas, he has contributed to the development of student life on campus by promoting events such as student moving days and late night breakfasts during exam week; and

Whereas, under his leadership and that of Coach Howard Schnellenberger FAU has achieved national prominence in football;

Be it resolved that the University Faculty Senate on behalf of the faculty of Florida Atlantic University expresses its deep appreciation for President Brogan's service as president of Florida Atlantic University.

[Dr. Lenz presents the resolution to President Brogan.]

Dr. Lenz:

Please join me in welcoming back to the podium the chair of the FAU Board of Trustees, Nancy Blosser, who will make a final presentation on behalf of the board.

Chairwoman Blosser:

Thank you, Dr. Lenz. I now just have one last order of business to attend to before we adjourn to enjoy the reception. I'd like to ask the Brogan family to join me on stage.

[Mrs. Brogan and Colby John join Chairwoman Blosser and President Brogan on stage.]

Let me start by thanking our truly gracious First Lady, Courtney Brogan, for her many contributions to the life of our University. Immediately after arriving as a newlywed in 2003 Courtney made FAU her own, carving out a unique role for herself and quietly but very effectively championing causes close to her heart, including early childhood education, children's rights and woman's studies. She served the FAU community as a full partner to President Brogan, winning respect, admiration and affection for her genuineness, her deep understanding of what this University is all about and her wholehearted dedication to the Owls -- even though she was a Seminole in her previous life. And how can we ever thank our President and First Lady for bringing Colby John into our world and letting us share the joy of seeing him grow from a beautiful baby into a handsome young man these past four and a half years. 

[Colby John smiles and waves to the audience, evoking laughter and applause.]

He's totally unscripted, just like his dad! 

There really is no way to adequately express what we're feeling at this moment, but we want the whole Brogan family to know that we cherish the time that they've spent with us and our love and affection will go with them as they leave FAU to begin their new life in Tallahassee. Courtney, please accept these flowers with many, many thanks and we wish you all the best of luck in your home in Tallahassee. And Colby John, we have something for you. Here is a football signed by Coach Schnellenberger to remind you that you will always be an FAU Owl and that you and your mommy and daddy will always be members of our FAU family. 

[Mrs. Brogan and Colby John accept their gifts.]

We are very lucky that a man of Frank Brogan's experience, knowledge and character will soon be working on behalf of all of Florida's universities. If we had to lose him to another organization, we are glad that organization is the State University System.

And now it is my great pleasure to present President Brogan with this resolution from the Board of Trustees. 

Whereas, Frank T. Brogan has provided truly extraordinary leadership for his alma mater, Florida Atlantic University, during his six years as President; and

Whereas, Frank T. Brogan has carried out the responsibilities of his high office with clear vision, unwavering commitment, boundless energy and great resourcefulness; and

Whereas, Frank T. Brogan has advanced Florida Atlantic University to ever higher levels of achievement in fulfillment of its mission to deliver the best in education, research and community service to the people of South Florida; and

Whereas, Frank T. Brogan has been deeply engaged in the life of Florida Atlantic University throughout his years as President, interacting in a host of meaningful ways with students, alumni, faculty, staff and friends of the University;

Now therefore be it resolved that in recognition of all he has given to Florida Atlantic University, the FAU Board of Trustees extends its deepest gratitude and good wishes to him as he leaves FAU to become Chancellor of Florida State University System.

[President Brogan accepts the resolution, concluding the 2009 State of the University Address and related remarks and presentations. Members of the FAU Marching Band, under the direction of Dr. Sean Murray, enter the theatre playing the FAU Fight Song as the audience moves to the reception in the outer hallway.]