State of the University Address
University of Arizona, Student Union Memorial Center
Thank you all for being here this afternoon. It is an honor for me to be able to join with colleagues and friends from across our community and around the state to celebrate the tremendous accomplishments of The University of Arizona, and to reflect on the great future that we can shape by working together to make this institution one of the ten best public research universities in America.
This is my second State of the University address, and I have to be honest with you in saying it is always a challenge to know exactly what balance to strike in this type of presentation. You want to cover all the topics, but you don't want to put people to sleep; you want to inspire, but you need to be realistic; you want people to know you are engaged, but not looking over their shoulder. The dilemma can be summed up by Steven Wright's notion that there is a fine line between fishing and standing on the shore like an idiot.
I will try to avoid the latter.
The timing of this year's address is propitious. It comes at a critical juncture in the history of our University; a time of budget challenges and growing pains, when some are questioning whether our greatest days are behind us. Let me assure you: Our best days lie ahead.
The University of Arizona came from humble beginnings. It was conceived before Arizona was a state and when Tucson really was the Wild West. Its original land was donated by two gamblers and a saloon owner who were willing to make a bet on Arizona's future. It is a bet that paid off big.
We stand here today, 123 years later, the beneficiaries of their hope. Who could have imagined then what it would be like today?
When we look at where we are going in the next decade, the next century and the centuries that follow, our possibilities are limited only by our imagination. Our obligation today - the debt we owe those who dared to think a world-class university could blossom on a speck of desert land – is to dream big.
I have said on numerous occasions that we aspire to be one of the ten best public research universities in America. Some would say that's a pretty big dream. People will often ask me, "How will we do that? How do you achieve that vision?"
We do it by building on our natural strengths, and we do that through our Transformation process by focusing on those things that ultimately define us: our land-grant heritage, our unique location in the American Southwest, and the interdisciplinary nature of the work we do. When you think about our future, our hope, our vision, it is tied to those three attributes that so naturally define both the history and the future of the U of A.
Last year, in speaking about our strategic plan, I said we wanted to redefine the modern land-grant university. We have done just that in our strategic plan, which, through the work of SPBAC, is a great example of the good that can flow through a commitment to shared governance. The report's recommendations outline the framework for building the model of a modern land-grant university, where the focus is not merely on the historical land-grant areas of agriculture, mining, and engineering, but on all the new and innovative ways that we can improve the life of the people of Arizona through our research and outreach efforts.
Allow me to give you just one example of how The University of Arizona is positioned to be a modern, land-grant university, leading in interdisciplinary research. Our Department of Pediatrics just received a six-year, $44 million contract to participate in the National Institutes of Health's National Children's Study. The study is a major effort to investigate the factors influencing the development of conditions such as autism, cerebral palsy, learning disabilities, birth defects, diabetes, asthma, and obesity. Our role is critical because we not only have specific health sciences strengths in public health, obstetrics and gynecology, and pediatrics, we also pair those strengths with the power of our Norton School of Family and Consumer Sciences division of family studies and human development, and we leverage these combined strengths further by using them with our extensive outreach capacity into rural counties in Arizona.
No one questions that improving children's health is a tough issue to address and one that impacts Arizona's future. We can cite others – the border, water, renewable energy, arid lands, rural medicine, the convergence of different and vibrant cultures. These are issues that can only be addressed by a public research university like The University of Arizona because of our interdisciplinary breadth and depth of expertise. Never in the history of our state has our role been more important. And, the solutions we provide to the state are clearly translatable nationally and internationally.
I know I say this to you and you think, "President Shelton, how can you dream so big in today's climate?"
Here's my response: When Franklin D. Roosevelt died in Warm Springs, Georgia, in 1945, he was posing for a portrait and thinking over a speech he was to have made. A fragment of that undelivered speech exists and reads: "The only limit to our realization of tomorrow is our doubts of today."
Let's not have any doubts about today. I know we are all concerned about the budget. There is no question that Arizona and the nation hit economic turbulence this past year, and it will probably be another year before things turn around. But things will turn around.
Far more importantly, we are taking proactive steps to address both the budget challenge and how to invest ourselves to be world-class in everything we do. That is the heart of our Transformation process.
We've gotten a lot of feedback about our Transformation process. I know the uncertainty of what comes out of the process makes people nervous, especially in our current budget climate. And yet, I am absolutely certain that our steadfast commitment to the Transformation process will be our path to achieve our vision of excellence as one of the premier land-grant universities in the nation.
By merging and realigning units and streamlining our administrative costs, we will be able to invest more in those areas where we are world-class – or where we aspire to be – and we will be able to increase faculty salaries and thus address the salary gap that I think is one of our most critical challenges. We have to pay our faculty more; we have to retain and recruit the best; and we are going to do it.
The Transformation process will reflect our overall strategic priorities, and will strengthen and sustain our standing as the premier research university in the American Southwest.
As we go through the Transformation process, let me make it clear that we are determined that we will not compromise on quality. The quality of our programs is the benchmark that measures the U of A – once lost we can never get that back. Quality must be a defining attribute of all that we do. As we implement the Transformation process, our emphasis is going to be on enriching and enlivening those programs that are the unique strengths of our University while simultaneously looking for new opportunities for cooperation across disciplines to meet the new challenges of a rapidly changing world.
I am aware that this is an unsettling time for some people on campus, and yes, there are some real challenges to achieving our vision. But I'm a physicist, and one of the greats of my field, Niels Bohr, once said: "How wonderful that we have met with a paradox. Now we have some hope of making progress."
And what extraordinary progress we have made this past year, not just in rethinking our administrative structure, but in the accomplishments of our faculty, staff, and students.
When I spoke to you last year, the Phoenix Lander was streaking through space and our fingers were crossed, hoping it could make a soft landing on a distant, alien surface.
The images of that success are burned in my memory: the sight of Peter Smith and his colleagues, bounding into the air with jubilation when word came back that the Phoenix had landed; the simply astounding photo, taken by the UA's HiRISE camera as it orbited Mars, of the Phoenix Lander, its parachute deployed, descending past a Martian crater toward its landing; and then, the first photos from the surface that revealed the layer of ice just beneath the dirt.
What a triumph. What a point of pride for all of us who are part of a university that can make something like that happen.
One of the extraordinary things about being at The University of Arizona is that we have monumental achievements by our faculty across a huge range of disciplines, and we have them all the time.
Shortly after my State of the University address last year, it was announced that the National Science Foundation had awarded a University of Arizona-led team $50 million to create a global center with a computer cyber infrastructure that will attempt to decipher plant biology's unsolved mysteries. No single research entity in the world currently has the capacity to address plant biology's "grand challenge" questions. The answers derived through this important new initiative could allow us to save species and ecosystems throughout the world.
The five-year project, dubbed the iPlant Collaborative, potentially is renewable for a second five years for a total of $100 million. This grant is a perfect example of the dividends that result from the state's investment in the UA's research infrastructure. Because we have faculty like Rich Jorgenson and Vicki Chandler, we can bring these enormous science projects to Tucson where they benefit the local economy, the state, and ultimately our knowledge of the world.
Another recent example of the research value that the UA brings to the state is a $16 million grant from the Department of Homeland Security to establish a UA-based national center for excellence on border security and immigration research. The new center will allow the UA to leverage its geographical advantage to serve the people of Arizona by applying the expertise of our faculty to the challenges of immigration and border security. Through this center, led by Regents' Professor Jay Nunamaker, we are expanding our standing as international research leaders into a new realm of social challenges, and the beneficiaries will be the people of the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Imagine, if you will, what is going on in labs, libraries and offices right now across this campus. With funding from Science Foundation Arizona, Roger Angel is doing groundbreaking work in solar energy collection based on his vast experience with telescopes and mirrors. Environmental science is an important focus for the U of A, and Jonathan Overpeck, who was one of the authors of a U.N. report on climate change that won a 2007 Nobel Prize, is developing new insight – and in fact testified before Congress – into the challenges of meeting our water supply needs in the 21st century. Similarly, Sharon Megdal's work on water sustainability holds critical importance for the future of our region.
This past year, Tom Swetnam, director of our Tree-Ring Research lab, was profiled on "60 Minutes" and in National Geographic, among many other news entities, for his tree-ring analysis that has led to new understandings of the development of modern western American wildfires. Nasser Peyghambarian, professor of optical sciences, led the development of dynamic holograms, which hold the promise of revolutionizing such things as medical diagnostic equipment. And Professor Peyghambarian is also leading the establishment of an engineering research center, funded by an $18.5 million NSF grant, that will focus on removing one of the last bottlenecks in the Internet by developing optoelectronic technologies for high-bandwidth, low-cost, widespread access networks. Mark Aldenderfer, professor of anthropology, led the excavation of ruins in the Peruvian Andes that uncovered gold artifacts revealing that South Americans had worked with gold as far back as 4,000 years ago – 600 years earlier than previously thought. Gregory Crawford, assistant professor of economics, was appointed to be the chief economist for the Federal Communications Commission. Jun Liu, professor and head of the English Department, is now directing the UA Confucius Institute in collaboration with the Office of Chinese Language Council International, or Hanban, to train teachers to meet the growing and diverse demands of the world's Mandarin Chinese language learners. Beth Mitchneck, associate professor in geography and regional development is working on a $3.3 million NSF grant to promote gender equity in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics for tenure-track faculty, and William McCallum, University Distinguished Professor in Math, has created an institute to improve the training of K-12 math teachers. At a time when our state faces a critical need for more and better STEM teachers, it is U of A faculty who are leading the way. At a time when our state faces critical needs to make gains in the global economy, it is the U of A faculty who are leading the way. At a time when our state and the entire Southwest and the entire nation must transform to become scientifically, politically and socially sustainable, it is the U of A faculty who are leading the way.
Believe me, there is simply not enough time to mention even a significant fraction of the cutting-edge, world-class work being done by faculty on this campus. And not all of it is about research. Our faculty are also great teachers and mentors. Allow me to read you just a portion of a letter I received last week from one of our students who was writing about James Hazzard in Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics.
She says, "At the beginning of the semester I was having a difficult time in school. I had just gotten off academic probation and I wanted to know how to improve my grades. When Dr. Hazzard noticed I was exerting effort in class and yet I was still falling behind ... he went out of his way to contact me ... and was then able to present the information in class so that I could understand the material. After hard work and long hours I got an 'A.' My life is forever changed by the kindness shown to me by Dr. James Hazzard. I now have the tools to succeed. Most importantly I have the confidence in knowing that it is possible for me to get an 'A' at The University of Arizona."
I hear many wonderful stories like this from current students and from alumni about UA faculty. Isn't that what we are ultimately here to do? To make lives better, as Dr. Hazzard did for this student?
The impact and reach of The University of Arizona extends beyond our classrooms and labs, around the earth, as well as beyond it. This past year we entered into a landmark agreement to serve as the primary academic service provider for a new university in China. Under the agreement the UA will provide all of the intellectual content for certain degree programs at Nanjing International University, which is expected to reach an enrollment of 10,000 students within its first 10 years of operation. The agreement eventually will provide students the opportunity to obtain a degree from the UA while attending NIU in China.
Not only are we doing things around the world, but we have students from around the world coming here. This year we had an increase of more than 10 percent in international students enrolling at The University of Arizona: some 2,500 students from 120 countries around the globe. But we all need to be mindful that sometimes there are cultural challenges for those students.
I got a phone call just the other day from the mother of an international student who is attending from Scotland. She praised the education her son was getting but said that she was very concerned about the behavior of some of the students in his residence hall.
I wanted to know the problem and asked her about it. And she said that the student in the room on one side of her son's was always banging his head against the wall. And she said the student in the room on the other side was always screaming at the top of his lungs.
Naturally, I was concerned about this and asked her what her son would do while all this screaming and banging was going on. And she said, "He just sits there quietly in his room, playing his bagpipe."
It is not just with international students that we've seen a gain. Applications and enrollment at The University of Arizona continue to set records across the board. With more than 6,700 students, this is the largest freshman class in UA history. SAT scores of the incoming class remain the best of Arizona's three public universities. We have a record number of national achievement scholars and an all-time high freshman enrollment of Hispanic students. In fact, this year we have the largest minority enrollment percentage in UA history, keeping The University of Arizona at the forefront of America's flagship universities, and giving us the most diverse student body among the three public institutions in the state.
Since 2006, freshman applications have increased by 36 percent, and we are currently ahead of last year's record pace. The facts here are clear: Students and families in this state place a high value on a University of Arizona degree. Parents want their children here. Employers want our graduates. I now need everyone who is hearing my voice to make sure that all the people of Arizona understand how important it is to keep this institution viable, to support the quality difference that makes a University of Arizona education so cherished.
One of the great challenges that we have is to make sure that the University continues to be accessible to all the qualified students who desire to find their path in life as a Wildcat. That is why I am so proud of Arizona Assurance, the new financial aid program that we have launched that guarantees that lower-income students can attend the University at no cost.
Arizona Assurance covers their tuition, fees, books, room and board, and this year we were able to have almost 600 students participate in the program. We have so many people who have helped make this program work, and I have to thank the faculty who have dedicated their precious time to serve as mentors for these students. It is making a difference. I have heard directly from students and parents who have told me that they never dreamed they could attend The University of Arizona, but now that dream is possible.
But we need to make the dream possible for even more students. Raising more private funds to support students in the Arizona Assurance program will be one of our top fundraising priorities.
This past year, we were fortunate enough to have great philanthropic support from friends and alumni of The University of Arizona. The Foundation reports that total giving this year was more than $150 million, the best year ever for cash gifts to support our University. This is up from $143.9 million the year before, and $121 million the year before that. So we are moving in the right direction when it comes to fundraising. People who care about this University have demonstrated that they are willing to support it.
But in the coming year, we are going to need to grow these numbers even more, because in addition to the Arizona Assurance program, creating more endowed chairs will be absolutely critical to our efforts to sustain and grow our standing as one of the premier universities in the world.
We are increasingly mindful of the importance of this University being a leader not just in the classroom and lab, but also in sustainability efforts. Constructing LEED-certified buildings is now one part of our commitment to being better stewards of our environment. I am very proud of the fact that The University of Arizona was recently recognized by the National Wildlife Federation as being among the very best universities in the nation in sustainability efforts. After looking at more than 1,000 colleges and universities, the Wildlife Federation singled out The University of Arizona as one of six universities that engaged in the greatest number of sustainability activities.
A great example of what we do is our state-of-the-art system for cooling UA buildings on hot days. To air-condition our many large buildings, air is cooled by passing it over pipes of chilled water and then blowing it into our buildings. Chilling that water was tremendously expensive, until our plant managers built a facility to freeze that water overnight – when energy is the cheapest – and simply let the ice melt throughout the day.
The cost savings has been tremendous. The UA saves over $420,000 in energy costs each year with this new system, and it has allowed us to add 2 million new square feet of building space without increasing our utility demand. That is a remarkable feat and a true advancement in campus sustainability.
One of the great alumni of The University of Arizona is Joan Ganz Cooney, who was the creator of "Sesame Street." She once said that "cherishing children is the mark of a civilized society." The young people who come to The University of Arizona are past childhood, but I think we can all agree that we have a responsibility to cherish their presence here and nurture their growth into adulthood.
That is one of the reasons that I am so proud of the work, not only of our faculty, but of our professionals and our staff. Whether it is those who work in the residence halls, our counselors, financial aid staff or those who keep our grounds so pristine, we are blessed to have people at the U of A who make this a safe, clean, healthy, and nurturing environment.
Sometimes people in higher education complain about what we call "helicopter" parents – the ones who are forever hovering over their children. When I was helping students move into the residence halls in August, I had a mother tell me that she had been terrified to send her daughter to college; that she had worried that The University of Arizona was too big; that she had planned to call her daughter every day to check on her well-being. But then she told me that after meeting the people who helped at freshman orientation, and those who helped with financial aid, and the residence hall staff who helped at move-in itself, she had been so impressed and so overwhelmed by the care and concern of the people at The University of Arizona, that she realized she didn't really need to call so often.
Now, that may not sound like a huge accomplishment in the overall scheme of a very complex university, but try to remember for just one moment how much trust it takes to hand your child – even one who technically may be an adult – over to the care of strangers. That is a responsibility and privilege that thousands of parents grant us every year. And because we have great staff and professionals, almost all of those parents come to realize that they won't need to call nearly as often as they had planned or feared, that their children are in great hands.
A university is so many different things to so many different people. We teach students; we house them and care for them; we do research that impacts lives; but we also are partners in our community.
I am very proud of the things that we do that make Tucson a better place to live. Whether it is providing access to the thrilling musical offerings of UApresents; sustaining a museum of international reputation on Southwestern culture; or helping serve those in need through Cats in the Community and UA Cares, we are committed to being neighbors in the very best sense of the word, so that we can help make this community stronger and better.
Speaking of stronger and better, I was fortunate this year to be able to hire an Executive Vice President and Provost who is nothing short of brilliant. Meredith Hay hit the ground running and in her first six months she has brought new, valuable perspective and energy to our academic enterprise, both here on the campus and in our relationships with vital external constituencies.
Meredith and I were in turn fortunate to recruit William Crist to be the Vice President for Health Affairs. Bill and Meredith together are bringing a greater trajectory and intensified purpose to our health sciences effort. Under Bill's leadership we are going to make the partnership between the Tucson and Phoenix medical campuses a national model for excellence. With this team in place, we are poised to make significant progress in the year ahead.
Let me close by reminding you of who we are as an institution and where we are going: We are and will continue to be the premier research university in the American Southwest. We are going to be one of the ten best public research universities in America. We are going to do it by putting people first and by committing ourselves to excellence in improving the human condition for all the people of Arizona.
It can be said that what is happening here – what we are doing now – is truly reinventing the modern land-grant university.
I don't want anyone here to lose sight of the exciting change that is occurring on this campus. Will there be challenges? Yes. Sure. Will it be tough at times? Yes. You bet. But this is The University of Arizona, and we can do anything we put our minds to.
It is a great honor to be President of this University at this point in time. I thank you all for granting me the privilege of working with you to make this University world-class in all that it does.
(Watch the address online at Arizona Public Media.)