USG: The System Supplement: November 2001 http://www.usg.edu/pubs/sys_supp/nov01/ Vol. 38, No. 8, November 2001 Portch Says University System 'Never Been Stronger' System Briefs On Campus Three USG Programs Among 'Best Graduate Online Programs' KSU Recognized by Two National Publications Lech Walesa Guest of Darton College B0R, UGA Will Not Appeal Admissions Decision USG's New Certificate Program Offers 'Virtual' Student Exchange [ contents ] Portch Says University System 'Never Been Stronger' System Records Highest-Ever Enrollment and SAT Scores In his final "State of the System" address, delivered on Nov. 13, Chancellor Stephen R. Portch informed the Board of Regents "the University System of Georgia has never been better. It is stronger than at any point in its 70-year history. "We have the highest SAT scores ever. We have the most students ever," Portch stated. "This is the best class in the System's history." The chancellor cited that the final Semester Enrollment Report for fall 2001 reflects 217,546 students, the highest headcount enrollment ever recorded in the University System's history. The new record represents a 5.7 percent increase over last fall's enrollment of 205,878, and far surpasses the System's previous all-time-high of 206,484 students, originally set in fall 1995. "This board recognized that higher admissions requirements were essential if we were ever going to make real progress toward our goal of creating a more educated Georgia." -- Chancellor Stephen Portch The System also recorded an impressive 6.1 percent increase in the number of credit hours taken in Fall 2001. This represents a continuing recovery from a decline during the conversion to the semester calendar. Highlighting the Admissions Policy Direction as the "cornerstone" of his tenure as chancellor, Portch also took pride in the record-high average SAT scores being reported, which moved from 994 in fall 1995 to 1,026 in fall 2001. In addition, traditional freshmen enrollment in System-required remedial courses (learning support) dropped from 27 percent in fall 1995 to 15 percent this fall. Portch said these achievements are the result of the Board's 1995 decision to impose higher admissions requirements on Georgia students -- requirements implemented throughout the System this fall. "Some doubted our collective resolve to carry this critical policy through," he stated. "They said we would 'blink.' But this board recognized that higher admissions requirements were essential if we were ever going to make real progress toward our goal of creating a more educated Georgia. You didn't back down, and I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your commitment." Portch singled out three areas of progress during his administration which he feels are critical to the System's continued success: distinctive missions for each of the 34 institutions, semester conversion, and 1 of 6 1/31/02 12:44 PM USG: The System Supplement: November 2001 http://www.usg.edu/pubs/sys_supp/nov01/ speaking with one voice as a university system. "These three points of progress must be maintained," he said. "The board's resolve on raising admission standards, preventing mission creep and a disciplined legislative approach may well be tested during a transition." Portch also made an uncharacteristic editorial commentary regarding the need for a new governance structure for the state Department of Education. "I feel compelled to address the dysfunctional system that has K-12 led by an elected official -- the state superintendent -- yet with a board appointed by a Governor. "My comments are not about personalities, nor politics," Portch emphasized. "I feel free to make them since the office will be open in 2002. My comments are about basic management and leadership 101." He recommended that the issue be placed before Georgia citizens. "The people of Georgia need to address this issue because education must be non-partisan," Portch said. "Education should be connected. This can truly only be possible if the heads of all three state education agencies (Board of Regents, Department of Education and Department of Technical and Adult Education) have authority based from similar sources. In all three cases, the board should select its CEO. . . Education policy takes longer than any political term to show results." Portch noted that the question of an appointed superintendent had twice before been put before the voters, first in 1984 and again in 1988. "Now is the time to revisit this issue," he stated. "Let's at least put it on the public agenda table." Portch also cited four other issues which deserve the state's attention: Georgia's stunning deficit in post-secondary participation; Georgia's "anti-intellectual culture" and how it hinders the Board of Regents' efforts; Georgia's responsibility to ensure equity of opportunity for educational participation; and Georgia's need for the state to continue its investment in higher education. Georgia had the fourth-largest numeric increase (1.7 million people) and the sixth-largest percentage increase (26.4 percent) in population over the last decade, doubling the national average. The number of children in Georgia jumped by 25 percent, the number of Hispanics by 300 percent, and Georgia has more than doubled the national average of African-American residents (28.7 percent versus 12.3 percent). But Portch said "we should not allow the increase in raw student numbers to mask Georgia's low participation rate. "While Georgia's enrollment in public elementary and secondary schools was up 23 percent between 1990 and 1999, the percentage of public high-school graduates increased only 11 percent... And The Atlanta Journal-Constitution recently reported that barely half the children entering ninth grade in Georgia earn a regular diploma four years later -- giving the state the worst high-school graduation rate in the nation. "Let's not fuzzy this fact," Portch emphasized. "We have a debilitating drop-out rate. A high-school graduation rate that isn't keeping up with growing enrollments indicates that we cannot afford to step back from our activist, leadership role," Portch said. Portch strongly defended the University System's successful pursuit of quality over the past several years, drawing attention to the detractors who attempted to deflate those efforts. "There are those who would settle for the way things used to be. There are those who, frankly, don't believe we should strive to be among the very best," he stated. "They are purveyors of mediocrity. They are the voices that are blind to the tyranny of low expectations. . . . That's the faint-hearted, defeatist, anti-intellectual attitude that -- if unchallenged -- can condemn this state." Portch ended his address by paraphrasing former Georgia Gov. Carl Sanders, who insisted on a superior law school at the University of Georgia: "The people of Georgia want and deserve nothing short of the best. The University System of Georgia, then, must be of such excellence that no citizen of Georgia need ever leave this state because a superior education is available elsewhere." 2 of 6 1/31/02 12:44 PM USG: The System Supplement: November 2001 http://www.usg.edu/pubs/sys_supp/nov01/ [ contents ] System Briefs Dr. Daniel Papp, senior vice chancellor for Academics and Fiscal Affairs at the Board of Regents, Annie Hunt Burriss, assistant vice chancellor for Economic Development at the Board of Regents, and Dr. Arthur Dunning, vice president for Public Service and Outreach at the University of Georgia, accompanied Gov. Roy Barnes on a trade mission to Mexico on Nov. 6-9. Dr. Jan Kettlewell, co-director of the Georgia P-16 Initiative, recently accepted a national award from the Education Trust for her outstanding leadership in P-16. The Board of Regents' Office of Facilities in November presented a check for more than $1.7 million to the Fulton-DeKalb Hospital Authority toward the planning, design and construction of a Cancer Center of Excellence at Grady Memorial Hospital. This is the first of several centers of excellence to be developed in conjunction with Gov. Roy Barnes' Cancer Care Initiative. The Facilities staff is serving as the project's fiscal agent. The state legislature has appropriated $28.3 million in tobacco settlement funds for the project, which is a collaboration between the Georgia Cancer Coalition, the Georgia Research Alliance, Grady Health System, the Morehouse School of Medicine and the Emory School of Medicine's Winship Cancer Center. [ contents ] Three USG Programs Among 'Best Graduate Online Programs' Three University System of Georgia institutions recently were cited by U.S. News & World Report as having commendable online graduate programs. The magazine surveyed more than 2,000 colleges and universities around the country before compiling an unranked listing of the "Best Online Graduate Degree Programs" for a 23-page section devoted to E-Learning published in early October. The list of institutions offering notable online graduate business degrees included Georgia Southern University's master's degree in business administration. The University of Georgia's master's degree in adult education made the list of institutions with noteworthy online graduate degrees in education. the magazine's list of solid, graduate-level engineering degrees offered on-line includes two master of science degrees available at Georgia Tech: in mechanical engineering and in electrical engineering. The complete guide to E-Learning may be viewed online at www.usnews.com. KSU Recognized by Two National Publications 3 of 6 1/31/02 12:44 PM USG: The System Supplement: November 2001 http://www.usg.edu/pubs/sys_supp/nov01/ Officials at Kennesaw State University are basking in the glow of having been singled out for praise by both Time and Business Week during October. Time cited KSU as one of 14 colleges and universities making "notable" efforts to help freshman make a successful transition to college life. In addition to offering orientation courses and first-year seminars, KSU trains faculty to mentor and support new students and creates small learning communities to help them feel comfortable. Business Week recently completed its first global survey of executive MBA programs in a decade and ranked KSU's MBA for Experienced Professionals program third nationally in the "Teamwork" category and 10th in "eBusiness" programs. [ contents ] Lech Walesa Guest of Darton College Darton College hosted a lecture in October by Nobel Peace Prize winner Lech Walesa (second from left), who rose to world renown in 1980 as the leader of Poland's Solidarity labor movement and later was elected that country's president. In conjunction with the College's Distinguished Lecture Series 2001, Walesa addressed more than 1,600 students, faculty, staff and invited guests -- including Regent John Hunt (second from right) and his wife, Julie (left), and Darton President Peter Sirena (right) -- about combating terrorism through world solidarity. President of Poland from 1990-95, Walesa now heads the Lech Walesa Institute, which champions democracy and free market reform in Eastern Europe and throughout the developing world. B0R, UGA Will Not Appeal Admissions Decision Board of Regents and University of Georgia officials have opted not to appeal the United States Supreme Court's recent decision in the UGA admissions lawsuit. Instead, they will concentrate their efforts on increasing diversity on the Athens campus through other means. Chancellor Stephen R. Portch said the decision to forgo an appeal was a difficult one made in consultation with the Regents, University of Georgia President Michael F. Adams, the Governor and Attorney General and members of their staffs, and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund representing intervenors in the case. "All along, our legal efforts have been aimed at achieving clarity regarding the appropriate use of race as an admissions criterion," Portch said. "We have always felt, and continue to feel, that there are appropriate instances when race should be evaluated as one of many criteria. This is why we appealed the lower court's ruling. However, a Supreme Court case has implications far beyond our unique circumstances here in Georgia, and decisions from such cases impact the entire nation." With the decision made not to pursue the legal case, Adams said the university's emphasis will shift -- indeed over the past year already has shifted -- to earlier and better identification of qualified minority students. Efforts will be focused on encouraging them to apply, recruiting them to enroll, and then working, as he put it, "to make their experience the positive college experience we want for every one of our students." He added, "We've been doing this all along, but now it will be a greater emphasis supported by additional or redirected resources. "We understand the legal posture and reasons for not going forward to the Supreme Court with this case," Adams said. "But this in no way means that the University of Georgia's commitment to achieving diversity has lessened one iota. Our efforts in that regard will be as strong or stronger than ever." Gov. Roy E. Barnes said, "The university has worked hard to enhance its minority recruiting programs, and we will continue our efforts to make it an attractive option for all." 4 of 6 1/31/02 12:44 PM USG: The System Supplement: November 2001 http://www.usg.edu/pubs/sys_supp/nov01/ [ contents ] SYSTEM NEWS USG's New Certificate Program Offers 'Virtual' Student Exchange The University System's European Union Center (EUC) has launched an Internet-based certificate program that can give students a global educational experience without the expense and time commitment of a study-abroad program. Undergraduate students at the 26 USG campuses that offer a program in European Union Studies can earn a joint certificate from their USG institution and the University of Munich by participating in this "virtual" student exchange. "This program can serve not only as a method of access for international education for many students, but also as a supplement to better prepare students planning to go overseas," said Dr. William Long, co-director of the Georgia-Tech-based EUC and chair of Tech's Sam Nunn School of International Affairs. Nine web-based courses on the European Union will be team-taught in English by faculty members from Georgia and Munich, with students enrolling from both sides of the Atlantic. Each course has been developed with the assistance of a leading European scholar, Long noted. Students must complete a minimum of six courses to earn a certificate in European Union Studies. The first two courses to be offered focus on the European Monetary Union (taught by Dr. Linda Cooper of Macon State College and De. Andreas Kiessling of the University of Munich) and the relationship between the European Union and the United States (taught by Dr. Paul Harris of Augusta State University and Dr. Nicole Schley of the University of Munich). Dr. Frank Butler (left), vice chancellor for academic, faculty and student affairs for the University System of Georgia, recently traveled to Germany to sign an agreement with the University of Munich formalizing a web-based certificate program in European Union studies. Dr. Werner Weidenfeld (right), executive director of the Munich institution's Center for Applied Policy Research, represented the university during the Oct. 29 ceremony. 5 of 6 1/31/02 12:44 PM USG: The System Supplement: November 2001 http://www.usg.edu/pubs/sys_supp/nov01/ BOARD OF REGENTS Hilton H. Howell, Jr. Atlanta CHAIR Joe Frank Harris Cartersville VICE-CHAIR Juanita Powell Baranco Lithonia Hugh C. Carter, Jr. Atlanta Connie Cater Macon William H. Cleveland, M.D. Atlanta Michael J. Coles Kennesaw John Hunt Tifton Donald M. Leebern, Jr. Columbus Allene H. Magill Dalton Elridge W. McMillan Atlanta Martin W. NeSmith Claxton J. Timothy Shelnut Augusta Glenn S. White Lawrenceville Joel O. Wooten, Jr. Columbus James D. Yancey Columbus OFFICERS Stephen R. Portch CHANCELLOR Gail S. Weber SECRETARY TO THE BOARD William R. Bowes TREASURER The System Supplement Arlethia Perry-Johnson ASSISTANT VICE CHANCELLOR John Millsaps COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING DIRECTOR Diane Payne PUBLICATIONS EDITOR OFFICE OF MEDIA & PUBLICATIONS 270 Washington Street, SW Atlanta, GA 30334 Feedback: dpayne@mail.regents.peachnet.edu Top | The System Supplement Last modified: December 11, 2001 | Leave a Comment 2001 University System of Georgia Board of Regents 6 of 6 1/31/02 12:44 PM