UAlbany’s 159th Commencement Marked by Sunny Skies
By Greta Petry
The University at Albany’s 159th Commencement Weekend May 17 and 18 went off flawlessly with warm temperatures, clear skies, exhilarated graduates and their proud families. An estimated 2,700 graduates were recognized, including 1,700 undergraduates, 870 master’s, and 134 doctoral candidates.

On May 17, Catherine Bertini ’71, undersecretary-general for management to United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, received the Medallion of the University and was the keynote speaker at the graduate ceremony.

The Medallion of the University is the highest award for distinguished service that the University bestows. Honorees must demonstrate profound commitment to the most fundamental values of American society and excellence at every level of education.

Bertini is responsible for all administrative and managerial matters in the U.N. Prior to her current post, Bertini served for 10 years as executive director of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), the world’s largest international humanitarian agency. She was appointed to that position in 1992 on the recommendation of President George H.W. Bush and was reappointed in 1997 with the endorsement of President Bill Clinton.

Bertini told the graduates that they should “stick to their gut feelings” regarding the path of their careers. “Know what you’re doing is right,” she said, “And have passion for what you do and what you learn.”

SUNY Chancellor Robert King also gave remarks at the graduate ceremony.

At the undergraduate ceremony the next day, President Karen R. Hitchcock welcomed the graduates and their families and said, “Our purpose is to truly celebrate and honor each and every one of you and your families.” She said the graduates need to be “informed, compassionate, and globally aware.”

Students began cheering for keynote speaker Carson Carr Jr., Ed.D., while he was still being introduced. Carr, associate vice president for Academic Affairs, is also director of the Educational Opportunities Program.

“The bachelor’s degree is always the sweetest degree because implicit in this accomplishment is that you are destined to secure others,” he told the graduates.

Carr said that when he and Dean of Undergraduate Studies Sue Faerman first met the students as freshmen at summer planning conferences, “we expected you to graduate. We expected you to do well. You increased your appetite for learning. You did not disappoint us.”

He said the appetite for learning is more important than information, because information changes over time.
Carr said: “Your experience here has been a very diverse education academically, culturally, religiously, ethnically, and socially. Diversity is one of the strengths of a public education. We are very proud that this undergraduate experience has made you an individual ready for life challenges. The University at Albany experience celebrates and prizes diversity.”

Carr said that through the EOP program, students from low-income families, or those who were unprepared academically, overcame challenges to sit side by side in cap and gown with those who had access to the best preparation for college.

The undergraduate ceremony was one Barbara Drucker will not forget. The Cedarhurst mother of two was there because her son Joshua was receiving a bachelor’s degree in business.

Drucker sat with her daughter Sara and husband Jeffrey. Joshua’s degree was a “monumental achievement,” she said. He overcame a learning disabled background to graduate cum laude. He came to UAlbany from Hebrew Academy of the Five Towns and Rockaway, where his mother teaches.

“At UAlbany his heroine was Nancy Belowich-Negron,” Mrs. Drucker said. “She provided a very strong support system for him; he just became better and better, and more focused. He is totally motivated and just worked harder than all the rest.”

John and Marguerite McFadden of Poughkeepsie waited for the undergraduate ceremony to start. Their son Sean, another School of Business major, also graduated cum laude, and finished in three years, since he spent his last year in high school attending community college.

“Sean is staying here in Albany; he has a full-time job, so he won’t be coming home with his dirty laundry,” quipped his father. “He should be able to survive out there.” Sean is the second of three children.

Anthony and Susan Battista of Franklin Square were there for their daughter Jacqueline, who graduated with a degree in business. “I am shell-shocked; the time went by so fast,” said Jacqueline’s father.

“I remember dropping her off,” said Susan Battista. “She turned to me and said, ‘Mom, I don’t know anyone.’ I said, ‘Don’t worry, you’ll meet people.’ And then I turned away so she wouldn’t see the tears in my eyes.” Jacqueline quickly made the transition to college life. “She loved it,” her mother said. Jacqueline’s brother Joseph, 16, was also on hand for his sister’s graduation.

Near the stage, UAlbany junior and business major Andrew Mayo was volunteering with the Presidential Honors Society. The Huntington Station native was looking forward to seeing his older brother Matthew graduate. Matthew, 22, an earth and atmospheric sciences major, is going on to graduate school.

Mikele Lark Lieberman’s grandparents, Seymour and Thelma, traveled from Florida to see her graduate. Mikele, 22,of Sea Cliff, N.Y., is a member of Kappa Delta Pi Honor Society in Education. The proud grandparents said they would not have missed the degree conferral for anything.

President's Spring Report to the Faculty, May 7, 2003
To all of you, congratulations on a very productive academic year. Without doubt, it has been a year filled with challenges. But, as always, you have met those challenges; and, in so doing, made this University a more vibrant environment for learning and discovery. Therefore, let me begin this Spring Report to the faculty, as I always do, with thanks to you all for your exceptional commitment to this exceptional institution.

And, our very special thanks go out to those among us who have epitomized the values we all share.

When the Collins Fellow Award was established, this University made a statement that service…exceptional, institution-wide service…should be recognized and celebrated. Over the years, those so honored have exemplified the kind of devotion to our University and its students which has allowed us to move forward even in times which challenge our ingenuity and resolve. This year we honor two such outstanding faculty for all they have contributed to our University.

First, please join me in congratulating a faculty member who has quietly and selflessly made a tremendous difference…whose constant willingness to assume the most difficult and time consuming committee roles has enriched our institution beyond measure…Professor Paul A. Leonard.

Our next Collins Fellow has made innumerable contributions across the entire spectrum of University activities. She has served her department, college and University with remarkable wisdom and commitment. Join me in congratulating Professor Edelgard Wulfert.

Now I am honored to introduce our colleagues who have been selected for the 2003 President’s Awards for Excellence. I know you will agree that this year’s award recipients are truly outstanding, not only in the performance of their particular professional responsibilities, but also in their deep commitment to our University.

Our first award honors those who excel in teaching at all levels of our educational program. Would this year’s recipients of the President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching please rise to receive our congratulations: James Acker, School of Criminal Justice; George Richardson, Department of Public Administration and Policy; and Howard Stratton, School of Public Health.

The next category is the President’s Award for Excellence in Support Service, which honors excellence among the members of the classified service staff, those who mean so much to the quality of life of our University. I invite the recipients to rise, and please join me in congratulating them: Pamela Laverty, School of Social Welfare; Kathy Plunkett, Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning; and Walter Wunsch, Physical Plant.

Next is the President’s Award for Excellence in Professional Service. This award recognizes the contributions of members of the professional staff who contribute so much to the lives of our students, our faculty and the entire campus community. Would the recipients please rise to receive our congratulations: Shirley Downey, Career Development Center; Dawn Kakumba, Advisement Services; and Cheryl Savini, Office for Sponsored Programs.

Next is the President’s Award for Excellence in Librarianship for outstanding contributions by a member of the library faculty. This year’s recipient is Carol Lee Anderson of the University Library.

The President’s Award for Excellence in Academic Service recognizes the extensive contributions of faculty members to a variety of University-wide initiatives and their leadership in assuring the quality of the University’s academic programs. Please join me in congratulating this year’s recipients: Iris Berger, Department of History; David Strogatz, School of Public Health; and Janet Perloff, School of Social Welfare.

Our next award celebrates the research achievements of our faculty and their invaluable contributions to their disciplines. Would the recipients of the President’s Awards for Excellence in Research please rise and receive our congratulations: Dale Morse, School of Public Health; Mary Beth Winn, Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures; and Steven Seidman, Department of Sociology.

It is also a tremendous pleasure for me to acknowledge three of our colleagues whom the Board of Trustees has promoted this year to the highest academic ranks within the State University of New York. The faculty members so honored clearly represent the highest ideals of our profession. Please join me in congratulating: Distinguished Teaching Professor Steven Messner, Department of Sociology; Distinguished Teaching Professor Stephen North, Department of English; and Distinguished Service Professor John S. Pipkin, Department of Geography and Planning.

Congratulations to you all!

Please join me in, once again, saluting all of these exceptional colleagues.

These individuals, and so many other exceptional colleagues from across our entire University, share a single, critical goal…the goal of creating an environment which celebrates learning and places our students at the center of all we do. We can’t hope to attract, let alone retain, motivated and talented students without such constancy of purpose. Each and every member of our University community has a critical role to play in meeting this, the most central of our University’s goals.

And, enrollment for the coming year reflects our increasing success in attracting the talented students we all seek. Given the increasing quality of an applicant pool of over 17,000, we are anticipating marked improvement in the academic profile of our incoming class.

The percentage of our students in the top 10 percent of their graduating class continues to increase. However, given the highly competitive high schools from which we draw our students, strengthening this particular measure of selectivity remains one of our largest challenges.

I n terms of mean SAT scores, the incoming class currently shows an increase of some 16 points! This is a dramatic increase. Nevertheless, we still face the challenge of avoiding the wide fluctuations we have seen in the past and maintaining this upward trajectory.

With an average GPA of 90, this class will be one of the most talented we have admitted in many years. Please join me in thanking Provost [Carlos] Santiago, Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs Sheila Mahan, and Director of Undergraduate Admissions Bob Andrea, and their staffs for all their good work.

In keeping with our Strategic Plan and Memorandum of Understanding with SUNY System Administration, enhancing the selectivity of our admissions has been a major thrust over the last several years. Many different approaches have been utilized, including decreasing our incoming class by some 200 this year, as well as the establishment of merit scholar-ships…scholarships which have increased 100 fold in dollars committed over the last ten years.

All of our peer institutions are vying for the same pool of talented students, and we must do all we can to be competitive.

Our recent implementation of the PeopleSoft Student Records Module will, among many other things, allow our students to register on-line. Such a service will distinguish us from many of our sister institutions, and will help attract technologically sophisticated students who have come to expect such expedited transactional capabilities.

Merit scholarships, technology-based services, improved residences, such as Empire Commons…yes, even Division I sports…so much is necessary if we are to be successful in improving student selectivity.

And, speaking of sports, please join me in congratulating our men’s lacrosse team on being the first - but certainly not the last - UAlbany team to win a berth in an NCAA post-season tournament. Our young men will face off against Princeton this Saturday…good luck to you all. The coach, Scott Marr, is with us today, as is Vice President for Student Affairs Jim Doellefeld - please join me in congratulating them, as well as our wonderful athletic director, Lee McElroy, who could not be with us, for all they do to assure the integrity and success of all our athletic programs. One of the lacrosse team co-captains, Emil Bove, is also here today. Not only is he an exceptional athlete, but this soon-to-graduate student has a perfect 4.0!

Clearly, many factors contribute to the successful recruitment of talented students. And, over the last eight years, through the good work of so many here at UAlbany, the academic profile of our incoming class has changed dramatically. In 1995, over 40 percent of our students were in the lowest selectivity groups - a group which now represents under 10 percent of our entering class.

The percentage of incoming freshmen in the top 10 percent of their graduating class continues to increase.

While this dramatic shift in the academic profile of our incoming students is certainly remarkable, the challenge of increasing the percentage of the highest performing students - those in Group I - remains. The percentage of these students did not change appreciably over the last three years. Indeed, while the incoming class, to date, shows the promise of a significant increase in this group, much work remains to solidify and expand the proportion of these highly talented students.

Survey after survey confirms the fact that the quality of the academic program is the determinative factor in attracting such students. It was for this reason that at our last faculty meeting I announced a Six Point Plan of institutional investment in our learning environment - investments designed to foster the kind of learning environment required to attract and retain our most talented students. I am delighted to report major progress across the various elements of this plan.

While all of these initiatives are necessary to attract increasing numbers of these highly qualified Selectivity Group I students, we face the equally demanding challenge of retaining them once they are here.

While our overall student retention rates are above the national average, improving the retention of students, both between the first and second, and second and third years, will require ongoing, campus-wide attention. While clearly quite variable, the attrition rate of our students between years 1 and 2 has been decreasing steadily since 1998.

However, we can and must do more to retain our students at rates more comparable to our peer institutions…rates which are at 90 percent or better between years 1 and 2, and approximately 95 percent for second-year students. Indeed, here at UAlbany, just such rates have been achieved for our students involved in the Project Renaissance and EOP programs. These innovative and student-centered programs can serve as models as we move forward to address this challenge.

I am particularly concerned that some 25 percent of the students we lose to attrition have a GPA above 3.0. Clearly, high achieving students have high expectations for intellectually challenging courses, faculty mentoring and other academic support, especially in their freshman year. In fact, a recent Web survey of our Presidential Scholars gives us mixed reviews in these areas. In response to such concerns, during the past two years, additional honors courses have been developed at the lower division, and the dean of Undergraduate Studies is continuing to enhance the academic elements of the Presidential Scholars Program.

However, we must do more. The very success we are having in increasing our enrollment of talented and motivated students makes this an issue of some immediacy. If such students leave us for institutions which they feel will provide a more intellectually stimulating learning environment, we will most certainly start to see a decline in the quality of our applicant pool.

We have so many examples here at UAlbany of faculty initiatives to provide just such an intellectually stimulating environment…be it honors courses, faculty-led discussion groups, independent study, or simply reaching out to individual students to assess their progress and counsel them on the wide range of curricular offerings that will help enrich their academic experience beyond the major. Word of such challenging course opportunities and faculty mentorship will spread rapidly…and, I am sure, will lead to an ever-increasing number of applications from highly-talented students.

To help us address this critical issue, I have asked Provost Santiago to assemble a campus-wide task force of teaching faculty to examine the issue of student retention, focusing particularly on those students within the SUNY Group I selectivity criteria.

Best practices from across our own University, as well as our peer institutions, will be analyzed, and a series of recommendations will be promulgated to all our schools and colleges. Chaired by Provost Santiago, this task force will work closely with the deans who, likewise, will engage their faculty in creative and productive dialogue around this critical topic.

Over the years, we have endeavored, together, to garner the resources for state-of-the-art facilities, for new academic programs and for the increase in faculty numbers so essential to recruiting and retaining students of excellence. But at the heart of it all is the relationship of teacher and student…the ability and commitment to identify motivated students who, with your personal guidance, will feel intellectually challenged and supported here at UAlbany. These are the students we wish to attract, and these are the students we must retain if we are to fulfill our shared vision for this University. The six-point plan I announced this past fall, and which I just reported on, was designed to enhance the facilities and academic support necessary to enrich our environment for teaching and learning here at UAlbany; however, ultimately, it is only you, the faculty, who can assure a continuing increase in the recruitment and retention of the quality students we all desire.

Even in times of fiscal constraint…and this certainly is such a time…much can be done to enhance the environment for learning here at UAlbany…one student, one professor at a time.
And that, of course, is the segue into the current budget challenges we face.

First, the New York State Budget context. The impact of the major deficit faced by the state, a deficit which is predicted to extend into at least the subsequent year, is compounded by the use of one-time revenues and the pressure to address the needs of public schools and health care programs. Such competing demands will surely grow with time and represent a major challenge as we all seek to advocate for the needs of public higher education in New York State.

While the strategies to address these statewide shortfalls are still being negotiated, the executive budget proposed holding the overall SUNY budget constant, but changing the source of the required revenues. An across-the-board tuition increase of $1,200 was proposed to replace some $198 million of state appropriation. As you all know, the legislature has proposed lowering this proposed tuition increase to $950 for in-state students, and making up the difference by increasing out-of-state tuition by $4,800. As discussions move forward between the Executive and the Legislature, it is critical to note that for every $100 of tuition added or deleted, our campus will experience an impact of $1.5 million.

Additional elements of the Executive Budget, including changes in TAP and such programs as EOP, have been restored in the budget proposed by the Legislature; however, neither budget addressed the funding required for negotiated salary increases or inflation and growth.

On the positive side, the Executive Budget did include a much-needed continuation of the Capital Plan which has, over the past five years, supported much-needed renovation, new buildings and smart classroom construction on our campus. Focusing on critical maintenance, this new five-year Capital Plan would greatly enhance our ability to address the facility needs so important to meeting our Strategic Goals.

As I reported last spring when we were facing similar fiscal challenges, a number of different strategies are being utilized to manage the pressures on our budget. First and foremost is the commitment we all share to increase our non-state revenues. Our many public-private partnerships continue to bring targeted new resources to many of our programs… and please join me in thanking Vice Presi-dent [David] Gilbert and Interim Vice President [Peter] Bloniarz for all they do to assist in generating these critical new resources …and, as I’ll discuss in a moment, private philanthropy will be key as we move forward. Fur-ther, campus reserves are now routinely managed so that funds will be available centrally to mitigate the impact of revenue shortfalls on our academic programs. As we have this year, we will continue to closely monitor our expenditures in terms of hiring and operating expenses, and continue to develop new strategies for energy management and campus business functions.

Indeed, this is not a time for business-as-usual, not only in terms of the many service functions which support us all, but also in terms of our academic programs. Given the budget realities of this and, perhaps, the next several years, we need to step back and examine new and creative ways to meet our academic goals…to ask difficult questions about faculty teaching assignments and pedagogy. To ask, as a faculty member from the School of Education did when I visited the school, “How many school-based statistics courses do we really need across the University?” As we examine not only what we teach, but how we teach, more efficient and, critically, more effective approaches may emerge which can enhance the quality of our overall academic program. The critical self-examination such challenging times require often can lead to positive, transformational change.

And, these are challenging times…

This is our situation. In order to mitigate the impact of the $9.5 million shortfall we needed to address for the current year, $4.2 million of campus reserves were utilized.

Hence, for the coming year, as planned, we will need to address this $4.2 million, in addition to a second year of negotiated - but unfunded - salary increases. Campus-wide strategic investments in such areas as faculty recruitment, the library, and essential infrastructure, as well as the resources needed to open the new Life Sciences Building, will bring our projected shortfall for 2003-2004 to $10,450,000.

As certain as we are of these budgetary challenges, there remain a number of areas of uncertainty which greatly complicate our budget planning for the coming year.

As I speak to you today, final levels for in- and out-of-state undergraduate and graduate tuition are unknown. Further, it will be several months before we know what impact, if any, these increased tuition levels will have on enrollment…especially of our out-of-state students, both domestic and international. Given current statewide deficit projections, mid-year reductions must also be considered. And, finally, our actual allocation from SUNY of state appropriation is difficult to predict due to the need for System Administration to mitigate extraordinary fluctuations in particular campus allocations.

Against this backdrop of uncertainty, a number of planning principles have been developed which will allow us to manage our resources to meet the budgetary challenges we face.

While we will, as last year, address as much of the shortfall as possible with permanent base resources, our cash reserve policies will enable us to continue our multiple-year approach to projected budget reductions. At the same time, we will continue to do all we can to assure that our cash reserves are sufficiently robust to address any as yet undetermined fiscal challenges. Further, at the request of the provost, the vice presidents and deans have developed two-year plans which would respond to different levels of budget shortfall. Developing multiple “reduction scenarios” has been necessary given the uncertainties we still face regarding the budget for next year. Be it the optimistic $9 million plan or the hopefully, overly pessimistic $15 million plan, we will be faced with a budget environment which will require our best thinking and best collaborative efforts. As stewards of this exceptional institution, a collegial and creative approach to this challenge will have a lasting and positive impact long into the future.

In terms of mean SAT scores, the incoming class currently shows an increase of some 16 points.

Unfortunately, state-level budget uncertainties do not permit me to provide, as I did last year at this time, a detailed plan for meeting projected budget shortfalls. However, a number of principles have guided our planning to date. First: Health and safety concerns will always be of the highest priority as we manage our current financial challenges. Any decisions we make must reflect this commitment.

Second: Thanks to our Strategic Plan, we have
a roadmap as we proceed with our fiscal planning…a roadmap which can serve us in times of investment or reduction. The goals we have set forth speak to our shared commitment to faculty recruitment and our programs of instruction and research. They speak as well to our continuing need to increase and diversify our revenue streams. And, they speak to our responsibility to make difficult choices: to preserve our strengths and to continue to invest in the areas which define our distinctiveness as an institution of higher education committed to excellence.

Last spring, I announced that I would be scheduling six campus-wide fora, as well as meetings with the faculty of each of our schools and colleges to discuss our Strategic Plan; to assess, together with the faculty, the currency and adequacy of this plan after some four years of growth and change.

I learned much from these school and college faculty meetings and campus-wide fora. They provided an opportunity for extremely productive and frank exchanges where concerns and suggestions were expressed, and aspirations for the future of individual schools and colleges and our University as a whole were articulated. Further, it was very clear that our University community still feels well-served by our Strategic Plan…still feels that it enunciates valuable and achievable goals for our institution.

Indeed, the reduction scenarios presented to the Provost by our Schools, Colleges and Divisions are being discussed with the University Resources and Priorities Advisory Committee in the context of their consonance with our Strategic Plan. The input and advice of this important campus-wide committee is critical to our budget planning and I want to thank all the members of URPAC for their willingness to participate and their invaluable insights during this difficult process.

When a similar list of possible impacts of budget reductions for the current year was presented at our meeting last spring, I stated my firm belief that we could manage these reductions, and manage them in ways which would not significantly hinder the forward momentum of our University. Certainly, the instructional program, the rate of net growth of faculty and a variety of campus services have been affected, and most likely will be again.

However, as I look back on this past year I am heartened, as I hope you are, too, by the tremendous number of accomplishments of our faculty and staff…by the clear ability of this University to meet and address creatively the financial constraints we face. Research productivity is up, new facilities have opened which will enhance our programs of instruction and research, faculty have won prestigious national awards, members of our professional staff have continued to provide new, state-of-the-art approaches to academic services, and new public-private partnerships have enriched our engagement with our community, advanced our national and international recognition and reputation and, critically, have helped us garner substantial non-state revenues.

Every member of our University community should share in the pride of these accomplishments. This has been an extraordinary year, despite the challenges we have faced together.

I do not, in any way, minimize the challenges yet before us. However, if this past year is any indication, we will, once again, manage our financial challenges in ways which will allow us to continue to move forward. Our faculty, staff and administrators continue to demonstrate the power of their creativity and commitment. Our financial base continues to be strong, and we have every intention of making it even stronger.

As you all know, a week and a half ago, The University at Albany Foundation announced the public phase of a $500 million fund-raising campaign. Titled “Bold.Vision. The Campaign for the University at Albany,” this campaign is the largest in the history of public higher education in the State of New York. The Bold.Vision. it embraces is to develop the resources necessary to place this University among the nation’s 30 top public universities by the end of this decade. By some measures, such as faculty productivity and federal research expenditures, we are virtually there.

Many of our programs already rank in the top 25 in their field. We rank in the top 25 among public AAU universities in terms of median SAT scores. However, by other measures, such as the size of our faculty, number of postdoctoral appointments, endowment and annual giving, we have much yet to accomplish. Indeed, in areas such as faculty size, we must rely upon private support to help us achieve this standard of excellence.

Our Bold.Vision. Campaign will, in keeping with our Strategic Plan, focus on four key areas: endowed chairs and professorships, endowed scholarships for our undergraduate and graduate students, academic program support and new facilities.

Such new resources will enable us to attract and retain increased numbers of faculty who are leaders in their disciplines, and students who are academically strong and highly motivated.

The goals for this campaign, which started its so-called silent phase in 1998, are the result of extensive consultation across all of our academic and academic support units. They reflect the needs expressed by these units, as well as an analysis of philanthropic potential.

At the time of the public announcement a week and a half ago, some $270 million had already been committed. The largest gifts to date are the historic $100 million donation from IBM and an additional $100 million over three years, which is part of our partnership with Sematech; both clearly speak to the international renown of our faculty’s programs in nanosciences and nanoengineering. Our deep thanks to Dean [Alain] Kaloyeros and his faculty for this transformational opportunity for our University.

By the time this campaign concludes in 2008, we will have markedly increased our endowment, as well as our funding for academic programs and facility enhancements.

The annual goals required to meet our campaign target of $500 million, while high, are certainly achievable. The alumni, faculty, parents and friends of our institution have already demonstrated their commitment to helping us achieve our vision.

Thanks are due to so many…the alumni who still remember saying, “meet you at Minnie,” as they fondly called Minerva; the faculty, past and present, who have defined our institution; and our many, many friends who see this University as central to the growth of our region and state.

Let me also take this occasion to offer deep thanks to someone who has been instrumental in bringing us to the point where we can, with confidence, move forward in meeting our campaign goals, Vice President for Advancement Robert Ashton. With the “silent phase” of this campaign behind us, Bob feels that this is the time to move on to new challenges and opportunities. We will surely miss him. And I know you all join me in thanking him so very much for all he has contributed to this University. From the kick-off of the campaign, to strengthening our marketing and public relations, to bringing us a new logo featuring, yes, Minerva, Bob has enriched us all. Again, please join me in thanking Bob and wishing him the very best.

The gala which was just held to mark the halfway point in our Bold.Vision. Campaign celebrated the treasured traditions of UAlbany - epitomized by Minerva…here seen apparently ready to kiss the president of the UAlbany Foundation, George Hearst…as well as our vibrant present and our promising future.

Almost 500 of our alumni and friends - donors all - were there to wish us well and celebrate this historic moment in the life of our University.

Let me quote the words of our chancellor, Robert King, who led a toast to the success of our campaign: “UAlbany’s campaign will help to significantly solidify and strengthen its stature as a member of the great public universities in the world. The State University of New York commends UAlbany for undertaking such an ambitious campaign - an unprecedented campaign - that exceeds any goal within the State University system. Such an accomplishment will secure for all New Yorkers and the nation the kind of university that the people of this state and nation deserve.”

To achieve the Bold.Vision. which animates this campaign, it is clear that we all must be engaged; we all must be advocates of this very special institution. We are the current stewards of a legacy which reaches back to 1844, and the vibrancy of our University’s future will depend on our ongoing commitment and dedication to its core values.

In closing, let me extend my deep thanks, as I always do, to our vice presidents, deans, chairs, governance leaders, faculty and staff for all they contribute, each and every day, as stewards of this great University.

Thank you very much.

Adding the Personal Touch
By Christy DeLaMater
UAlbany added the personal touch to Commencement 2003, with some 30 individual recognition ceremonies and receptions across campus May 17 and 18.

From student speakers, like skeleton sled racer Amanda Bird, who addressed her fellow English majors, to professional communicators like Rex Smith, vice president and editor of the Albany Times Union, who spoke at the Department of Communication ceremony, the ceremonies highlighted the academic excellence of students and their connection to the professors they know best.

What makes these ceremonies so popular that parents and grandparents arrive on Friday night and stay in town for the entire Commencement Weekend? Treating their children and grandchildren as a name instead of a number makes all the difference.

Anthropology department chair Gail Landsman said, “Each graduating major was called up individually to receive a certificate, handed to them by the department chair; after receiving the certificate and a handshake, each student was given a white carnation.”

Department of East Asian Studies Chair Susanna Fessler noted: “We are very close to our students; we not only know them by name, we know about their interests, aspirations, etc. Commencement Weekend is a wonderful chance for students’ accomplishments to be publicly recognized, and for faculty to meet and chat with parents.”

The Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures gave each graduate a bouquet of flowers. Assistant to the Chair Arlene Ticano, who graduated from UAlbany when the ceremony was held at what was then the Knickerbocker Arena, said parents and students alike responded to the one-on-one attention graduates received in the atrium of the Science Library.

At School of Business receptions for MBA students, the graduates themselves handed out awards to their families for their support.

There were alumni speakers like Dr. David Fleming, B.S. ’75, of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at the School of Public Health ceremony, and public figures like Congressman John Sweeney, who spoke at the Rockefeller College undergraduate recognition ceremony. No matter how high-profile the speakers, the real stars were the students.

“We had very positive feedback from the parents and things went off pretty flawlessly,” said Harriet Temps, assistant to the chair, Department of History.