2024 Faculty-Staff Convocation and Celebration

August 23, 2024

PRESIDENT KEN HAWKINSON:

Welcome to the 2024 Faculty and Staff Convocation and Celebration.  It is with great joy that I speak to the you, the faculty, staff, administrators, and other guests, today.  I am truly thankful that we are able to celebrate together, in-person yet again, the beginning of a new academic year. 

I would like to acknowledge our Council of Trustee members for all they do for our university!  My thanks to Robert Grim, past chair, and Payton Mentzer, student trustee, for being here today. 

I would like to recognize my office staff --- Pam Rex, Sarah Wert and Sarah Wallace who were instrumental in putting this event together. 

And let me also acknowledge my wife Ann Marie Hayes-Hawkinson who works quietly behind the scenes to promote KU with so many audiences – she is tireless in her support of the university and support of me.

I believe that the purpose of this gathering is to celebrate the accomplishments of our faculty and staff, and to update you on significant happenings at the university.  Our vice presidents and the executive director of our foundation will all be sharing information on their areas or presenting awards.

We will honor those who have been selected to receive university awards such as Employee of the Month and Year, and the recognition of other honorees and award recipients.

Provost and vice president of Academic Affairs, Dr. Lorin Basden Arnold, will highlight some key accomplishments in her area and recognize those faculty tenured or promoted effective this fall.

Before moving on to these important topics, let me just touch on a few updates... 

Comprehensive Planning Process

Through the Comprehensive Planning Process, developed in collaboration with the chancellor and State System, greater accountability has been placed on universities to ensure that their income matches their expenses. 

This past year we were up in both new students and in students overall for the first time in 14 years!  While we do not have the final numbers for this fall until the freeze date, it appears that, while we will be up yet again in grad students and transfers, it looks like we will be down in new students and slightly in our overall numbers.  There are a number of reasons for this which vice president Stephen St. Onge will discuss later in the program. But we are a strong university and I believe the challenges experienced this year are temporary and will be much improved this coming year.

My thanks to all those who have worked tirelessly to make potential students and their families aware of what KU has to offer and to bring students to KU for their educational experience.

We are now going into our seventh year with a balanced budget.  We are also going into our sixth year of an in-state tuition freeze for our students.  These accomplishments resulted from adjusting our workforce through attrition and adding greater efficiency in the management of our operation.  As you know, we have not resorted to retrenchment or furlough.  My thanks to all of you for your sacrifices in recent years that have contributed greatly to our current financial health. 

Vice president Matt Delaney will go into greater detail on our budget, strategic initiative funding, and our facilities improvements, in a few minutes.

I’m delighted to share that through the advocacy of our chancellor and many others who helped in the effort, the governor and legislature have provided another significant increase in our state funding in terms of base appropriation.  These funds will help us to replenish needed operating funds, invest in needed positions, and support strategic initiatives that will enhance the mission and the lives of our many constituents at the university.

Finally, I will provide closing comments at the end of this event.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

At KU, we value and appreciate the differences and unique aspects that each individual brings to our campus community. The diverse perspectives, ideas, background and abilities of our faculty, staff and students, help to create an environment for which each member can grow and ultimately be more prepared to thrive in our ever-changing society. We strive tirelessly to be open to change, listen to those who find challenges in this space, and respond in a way that makes everyone feel valued.

We have attained success in diversifying our student body and continue to strive to bring even greater diversity to our faculty and staff.

I wish to express my gratefulness to all those who are committed to continually striving forward to make Kutztown University a place where all feel that they belong and can strive to achieve their fullest potential.

New Employees

Before we move on to our presentations, it is my pleasure to welcome all the new faculty and staff who have joined us over the past year and who are with us today.  Ann Marie and I look forward to meeting you all in person at the various receptions we will have at our house this year.

To our new employees…When I began my presidency at Kutztown University in July of 2015, I spoke of “place.”  I used a formula:  Values plus space equals “place”.  To simply occupy “space” leads to a very unfulfilling life.  But when one adds values to that space - it converts to a “place” – a community wherein one lives and learns and transcends to a level greater than one can reach as an individual.  

Kutztown University is such a place – where students can come to a safe and enriching environment, in a beautiful part of the world, and learn, and grow, and mature into enlightened and productive citizens.

This is a wonderful place to live and work, and we thank you for joining our community. 

It is now my pleasure to bring Matt Santos, vice president for University Relations and Athletics back to the podium. 

VICE PRESIDENT MATT SANTOS:
Before we present first our awards, I would like to invite Renee Hellert, Athletic Director to the stage to help with our presentation.  I also want to thank all the members of the division of University Relations and Athletics for their continued dedication and tireless efforts to shine a positive light on our university. Our division comprises 9 departments and more than 100 employees who continue to champion the Kutztown University image and brand by showcasing campus excellence and by advancing the institution’s mission and vision through cultural, athletics, entertainment and arts programming   

Our division is also proud of the boost we bring to the university’s enrollment through our contributions to student life, diversity, campus pride, and media coverage from our intercollegiate athletics and sports and recreation programs.

The Coaches of the Year Awards

The Coaches of the Year Awards were established in 1987 to recognize the top coaches of KU’s men’s and women’s NCAA Athletic Teams.  Members of the KU athletic department staff vote upon the nominees to determine the recipients.

Past coach of the year winners can be found on the screen behind me…….would past winners in attendance please stand at this time.

This year's Kutztown University Coaches of the Year guided their teams to historic championship seasons.

The winner of the 2024 Dr. Dennis Roth Men’s Coach of the Year Award led the Golden Bear football team to a school record 12 wins, a division and Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference championship, the program’s first-ever NCAA Super Region I title, and a trip to the NCAA Division II national semi-finals.

This year’s KU Men’s Coach of the Year --- is head football coach, Jim Clements!

The winner of the 2023 Dr. Dorothy Moyer Women's Coach of the Year led the Golden Bear field hockey team to a school record 19 wins and the university’s first-ever NCAA Division II National Championship.

This year’s KU women’s coach of the year is head field hockey coach Marci Scheuing.

Our national power women’s soccer team, defending national champion field hockey team, and defending PSAC and regional champion football team will all open at home on Thursday, September 5th.  Your KU ID gives you free admission.  We hope to see you there!

Please welcome Jesus Pena, vice president for Equity & Compliance, to recognize our KU employees of the month and to present the 2024 KU Employee of the Year.

VICE PRESIDENT JESUS PENA:

Good morning and welcome to the 2024-25 academic year.

The Division of Equity and Compliance consists of the Office of Social Equity, the Disability Services Office, the Department of Public Safety and Police Services, and the Department of Human Resources. I’d like to thank the staff in these areas, for their hard work and their many contributions to our university, during the past year.

KU Employee of the Year Award

To acknowledge the exemplary work of our valued employees, since 2017, we have recognized the Employee of the Month and the Employee of the Year.  This initiative was established by President Hawkinson and Mrs. Anne Marie Hayes-Hawkinson.  Thank you both for your generosity in sponsoring this program. 

Employee of the Month honorees are all eligible for the Employee of the Year Award.  At this time, I would like to recognize the winners of Employee of the Month for the last fiscal year and will then introduce the KU Employee of the Year.

The Employees of the Month will be listed on the screen behind me.  As I call your name, please stand and remain standing until all names have been called. 

  • Month - Employee - Department
  • July 2023 - Prof. Kate Clair - Art and Design
  • August 2023 - Dianna LoChiatto - University Relations
  • September 2023 - Tucker Mertz - Facilities
  • October 2023 - Don Justus - Athletics/Softball
  • November 2023 - Alexis Peoples - Information Technology
  • December 2023 - Julie Smith - College Liberal Arts & Sciences
  • January 2024 - Lisa Meyers - College Liberal Arts & Sciences
  • February 2024 - Dr. Colleen Clemens - English
  • March 2024 - Maria De La Cruz - Residence Life
  • April 2024 - Dr. Meganlyn Norris - Elementary, Middle, Library &Technologies
  • May 2024 - Prof. Richard Salafia - Art Education
  • June 2024 - Dr. Julianna Svistova - Social Work

Let’s have a round of applause for all our Employees of the Month.  Please be seated. 

… and now, the 2023-2024 Kutztown University Employee of the Year is:

Julie Smith

As Julie makes her way to the stage, I would like to share she was nominated by various faculty.  The nominators expressed the following:

“Julie’s job title is Chemistry Lab Manager and is one of the most dedicated and hard-working employees at KU.  Julie provides support for all the science disciplines by arranging for specialized scientific equipment to be purchased and maintained, to ensure students and faculty have access to the best available resources as they pursue their education and research in Chemistry, Physics, Geology, Astronomy, and Biology.  Julie is organized, timely, professional, and incredibly reliable.  She is clearly dedicated to helping faculty and students succeed in the laboratory experiences.”

It is now my pleasure to introduce, our Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Affairs, Dr. Steve St. Onge. Thank you.

VICE PRESIDENT STEVE ST. ONGE:

Good morning and thank you all for welcoming me into your community.  I am so happy to be here at Kutztown, and my family and I are enjoying getting to know the area and all it has to offer.

As A native Vermonter I am thrilled to be back in the New England area.  My family and I live in Kutztown, just five minutes from campus as I begin my third vice presidency.  With me are my partner of 11 years, my 22-year-old son (who starts here in the fall) and my nine-year-old daughter who will be going to Greenwich school this fall (hopefully she won’t be trying to smuggle one of her chickens in her backpack).

I’ve been privileged to do some pretty cool work in the student recruitment areas, such as working with the governor of New York and SUNY system to create academic bridges between China and New York.  Also the Governor of Vermont appointed me to a task force creating dual enrollment pathways into college from Vermont high schools and vocational schools.  Similarly to Pennsylvania, Vermonters have very high high school completion rates but lower percentages of high school graduates that go on to higher education related pathways.

My focus here is of course helping get students into KU (recruitment) and helping them graduate (retention).  One of my focuses will be working strongly with our academic colleagues to support stronger academic habits and creating academic supports and a strong academic culture in our campus housing.  We will also focus on developing programs of support and leadership for our students of color and will be instituting a Student of Color Leadership series each semester.  In summary, thank you for the opportunity to be here and work with you all to make a difference.

A lot has happened in the Admissions area since your last convocation.  There has been a lot of turnover, with many of our recruiters transitioning into new opportunities and onboarding a new director in October of last year.  This led to a decrease in recruitment “activity” as a result, which has impacted this year’s Freshman class.  Since my arrival, I’ve been working with Jenny, our director of Admissions and her wonderful team to create infrastructure and institutional support for our recruitment efforts.  We’ve invested in purchasing names to increase the top of our funnel.  Purchasing names is both art and science.  You have to buy the right names at the right time.  We also are working with a company called NICHE, who leads the market in high school search engines for colleges, and we are the first college in the system to offer direct admission through this site for our school.  Our unofficial numbers are a little lower than expected for first year students, higher for transfers, higher for graduate students.  Retention numbers look good, but it’s still a bit early to report on them.  We got our Admissions infrastructure built and working, in time to support our transfer applicants, and to positively impact our ability to yield our applicant pool.  In short, we seem to have done better with less.  Of other important notes about the incoming class was a planned effort by cabinet last year to raise the academic quality of the class.  We raised our admissions standards slightly and we saw an increase in the average GPA of this year’s class as compared to last year.

What can I report to give you assurance that we are in a good position to bring in the class of Fall 2025?

*We have a strong Admissions team: trained, ready and in place.

*We have purchased names strategically and timely.

*We are partnering with NICHE for direct and targeted access to students in high school.

*We have redesigned our counselor territories with each counselor having a territory with assigned targets for applications and deposits which we will monitor weekly. 

*The provost and I are co-leading a comprehensive Strategic Enrollment Management planning process that we will invite you all to participate in. This plan will focus on strategic and targeted goals with corresponding action items for both recruiting and retaining our students. 
*We will prioritize recruitment in our local areas and continue the good work of diversifying our student body. 
*Our Admissions staff with be offering “Instant Decision Days” when they visit high schools, and we have been working as a university to increase partnerships with our community colleges including offering “Transfer Fridays” where we host, on campus, our community college partners. 
*Our partnerships within the Philadelphia area have been strengthened by some intentional relationship building, and our plan is to bring more “MORE” students to campus, which has proven a high-yield event. 
*Our Admissions team has spent the summer with staff from other areas imbedding themselves in our local community summer events.  I am so proud of their commitment and work in supporting our local communities.  And they have given out more than 500 shirts to interested passerbys!

In closing I am happy to answer any questions and invite you to stop by, call or let me know how I can best support you in the good work that you do.

And now if I could welcome our Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs to the podium, Dr. Lorin Basden Arnold!

PROVOST AND VICE PRESIDENT LORIN BASDEN ARNOLD:
As you are all aware, it is a big job to support continuous improvement through lifelong learning in an environment where everyone feels they belong and are supported for their own success. I want to offer my personal thanks and appreciation to everyone in this room for all you do to contribute to that work.

Given the size and scope of the division, President Hawkinson invited me to discuss our recent accomplishments and goals. 

We had a busy year in Academic Affairs in 23-24.

In Assessment, Accreditation, and Curriculum, we launched the Middle States Commission on Higher Education review process; had many new concentrations and certificates - as well as a bachelor’s level program - approved and placed in the PASSHE Academic Program Inventory; and supported professional development through the Center for Engaged Learning.

In the areas associated with Extended and Lifelong Learning and Graduate Studies, we re-established the office of International Education and Global Engagement; had about one million events in the Career Development Center; increased graduate enrollment; provided students with assistance in developing their information literacy; and launched Coursera for non-credit learning.

In IT and the Office of the Registrar, we got Banner rolling! There was a lot more in both of those areas, but, truly, getting Banner up and running is such an accomplishment and heavy lift that it deserves to be singled out here.

In Student Success and Academic Excellence, we provided more support for Honors students; ramped up use of Starfish; and developed multiple new recovery and support mechanisms for students.

In the sponsored programs space, our Title III grant launched and is aiding students – particularly underserved students – in a variety of ways to support their current and future success. Of course, we – and I really mean you - continued to apply for, receive, and enact other sponsored research and grants.

Finally, in the Colleges of Business, Education, Liberal Arts, and Visual and Performing Arts, faculty and staff engaged in important professional development to support teaching excellence; they supported wellbeing and equity activities that serve our students, faculty, and staff; they participated in recruiting and admissions work; they promoted activities to enhance retention; they engaged in high-quality scholarly and creative activity; and – crucially – they provided amazing educational opportunities to undergraduate and graduate students.

This is just a partial list of the impressive work that is going on in Academic Affairs. If I didn’t mention your specific work, it is not a lack of respect – I’m just worried that the big hook is going to come out and pull me away from the mic.

In AY24-25, among our many activities, we will continue to find opportunities to promote exceptional and culturally responsive teaching and support of equitable and inclusive practices through professional development opportunities.

We will sustain our ongoing review and revision of curriculum, while ensuring excellence and improvement through assessment.

Simultaneously, we will remain focused on providing students with high-impact hands-on learning opportunities.

And, we will seek ways to boost student academic success and overall wellbeing.

I know that none of this work is easy, but it is important and exciting, and I am pleased to have the opportunity to continue to work with dedicated folks across campus to advance our goals.

Faculty Promotion & Tenure

Next, please join me in acknowledging our faculty members who were promoted or received tenure this past year.  You will see their names on the screen behind me.

  • Will the faculty who achieved promotion to Associate Professor in 2023-2024 please stand?;
  • Will faculty who achieved promotion to Full Professor this year please stand?
  • And will the faculty who achieved tenure in 23-24 please stand?

Congratulations to all faculty who were promoted or tenured in 2023-2024!

John P. Schellenberg Award
The John P. Schellenberg Award for Teaching and Learning was established by Dr. Schellenberg, professor emeritus of the Physical Sciences Department, as well as faculty, alumni, and friends, to recognize an early career faculty member who has demonstrated outstanding work within the mission of the Center for Engaged Learning (CEL).  

To be eligible for the Schellenberg award, an individual must have been on the faculty full-time at least three, but not more than seven, years. 

The recipient is chosen based on the following three areas: 

  • Pedagogy and Curriculum Innovation
  • Learning Technology Innovation, and/or
  • Assessment and/or Research about Learning

Past Schellenberg Award winners can be seen on the screen behind me. Would past winners in attendance please stand at this time.

The recipient of this year’s John P. Schellenberg Award for Teaching and Learning is:

Dr. Diana Elliott – Counselor Education & Student Affairs

The Chambliss Faculty Award
I would like to invite Dr. Carlson Chambliss, professor emeritus, department of Physical Sciences, to the stage to present our next awards.

The Chambliss Faculty Research Awards were inaugurated in 2004 through a gift from Dr. Chambliss. Over the years, he has been extremely generous in creating honors to recognize the success of the KU Family, including the best and brightest of our students. 

The Chambliss Faculty Award is meant to recognize the very highest achievement in research and scholarship and can be awarded only once in a person's career. 

A list of past Chambliss Award winners can be seen on the screen behind me. Would past winners in attendance please stand at this time.

Our first winner is……..
Dr. Feisal Murshed, department of Business Administration

Our second winner is……

Dr. Christine Saidi, department of History

Congratulations to all of our award winners! 

Please welcome vice president of Finance and Facilities, Mr. Matt Delaney

VICE PRESIDENT MATT DELANEY:

Thank you, Lorin.

Good morning & welcome.

I have the distinct pleasure of providing a financial update.  As in recent years, we have our challenges, but this is all good news, and we continue to strengthen our financial position.

This morning, I will briefly touch on the following financial highlights.  We have achieved a balanced budget without the use of cash reserves for the seventh consecutive year.  We completed our Comprehensive Planning Process submission in May and will follow up with a mid-year update next month.  We have realized significant improvement in our financial indicators. And finally, we have once again allocated strategic initiative funds in support of our evolving strategic plan.  So, let’s get started.

We presented a balanced E&G budget to the Council of Trustees at their June meeting.  This was not easy work, as for the sixth consecutive year the tuition rate was held flat.  We did benefit from a 2.5% increase in annualized FTE enrollment which has been rolled into our assumptions.  We also have received another large increase in state appropriation to the tune of $3.6 million for KU.  This was based on an overall increase of 6% for the State System but is slightly better for us because of our recent improvement in enrollment.  This increase in state appropriation is very timely and much needed to offset the financial impact of the recent collective bargaining agreements.  As a university, we will experience a $5 million dollar increase to salaries and benefits for next year alone.

Here is a summary view of the revenue and expenditure numbers for this year based on the information we presented to the council of trustees in June.  The increase in state appropriation of $3.8 million will be adjusted down slightly based on the approved state budget.  We may also need to adjust the tuition and fee projections, based on the final enrollment, which will be identified on the fall freeze date of September 16th.  As you can see, the increases in revenue are fully offset by the higher projected costs for salaries and benefits which account for almost 75% of our annual expenses.  A revised E&G budget will be prepared based on the latest assumptions and presented for approval in early November.

Moving on to the Comprehensive Planning Process documents, also known as Financial Sustainability.  The primary submission was sent to the State System in May 2024 and included five years of information, including projections through fiscal year 2026-27.  The future projections are based on assumptions provided by the chancellor’s office that include flat tuition and modest increases to state appropriation.  Balancing our budget in those future years becomes a bit more challenging so we will need to increase our revenues or implement some budget reductions in order to continue or current trajectory. This original submission will be followed by a mid-year update to be completed in September after the final enrollment numbers have been calculated.  These documents are available for further review and can be found on the university website.

In those documents, you will see steady progress in our financial indicators.  That annual progress is summarized on the chart behind me.  The 2024 numbers are not yet final, but I am confident, and more than pleased to share, that after four consecutive years with having one indicator in each of the four colors, we will be moving to green in enrollment and orange in operating margin.  This consistent progress has us one small step away from moving our current yellow, or Plan 1 designation, to an overall ranking of green, or stable, as defined by the State System.  This is a university-wide accomplishment and a testament to all the hard work and difficult decisions we have made over the past several years.  I speak for all of cabinet when I say, thank you.

Thanks to our fiscal responsibility and a small surplus from the prior year, we are once again in a position to fund select strategic initiative requests.  As in prior years, cabinet held a retreat over the summer where we met, reviewed, and approved, specific requests for funding that are closely aligned to our strategic plan and had been submitted from individuals and departments across campus.

These include academic initiatives like the video installation space in Sharadin that will be shared by the Art & Design and CTM departments.  Or the classroom upgrades in Old Main for the Computer Science department.

We funded several enrollment initiatives to support our undergraduate and graduate Admissions Offices and provided more funds to expand our marketing efforts.

We approved the replacement of two vans within Athletics to help ease the transportation challenges for our student-athletes across our 23 sports teams.

We funded IT enhancements to help support our ongoing disaster recovery and cybersecurity efforts.

We have also allocated funds to each of the VPs and academic deans to help fund additional requests that arise during the academic year.

I am confident that this $1.7 million will be well spent and move us closer to our goal and objectives outlined in our strategic plan.

Before I conclude, I would like to provide a brief construction update.

As you have probably seen, or perhaps even heard, we are well underway with our renovation and expansion of the existing Poplar House to create a new Admissions Welcome Center on the east entrance of our magnificent campus.  This is a $7 million dollar project, utilizing state capital funds, that will provide us with a prime location for promoting Kutztown University and initiating campus tours to prospective students.  As you can see from the rendering it looks absolutely stunning.  We hope to have this project completed by April 2025.

We have also begun the planning phase for a complete lifecycle renovation of Keystone Hall, our athletic facility, which is scheduled to begin in May 2026 with an estimated construction cost of $25 million primarily covered by state capital funds.

We are also on the state capital funding list for a new academic building that would replace Lytle Hall.  We still need to complete a feasibility study to determine the purpose and cost of the new facility.

Finally, we continue to address our deferred maintenance needs and complete campus infrastructure improvements.  This included exterior envelope repairs to Old Main, a roof recoat on the Boehm Science Building, the repair of several leaks in our underground steam lines, the rebuild of parking lot A3 on the northeast corner of campus by Lytle Lane, and a brand refresh of the Starbucks coffee shop.

There is certainly much to look forward to and be excited about across our vibrant campus.

Thank you for your time and attention this morning.  It is now my pleasure to introduce our Executive Director of the Kutztown University Foundation, Mr. Alex Ogeka.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ALEX OGEKA:

Good morning. I am grateful for the opportunity to speak to you all about another transformational year at the Kutztown University Foundation.

Last year at opening day, we hadn’t celebrated the wrap of Together, We’re Golden: The Campaign for KU, so I couldn’t yet share the impact of our work with you then.

As you can see on the slide above me, we exceeded both our fundraising and engagement goals, created 163 new scholarships, and identified 10,000 new donors. Thank you to each of you whose support contributed to this success.

In fiscal year 2024, the KU Foundation team raised $6,235,285 to support the university’s students, programs and facilities, our endowment grew to $42,656,000, and our events continued to engage attendees, inspiring them to continue participating in our culture of philanthropy.

The fifth annual 1866 Minute Giving Challenge, our most successful to date, raised $428,468 to directly support 70 academic, athletic and organizational programs.

I’d like to take a moment to thank my incredible staff and the KU Foundation Board.  They work tirelessly to raise money for our students and create meaningful engagement opportunities for our alumni and friends.  I appreciate their dedication, passion, and drive.

We look forward to continuing our momentum and would like to thank the campus community for your support of what we do on behalf of our students, faculty, staff, and alumni. As we gear up for our next campaign, we’ll embark upon another “listening tour,” where we lean on this group to help shape our fundraising priorities.  Until then, I hope we can continue to count on your support during this year’s giving challenge, and we hope to celebrate with you Homecoming Weekend on October 25-27.

Wiesenberger Award

For the past three decades on opening day, KU has recognized outstanding faculty through the presentation of the Arthur and Isabel Wiesenberger Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching, proudly sponsored by the KU Foundation.

You will see the names of past award winners on the screen.   Will all of you in attendance please stand to be recognized?

The 2024 recipient of the Arthur and Isabel Wiesenberger Faculty Award of Excellence in Teaching is Dr. Lauren Moss from the department of counselor education and student affairs.

Congratulations, Lauren.

And now, it’s my pleasure to welcome Dr. Hawkinson back to the stage to conclude our program.

PRESIDENT HAWKINSON:

Congratulations to all those who were honored with awards, tenure, and promotion – your dedication to our institution truly makes a positive contribution to our community.

We had many accomplishments last year and many challenges – and I look forward to the accomplishments to come … as well as the challenges – they are inevitable, but working together we can meet them and come out stronger as an institution. 

Transparency and Openness 

I will continue to meet with numerous units, offices, and constituents through the course of the coming year.  My schedule is provided to the Council of Trustees before each meeting and is public record for anyone to review in the trustee meeting book that is available in the library.  

Ann Marie and I will continue to host numerous events at our home.  Our intent is that all 800 or so employees have the opportunity to attend an event at the university residence. The 10th faculty art exhibit is being hung in the residence now with around 25 works on display, and faculty continue to submit their books for display in the library.  Numerous people view the art and books each year, and we are delighted to display the talent and scholarship of our faculty.

In the coming year, I will continue to host a monthly open “office hour” so that anyone can come and speak with me on any issue.  

We have in place a number of roundtable/advisory groups and these groups will continue to meet and provide important advice:

Advisory Groups  

  • President’s Faculty Advisory Group
  • President’s Roundtable on Drugs and Alcohol Abuse
  • President’s Town/Gown Council
  • Provost Faculty Advisory Group
  • Human Resources Advisory Group
  • Marketing Faculty and Staff Advisory Group
  • International Programs Faculty Advisory Group
  • Alumni Board
  • Foundation Board
  • There are numerous other advisory groups such as those serving Instructional Technology, and in other areas.

Of course, I meet with leaders of the unions, senate, and other campus leaders to learn of their concerns and suggestions to improve our university community, as well as meetings with area leaders in business and other professions.  I continued to serve on the board of directors for Hawk Mountain and Berks Encore last year.  I am chair of the board of directors for the PSAC and chair the board that governs the CBFS.  As the representative from the Commission of Presidents, I work with the presidents of the community colleges of Pennsylvania, and we jointly signed a major agreement of cooperation a year ago. 

I meet regularly with the mayor of Kutztown and host town/gown meetings at my house for local elected officials, police chiefs, faculty/staff and community leaders, and leading members of the business community. 

I pledge to continue to work with the faculty, staff, students, alumni, community members, and all other constituencies to do all in my power to continue to move the university forward, to ensure our sustainability, and enhance the important role our university plays in our region and society. 

Much good is happening at Kutztown University. And, yes, through hard work, perseverance, and grit, we have positioned our university well for the future. Let us all strive to go forward with a humility and a gratefulness that will unite us as we work to create an enlightened community and strong educational experience for our students. 

Now, on a personal note…

I recently loss a mentor and close friend… Dr. Tom Pace who passed away at age 94… he was the graduate director at the school where I received my doctorate.  Tom was the epitome of the word “teacher”.  Henry James said that a teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influences stops.  And so it was for Tom Pace who taught and changed the lives of so many over the years.  I have always thought that it is not so much what we know that makes us great teachers, but who we are. 

Through his own search as a young man, Tom found within himself, as all great teachers find, the ability to bypass one’s own ego and to let compassion and goodness flow outward to their students and to all with whom they come in contact. 

Tom contributed so much to who I became as a teacher, administrator, and as a person.

But, how does such self-knowledge come?  For some it starts as an itch that you can’t quite scratch, or a thought that you can’t quite remember, and it builds and builds, and gnaws at you and drives you crazy until you do something like “throw a book against a wall” or some other final gesture of frustration . . . some teachers will give up and find some other path . . .  but for those of us who remain teachers… we have to keep at it until we can scratch that itch.  Until we can free our voice.

This is how it was for me, anyway.  I wanted to be a teacher, and eventually a college administrator, but I first had to find myself and to be confident that the knowledge I had gained and the person who I became was worthy to share. 

It is said that adversity introduces a person to him or herself.  I sought out adversity in other places around the world and in various challenging experiences – you all know my story. . . It is said that the only thing in life achieved without effort is failure, and that failure is the path of least persistence. 

So, I put forth great effort, was persistent, and gradually developed a voice. 

In Africa, I learned from the great Griots or storytellers, who spend 50 years learning their vocation, that what they learn from outside themselves is incidental. . .true knowledge comes from freeing the talent and words from within oneself.  It is all there – you just have to find it and let if flow. . .

This is expressed in a wonderful poem by James Kirkup who describes the work of a poet. 

The Poet

Each instant of his life, a task, he never rests,
And works most when he appears to be doing nothing.
The least of it is putting down in words
What usually remains unwritten and unspoken,
And would so often be much better left
Unsaid, for it is really the unspeakable
That he must try to give an ordinary tongue to.

And if, by art and accident,
He utters the unutterable, then
It must appear as natural as a breath,
Yet be an inspiration.  And he must go,
The lonelier for his unwanted miracle,
His singular way, a gentle lunatic at large
In the societies of cross and reasonable men.

As teachers, we too are poets.  We try to put into the spoken word the unutterable, the unwritten, and the unspoken.  We teach our students to give an ordinary tongue to their ideas, to speak as if it is as natural as a breath, yet to inspire. 

But I posit to you that it is not just teachers who are poets… all those, in all occupations who seek greater self-knowledge and to do good in the world… are poets.  All those who strive to do their best in their work… and in their lives… are poets.  YOU are all poets.

May we all have that itch, that gnawing, that desire to know ourselves and our world a little better.  May we find the ability to bypass our own egos and let the compassion and goodness flow.  As you have heard me quote so often…It is said that some people dream of worthy achievement, while others stay awake and experience it.  As I tell our students … I will say to you to also stay awake, to be engaged, and to celebrate the wonder and beauty that comes from greater self-knowledge and the joy derived from sharing this wonder and beauty with others.

Being president of Kutztown University has been an amazing gift … a gift totally unexpected … perhaps this is why it has been so sweet.  I came filled with idealism and a desire to share a life-time of experience and knowledge with this institution and community – that idealism still stands strong …though, tempered a bit through the harsh realities we have suffered through… particularly in recent years… but I like to think that much good has been accomplished in the last nine years… but, there is a time for every season… and, as I am now going into my tenth year … and I will turn 69-years-old next June … it is time to pass this wonderful gift to someone else… and so I am announcing my intent to retire as president of Kutztown University next summer.  It will give the university a year to conduct a national search and to allow a smooth transition to a new president.

I can’t thank enough the many people who have helped and supported me over the last decade… my vice presidents and other administrators and staff, my wonderful office team, our faculty, the chancellor and State System personnel, my fellow presidents, our council of trustees and the board of governors, the mayor and local community members, the amazing and generous alumni and friends of the university, legislators and civic leaders, and our students … it has been all about the students. 

And my thanks to my wife and best friend… Ann Marie – I will note that she gave up her career to follow me into this position and has worked tirelessly to serve the Kutztown University community in numerous capacities.  It was largely through her encouragement that I even applied for a presidency.  Thank you, Ann Marie.

There will be plenty of time for goodbyes and more will be discussed in the coming weeks and months.  Let me just say how grateful I am for being given this wonderful opportunity to be president of Kutztown University…

And so, this concludes the 2024 Faculty and Staff Convocation.  My best wishes to you all!