Annual Campus Address Highlights Goals, Faculty, and Staff

Frostburg State University (FSU) commenced the new the 2018-2019 academic year by briefing faculty, staff, and students on university news, goals, and progress through the annual State of the University address held on campus on Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018.

FSU President Dr. Ronald Nowaczyk began the event with opening remarks and also recognized three new members of the FSU faculty and staff to receive awards from the university. John Brewer, the assistant director of facilities, planning, construction, and housekeeping, was the award recipient in the exempt category. Stacy Arnold, supervisor of IT data control, received an award in the nonexempt category. Mark Williams, a multi-trades chief, received a university award in the nonexempt category for facilities and maintenance. Dr. Nowaczyk also gave recognition to last spring’s award winners including Dr. Jason Speights, Dr. William Seddon, Mr. Bill Mandicott, Dr. Karen Keller, and Dr. Alan Bensley.

In a recap of the past academic year, Dr. Nowaczyk spoke of the once-again high graduation rate among seniors, with an emphasis on the climbing ratio of STEM majors, given that 1 in 6 students who graduated from FSU in the past year achieved STEM degrees. He debriefed the audience on news related to FSU facilities, including the construction of the new public safety building, the groundbreaking of the new residence hall to be located near Chesapeake Hall, and the design of a new Education and Health Science building. He also gave an update on FSU athletics, telling the audience that the university is now in the application phase of moving to Division II athletics.

Dr. Nowaczyk then transitioned into discussing Frostburg State’s strategic plan until 2023. The Frostburg State vision statement placed emphasis on maintaining a university that supports regional programs and workforce needs, as well as continuing in the university tradition of a diverse and inclusive culture on campus. The vision statement also highlighted the value students gain from close mentoring relationships with faculty and staff at FSU. Combining the facets of the vision statement into strategic goals, Dr. Nowaczyk provided four goals for the university, with the first two pertaining directly to student success and development. The third goal related to expanding regional engagement, while the fourth goal aligned university resources with strategic priorities to reach the first three goals.

Following Dr. Nowaczyk, Provost Dr. Liz Throop recognized Dr. Justin Dunmyre for being one of three system professors to receive the University System of Maryland’s Elkins Professorship. Throop also spoke of FSU’s successful application into a joint project based on academic advising to be led by Dr. Ben Norris and Dr. Jay Hegeman. Dr. Throop recognized Dr. Richard Russo for being selected as a Fulbright Scholar and also called attention to FSU’s new membership in Phi Kappa Phi, which she labeled, “a significant moment in the history of this university.” The provost announced the beginning of a search for a permanent Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, while also declaring that Dr. Boyce Williams will continue as the Interim Dean of the College of Education for a third year. In addition, she notified the audience that permanent positions were filled for the positions of Associate Provosts. Dr. Doris Santamaria Makang and Dr. Nevada Winrow will fill those positions.

Dr. Tom Bowling, Vice President for Student Affairs, was the next to address the audience. Dr. Bowling began by noting that FSU is now one of only two universities in Maryland to be selected as a voter friendly campus and one of only seven universities in the country to be selected by NASPA as a consulting institution on student affairs and civic engagement. Dr. Bowling expressed FSU’s initiative to continue to hold town halls on campus as the 2018 midterm elections approach. He then asked for the help of faculty and staff to build a successful application for Frostburg State to attempt to join the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.

The next to speak was Mr. John Short, Vice President for University Advancement. In his opening, Mr. Short outlined the three parts of university advancement: fundraising, alumni relations, and communication and media relations. Related to fundraising, Mr. Short pointed out that fundraising for the university has increased in each of the past two years. He also expressed interest in finding new ways to reach a greater pool of alumni through pathways like social media and local companies. Mr. Short also announced a comprehensive campaign to raise money for scholarships, undergraduate research, capital projects, athletic facilities, and laboratory equipment.

Dr. Nowaczyk then introduced Mr. Al Delia, the new Vice President for Regional Development and Engagement. Mr. Delia put an emphasis on not only economic regional development, but also on engaging the community and creating a more immersive culture between the university and the region. To do this, Mr. Delia proposed sharing the intellectual capital of the university with the rest of the region in order to enhance innovation and creativity, which will then require investment.

The final speaker of the night was Mr. Leon Wyden, Vice President for Administration and Finance. Mr. Wyden referred to last year’s finances by pointing out that FSU managed to balance the budget even with a below-average intake of revenue. Mr. Wyden emphasized that the 2018-2019 budget was on track to be balanced. In regards to capital projects, Mr. Wyden referenced the Pullen Hall renovations that recently took place, while explaining that the focus for 2019 would be on academic building renovations.

Dr. Nowaczyk ended the address with a recap of his focus for the upcoming school year. He expressed the importance of maintaining enrollment numbers and preserving a culture of inclusion on campus. He also pointed out that more funds are going to be reallocated toward facilities on campus. Dr. Nowaczyk finished by expressing a desire to keep Frostburg State University moving forward and to maintain focused on the goals the university administration set in place during the address.