October 7, 2002
Largest class is one of brightest
Spending increases in 2003 budget
McGinnis named VP for development
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October 7, 2002 |
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| Headlines Largest class is one of brightest Spending increases in 2003 budget McGinnis named VP for development |
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The model solar house built by Auburn students won third place last week in national competition on the Mall in Washington, D.C. In the photo at left, Sushil Bhavnani, a professor of mechanical engineering at AU, discusses with students the sump pump used for water recycling in the house.
On the AU Report home page, AU student Dustin Gillihan, with the U.S. Capitol in the background, posts a sign in front of the Auburn house. Students from the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering and the College of Architecture, Design and Construction designed and built the house. They comprised one of 14 teams competing in the national Solar Decathlon.
Freshman class has quality in large quantity
Auburn's freshman class this fall is not only the largest ever for the university, it is also one of the smartest, according to data from Student Affairs and Planning & Analysis.
The 4,184 new freshmen for 2002-03 had a combined average of 23.8 on their ACT college entrance exams and a combined high school grade point average of 3.4. The high school GPA broke the previous record, set in 2001, of 3.34, and the ACT average was second only to the 23.9 ACT average of the freshman class of 1997.
Speaking to the Board of Trustees on Sept. 27, Wes Williams, vice president for Student Affairs, said the high scores provide proof that Auburn is attracting bright students in record numbers. The numbers indicate that AU got quality as well as quantity in its freshman class, he added.
The number of new freshmen was up more than 400 over last year's number. Interim Provost John Pritchett said AU was able to handle a surge in new enrollment this fall through the assistance of faculty from the main campus and AU-Montgomery who agreed to teach extra courses in core subjects at Auburn. With 15 hours constituting a full load, the average course load for the freshman class this fall is 14.2. Every freshman who wanted a full schedule was able to get one, Pritchett said.
Total enrollment this fall is a record 23,276, slightly more than indicated by September's preliminary figures and an increase of 807, or 3.6 percent, from last year.
All schools and all but one college experienced increases in undergraduate enrollment. The School of Nursing experienced the largest increase, with 89 additional students for a 21 percent gain to 505. Among the colleges, Sciences and Mathematics saw its enrollment increase by nearly 16 percent to 2,113.
The College of Business had an undergraduate enrollment decline of 5.6 percent to 4,260, but it had the second largest increase in graduate students, a 4 percent increase to 530.
Engineering had the largest increase in graduate students, a 14 percent increase to 594. That college added more graduate students, 74, than undergraduates, 60.
Totals for all schools and colleges are: Agriculture, 1,048; Architecture, Design and Construction, 1,379; Business, 4,790; Education, 2,083; Engineering, 3,649; Forestry and Wildlife Sciences, 310; Human Sciences, 1,078; Liberal Arts, 5.031; Nursing, 505; Pharmacy, 394; Sciences and Mathematics, 2,344; and Veterinary Medicine, 419. Approximately 250 students are interdepartmental or transient.
Highlights of AU Board of Trustees session
At its Sept. 27 session, the Board of Trustees:
* Approved a site for a new AU medical clinic southwest of the Hill Dorms at Lem Morrison Drive and the extension of Duncan Drive.
* Announced plans to replace the Legacy Scholarship tuition waiver plan with a merit scholarship plan, starting next fall. Trustees, however, delayed consideration of an alternate plan until a future meeting.
* Agreed to double the current $1 million allocation for the Trustee Scholarship program in an effort to reach more students.
* Agreed to continue setting aside funds for deferred maintenance after the previous goal of $10 million per year is reached this year. The fund, which is used for major repairs and renovations beyond normal maintenance, will continue to grow by $250,000 per year over the next 15 to 17 years.
* Selected President Pro Tem Jimmy Samford and Trustee Bobby Lowder of Montgomery to represent the board on the five-member committee to select board members to fill openings on the board in January.
* Authorized a 7 percent increase in health insurance premiums.
* Commended Russell Corporation and its CEO, Jack Ward, for helping Auburn expand and improve diversity awareness, programs and activities on campus.
* Authorized the administration to pursue refinancing of up to $96 million in bonds to take advantage of low interest rates, saving $4 million to $5 million.
* Approved a $557.8 million AU System budget for fiscal year 2002-03, which started Oct. 1. The main campus budget, $419.6 million, is up 8 percent from last year.
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Spending increases 8 percent in new budget
The AU main campus will see spending increase 8 percent this fiscal year to $419.6 million under the 2002-03 operating budget approved Sept. 27 by the Board of Trustees.
The new funds will go toward pay raises and benefits for faculty and staff, major repairs on aging campus facilities, academic enhancements, a proration reserve, a new student health center and additional scholarships. The budget follows guidelines the board approved during the summer.
President William Walker said sound financial management and tough fiscal decisions since the late 1990s enabled Auburn to increase its spending for salaries, academic programs and campus infrastructure while a weak national economy is forcing most major public universities to cut their spending.
The main campus budget is the largest portion of an AU System budget of $557.8 million for the budget year which started Oct. 1. That amount is 6.8 percent higher than in 2001-02 for the system, which includes the two AU campuses plus the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension System.
The state appropriation for the main campus rose by only 2.7 percent to $136.6 million. However, Executive Vice President Don Large noted that the state appropriation accounts for less than one-third of the main campus budget.
A major factor in the size of the main campus budget increase was a 12 percent increase in tuition. The board agreed last spring to raise tuition this fall in an attempt to move AU toward the regional average for major state universities, partially offsetting continued shortfalls in state appropriations.
Walker said the higher tuition is necessary to retain faculty and protect the quality of academic programs. Higher tuition has not harmed enrollment, Walker said, noting that AU recorded the largest freshman class in its history this year and set a record for total enrollment.
The largest increases in spending are for institutional support, up 31 percent, and academic support, up 25 percent. Funding for student services rose 9.8 percent, and scholarship spending is budgeted for an increase of 9.4 percent.
Transfers are budgeted for a 12.7 percent increase. Those funds include interest and principal on debt, the proration reserve and special projects such as a new student health center.
Other AU divisions, which draw more of their income from state appropriations, experienced smaller increases than the main campus this year. The Agricultural Experiment Station, which gets 58 percent of its income from the state, saw its budget increased 3.3 percent to $41.3 million, and the Cooperative Extension System, which depends on state support for 55 percent of its funding, saw its budget increased by 3.4 percent to $48.7 million. AU-Montgomery, which increased tuition by a smaller percentage than AU and receives 40 percent of its funding from state appropriations, saw its budget increased by 3.3 percent to $48.1 million.
Budgets are based on anticipated income, and final figures will vary from the projections.
Despite slow growth in state appropriations, Large, AU's chief financial officer, said the AU System budget has grown by 25 percent over the past five years, and the main campus budget has grown by 28 percent over that period.
The largest area of growth over the past five years has been scholarships, which increased in total value by 141 percent. During that period, funding for transfers increased by two-thirds, while funding for research, academic support and institutional support increased by nearly 50 percent.
Samford, Lowder to represent board in search
The AU Board of Trustees named members Jimmy Samford and Bobby Lowder on Sept. 27 to represent the board on a state committee to select new trustees.
Samford, president pro tem of the AU Board, and Lowder, the longest-serving current board member, will join two members of the Auburn Alumni Association and the governor or his representative on the selection committee. That committee will select persons to fill three board seats for which new terms start in January.
The Alumni Association representatives are Association officers President Andy Hornsby of Montgomery and Owen Brown of California and Lake Martin.
The fifth seat on the selection committee could depend on the outcome of the campaign for governor in November. Gov. Don Siegelman has designated AOL Time-Warner executive Don Logan as his representative. His opponent, U.S. Rep. Bob Riley, has said that he will serve on the committee rather than appoint a representative if elected governor.
The nominees selected by the committee will be subject to confirmation by the Alabama Senate during the next regular session of the Legislature. Board members selected by this process will serve for seven years.
Board members whose terms expire in January are Lowell Barron of Fyffe, Jack Venable of Tallassee and Charles Glover of Cullman. Outgoing members may serve up to one additional year until the seats are filled.
The selection committee was established by amendment to the Alabama Constitution in 2000. Previously, the governor appointed board members, subject to Senate confirmation.
Health insurance cost to increase in January
Health insurance premiums for AU faculty and staff will go up 7 percent on Jan. 1.
The Board of Trustees authorized the administration to implement the increase, which had been recommended by the Insurance and Benefits Committee, a 14-member panel of faculty, staff and administrators.
The increase is the smallest in four years. Board members said they prefer to see small increases annually in the premiums rather than return to the previous pattern of having no increases one year followed by double-digit increases the following year.
Under the increases:
* Employees earning less than $21,000 per year will pay $55 a month, an increase of $4, for individual coverage or $113 for family coverage, an increase of $7 per month.
* Those earning $21,000-$31,499 will pay $80 per month, a $5 increase, for individual coverage or $168 for family coverage, an increase of $11.
* Those earning $31,500 or more per year will pay $107 per month for individual coverage, a $7 increase, or $225 for family coverage, a $15 increase.
Persons earning less than $21,000 per year will pay 20 percent of the total cost of their health insurance, and the university will pay the remaining 80 percent. The university pays 70 percent of the premium for those earning $21,000-$34,999, and 60 percent of the premium for faculty and staff earning $35,000 or more.
McGinnis to lead AU's development program
D. Robert McGinnis, vice president for development at Georgia State University, has been named vice president for development at Auburn. AU President William Walker said McGinnis will assume his new duties in mid-October.
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"Bob McGinnis led Georgia State to unprecedented levels of accomplishment in fund-raising, and we expect he will do the same at Auburn," said Walker. "He has a track record that we are looking for at Auburn as this university attempts to fill the large and growing funding gap left by the erratic and declining support from the state of Alabama.
"We're excited about Dr. McGinnis coming aboard to head up our development efforts and look forward to him leading a successful capital campaign for our university."
During his nine-year tenure at Georgia State, McGinnis, who is also president of the Georgia State University Foundation, played a major role in increasing the Atlanta institution's assets from $19 million to $150 million.
McGinnis was the GSU Foundation's first president and chief operating officer. He directed Georgia State's first capital campaign, raising $10.4 million to renovate the old Rialto Theater and the Haas-Howell and Standard Building. He also directed the "Results" campaign, Georgia State's first comprehensive campaign, which to date has raised more than $110 million.
McGinnis also initiated the annual faculty/staff campaign at Georgia State, which began in 1994 with a participation rate of 17 percent. The campaign now has a participation rate of more than 80 percent.
McGinnis' experience in development also includes: President and manager-director of the Florida Symphony Orchestra in Orlando; vice president for university relations and executive director of the University of Central Florida Foundation, Inc.; vice president for university development and executive director of the East Tennessee State University Foundation, Inc.; and director of university development and executive director of the Development Foundation of Western Carolina University, Inc.
Association seeking nominees for teaching, diversity awards
The Auburn Alumni Association is seeking nominations of individuals to receive two major types of awards.
One set of awards will recognize undergraduate teaching excellence. Another award will recognize an individual who has made outstanding contributions toward the advancement and inclusiveness of minorities at Auburn.
Each award recipient will receive a $1,000 prize, a plaque and recognition at a special reception in early 2003.
The Alumni Teaching Awards will recognize faculty members who have achieved excellence in the classroom and demonstrated commitment to the academic success of their students.
The Alumni Achievement Award will recognize an individual who has contributed to improved race relations and fostered a sense of community within the university. Consideration will also be given to individuals who have helped attract minority students to Auburn and have contributed to their success at the university.
Submit nominations to Liz Peel, Minority Achievement Awards, Auburn Alumni Center. Deadline for each is Dec. 16. For information, contact Peel at peel@alumni.auburn.edu or 844-1146.
Office seeks sponsors for Collegiate Legislature
The Office of Multicultural Affairs is seeking sponsors for African American students to represent AU in the 2003 YMCA Collegiate Legislature in Montgomery.
The office must find sponsors during fall semester in order for the students to participate in the February program.
Freshman Forum leaders usually comprise the delegation representing Auburn. In the 2002 Collegiate Legislature, the sponsored students were AU's only representatives. At the Collegiate Legislature, students practice teambuilding skills, learn parliamentary procedure and gain experience in the legislative process.
For information about the Collegiate Legislature, see the web site www.cleg.org. For information on sponsorship, contact Tiffany Verrett by e-mail at verretm@auburn.edu.
Speaker to examine link between science, humanities
Physicist and novelist Alan Lightman will present a public lecture at Auburn on Tuesday, Oct. 15. Lightman, a finalist in 2000 for the National Book Award in Fiction, will speak at 4 p.m. at AU's Dixon Conference Center as part of the Littleton-Franklin Lecture Series in Sciences and Humanities.
A lecturer in both the humanities and physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Lightman is the author of "Einstein's Dreams," "The Diagnosis" and "Good Benito." His nonfiction books include "Great Ideas in Physics" and "Ancient Light: Our Changing View of the Universe." Lightman, who holds a Ph.D. in physics from the California Institute of Technology, has also published poetry and a collection of essays.
AU going on-line for steps in hiring process
AU Human Resources will soon implement a new on-line application service to streamline the hiring process for job applicants and hiring supervisors.
The new process will replace paper applications for those seeking regular employment, and it will make applying for a job easier for jobseekers and faster for hiring supervisors, said Lynne Hammond, AU's interim assistant vice president for human resources.
The new service will debut in stages, starting Nov. 1 for applicants, and is scheduled to be in full use for applicants and hiring managers by early spring. PeopleAdmin Inc. of Austin, Texas, helped Human Resources staff develop the web-based program. The program will replace the paper application HR-106 and other supporting documents with on-line forms. Using the program, applicants will be able to submit the forms electronically, and hiring managers will be able to go on-line for various stages of the approval and recruitment process.
Among advantages cited for the on-line process are:
* Authorized unit recruitment liaisons will be able to submit HR-106 documents electronically, and the process will assure uniformity of information from all applicants.
* Human Resources will update the position vacancy list on the web daily.
* The process will ensure delivery of applications electronically from Human Resources to hiring supervisors and search committee members through use of password-protected access codes.
* Human Resources will provide assistance to individuals as they complete required Affirmative Action documentation online.
* Applicants will view and respond anytime to a web site listing available administrative, professional and staff positions.
Human Resources will also designate additional computer workstations on campus for use by current employees who are seeking promotion or transfer.
Campus Roundup
University Senate to meet on Tuesday
The University Senate will meet at 3 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 8, in Broun Hall auditorium.
Agenda items include a report by Eugene Clothiaux on preparations for the 10-year reaccreditation visit by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools in 2003 and a report by Keenan Grenell on the Office of Multicultural Affairs. The agenda is posted on the web at www.auburn.edu/administration/governance/senate/agen10.08.htm.
Session to examine legal issues of aging
Human Resource Development on Oct. 25 will host an informational session examining legal issues for families with aging parents. Jan Neal, an Opelika attorney, will address the legal concerns of families faced with such issues as power of attorney, Medicare, Medicaid and estate preservation. The session will be from 9 a.m.-11 a.m. in Dixon Conference Center. Contact Heather Vann by phone at 844-4145 or by e-mail at vannhea@auburn.edu.
Talks scheduled on flex spending
The AU Business Office will host informational sessions for faculty and staff on the Flexible Spending Plan and the new debit card capability. The Oct. 16 sessions will be in Foy 213 at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. Tax attorney Allen Chappelle, president of BenefitElect, will lead the discussion, and a representative of Medibank Inc., the firm coordinating the debit card, will be present.
What if AU is closed on payday?
A snow storm caused the unexpected closing of the university last January. A few years ago, Hurricane Opal forced the closure of the university for several days. If the next storm comes on payday, will your bills wait until the campus reopens? The Office of Payroll and Employee Benefits provides automatic, direct deposit of paychecks to your bank on payday even when the university is closed. For more information or to have forms mailed to you, call 844-4183.
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AU Report
Editor: Roy Summerford. Contributing editors: Bob Lowry, Janet McCoy and David Granger.Executive Director: John Hachtel. The AU Report is the faculty/staff newsletter of Auburn University and is published by the Office of University Relations at Auburn University. Direct correspondence to AU Report, 23 Samford Hall, Auburn University, Ala. 36849-5109. Telephone 334/844-9999. Electronic mail: summero@auburn.edu |