AU REPORTJune 19, 2000
Headlines Mockbee wins MacArthur Fellowship Ag programs look to future High-speed web access increases Trustees issue annual report

Mockbee wins MacArthur Fellowship

Auburn Architecture Professor Samuel Mockbee, who created a one-of-a kind learning environment for architecture students with an emphasis on social awareness, has been awarded a prestigious MacArthur Fellowship.
The Chicago-based John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation last week named 25 fellows, each of whom will receive $500,000 over five years of "no strings attached" support.

Mockbee, who holds an Auburn Alumni professorship, was the only architect and the only recipient from a Southern university to receive the distinction. About half of the winners were university faculty.

"The MacArthur Foundation is a signal of excellence worldwide and Auburn University is proud that Professor Samuel Mockbee is the first Auburn faculty member to achieve this significant recognition," AU President William Muse said.

"Professor Mockbee is an inspiration to architecture students for he instills in them that they are responsible for more than just the building they design, that architects should have social accountability as well," Muse added. "What he teaches students at the Rural Studio encompasses the very real concerns of humanity and community and we commend him for his dedication."

Daniel J. Socolow, director of the Fellows Program, said, "MacArthur Fellows are chosen for their exceptional creativity, record of significant accomplishment and potential for still greater achievement. This new group of Fellows is a wonderful collection of extraordinary minds in motion."

D.K. Ruth, interim dean of AU's College of Architecture, Design and Construction and co-founder of the Rural Studio with Mockbee, said the award "is a signpost to other universities that there are different ways to teach and bring education to students.

"The Rural Studio is a cutting-edge approach to teaching. It is not mainstream education," he said. "It gives credibility to the concept of integrating teaching and outreach and shows it is something others should look to."

Mockbee, 55, is an architect who has erased the boundary between experimental design and social consciousness. In 1993 he co-founded Auburn's Rural Studio, a program that combines the teaching of architecture with a commitment to public service. He and his students construct surprising, functional and beautiful structures along rural roads in one of Alabama's most remote counties.

Each year, Mockbee brings students from Auburn's College of Architecture, Design and Construction to the Rural Studio's base in Newbern, a rural Hale County town about 160 miles from campus. The West Alabama county, with more than 1,400 substandard dwellings, is one of the poorest counties in the United States.

Auburn plans for future of agricultural programs

Two of AU's agricultural units are launching a self-study that university officials say could shape the university's approach to agricultural education and research well into the new century.

AU President William Muse said the College of Agriculture and the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station have been asked to develop strategic plans that will seek to define their mission and priorities for the 21st century. The plans will also include the units' relationship with commodity groups and the Alabama Cooperative Extension System.

Muse and Provost William Walker met June 5 with Dean Luther Waters and faculty and staff of the College of Agriculture and AAES, asking them to study their mission from a broad perspective and produce strategic plans on which to base future funding priorities. AU trustees John Blackwell and Charles Glover also participated in the meeting.

"Agriculture is changing in Alabama and nationally," Muse said last week. "We need a strategic plan that maximizes the influence of Auburn University and the benefit that the university can provide to the state's agricultural industries, our students in agriculture and the many people served by those industries."

Other AU units went through a similar process in 1998-99 and earlier, but Agriculture and the AAES were granted a delay because they were undergoing a change in leadership, Muse noted. Changes resulting from the university effort of the late 1990s have placed Auburn in its strongest financial position ever and are enabling it to invest more money in improving program quality, Muse said. As a land-grant institution, the university is committed to helping its agricultural programs achieve the same goal, he added.

Walker said development of a strategic plan is as essential for the agricultural units as the process was for the rest of the university. The challenge is more complex for the agricultural units than for most other units, said Walker. He noted that faculty in the College of Agriculture and the AAES frequently have to balance the needs of students, commodity groups, legislators and their constituents, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the university.

Unlike the schools and colleges, the AAES does not receive tuition revenue to help offset the cost of salary increases for AU employees. Federal and state revenues account for 72 percent of the Experiment Station's budget, but those revenues grew only 7 percent and 5.5 percent, respectively, between the 1994-95 and 1999-2000 budget years.

Waters said the self study will evaluate in detail the source and extent of resource constraints, determine in cooperation with constituencies the needs of agriculture in Alabama and address the best structures and financing to meet those needs.

"This is not just a study of the College of Agriculture and the Agricultural Experiment Station," said Waters. "This is an opportunity to look at the direction and needs of agriculture in Alabama, to determine what we can do to meet those needs and then to follow through with a plan to do so."

The college's departments have done some planning already, and those plans will be part of the current process, he added. "The faculty will be leading this process," Waters said. "They are the ones who are closest to the students and to the various agricultural components."

Walker said he expects the process to be far enough along by early next year to aid in planning for the 2001-02 budget.

Session launches planning effort for agriculture

Agricultural leaders from across Alabama met at the Dixon Conference Center Thursday and Friday with faculty and administrators from the AU College of Agriculture, Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station and Alabama Cooperative Extension System to discuss the future of agriculture and agricultural education in the state.

The Agricultural Development Roundtable participants are beginning a months-long process to determine ways Auburn and other institutions can work more effectively and efficiently with commodity groups and each other to meet the state's needs in agricultural instruction, research and extension in the 21st century, said Luther Waters, AAES director and dean of the College of Agriculture. The planning process will be comprehensive and far-reaching, he added.

The Alabama Cooperative Extension System completed a strategic plan for its agricultural programs in 1998, but Director Stephen Jones said ACES could update its plan through participation in the current activities. "We are exploring with agribusiness leaders as well as with the university partners how we can better serve the needs of rural Alabama as well as agribusiness," Jones said. "Planning is an ongoing process that should be continually updated."

In October, the agricultural units will participate in a series of listening sessions around the state to gain input on agricultural education, research and extension issues. Next February, Auburn will participate in a statewide agricultural summit to examine those issues more closely, and the findings will be incorporated in a strategic plan for the College of Agriculture and the Experiment Station.

Eyeing graduates
Tiger eyes kept watch on new graduates, family and friends outside the coliseum on June 10. Approximately 2,200 graduates received AU degrees in the final spring commencements under the quarter system.

Magazine ranks department among best graduate programs

Auburn's Department of Communication Disorders has been ranked among the nation's best graduate programs by U.S. News & World Report magazine. The program ranked in the top 23 percent of accredited programs nationally, as cited in the magazine's "Best Graduate Schools 2001" edition.

AU's program placed 14th nationally when doctoral-granting programs were removed from the list. AU's program only offers the bachelor's and master's degrees. Overall, AU tied for 51st in the nation.

"The ranking is done by institutions throughout the country that have programs in communication disorders and is meaningful because it reflects the opinions of our peers," said William Haynes, professor and chair of the Department of Communication Disorders.

Haynes said the ranking is significant in that AU's program offers graduate-level education only for the master's degree. "It is easier to attain national visibility when a program has both master's and doctoral programs through the presentations and publications of faculty and advanced graduate students," he said. "In the case of Auburn, we have a master's only program and have been ranked above many programs that offer the doctoral degree. We are very proud of this high national ranking."

Of the five accredited communications disorders and related programs at Alabama universities, Auburn's was the only one to make the list of the nation's top 111 2001 Graduate Rankings in Speech-Language Pathology.

The Department of Communication Disorders offers bachelor's and master's degrees in speech-language pathology and audiology and has been continuously accredited by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association since 1965. The program has about 110 undergraduates and 62 graduate students. Many of the 13 clinical and academic faculty have been cited by peers nationally as researchers and experts in their area of specialty.

Education youth camp
DaLee Chambers assists a group of high school students at a youth camp sponsored by the Department of Rehabilitation and Special Education in the College of Education last week. Chambers is director of the Student Leadership/Self Awareness Camp, which is one of 23 camps administered by AU Outreach Programs. More than 5,000 persons will attend camps at Auburn this summer.

High-speed web access available off-campus this fall

Auburn students, faculty, staff and retirees will have high-speed Internet access off-campus this fall through a partnership between the university and BellSouth.

James Stone, executive director of AU Telecommunications/ETV and the Division of University Computing, says the new technology -- known as Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) -- will be in place by the start of fall semester on Aug. 22.

"We are helping BellSouth market this technology in the Auburn community," he said. "They have provided us a wholesale price, based on certain performance criteria. We would assume that the service would have several thousand interested people over a number of years. Auburn's role is for the principle purpose of establishing this technology in the community."

Stone said AU decided to pursue the service because "we believe that in the near future, as the instructional program takes advantage of more the online technology, faster access speed will be crucial to that purpose. Streaming media and many other forms of existing technology are much more effective in the faster bandwidths."

ADSL is a new technology that transforms existing telephone wiring into more efficient transmission pipelines. It supplies three separate frequency channels over the same phone line. The service initially will be available in an area bounded by Shug Jordan Parkway and University Drive.

The combination of voice and data frequencies on the same line allows
users to make and receive telephone calls or send and receive faxes at the same time the line is being used to access data from the Internet.

Library implements new plan for service to patrons

Changes are under way at Draughon Library following a recommendation to reconfigure the number of service desks located within the library while expanding customer service.

The most obvious change will be the combination and relocation of several service desks to a central Reference Desk. That desk will be located on the library's second floor on the College Street side of the library's stairwell and elevator. That change is expected to be ready by fall.

"Libraries are changing, information is changing and the way patrons receive that information is changing," said Stella Bentley, dean of AU Libraries. "We needed to look at how we have provided information, and take into account the way technology has changed how libraries and library patrons do business."

The change to a central Reference Desk was the main recommendation that came out of a task force of library faculty and staff and university faculty that has been meeting since last fall.

One reason for the change is the number of desks currently being staffed. There are six reference points on five floors and two circulation points on two floors. One reference desk was eliminated earlier with a decision to combine Special Collections and the Archives desks on the first floor.

Spirit of Excellence
AU Human Resources presents Spirit of Excellence awards to four different employees each month in recognition of exceptional performance. Recipients for May were, from left, Ann Thompson, Alumni and Development; Rosemary Tyson, Cooperative Extension System; David Golden, Athletic Department; and, not pictured, Charles Meadows, Analytical Instruments.

Teague named top College of Education alumnus for 2000

The AU College of Education has presented its Outstanding Alumnus Award for 2000 to former longtime Alabama Superintendent of Education Wayne Teague.

The holder of three degrees, including a doctorate, from the college, Teague served as state superintendent of education and an ex-officio member of the AU Board of Trustees from 1975-95. He was cited by College of Education Dean Richard Kunkel for a career of distinguished service to education in Alabama as a teacher, principal, Auburn City Schools superintendent for seven years and state schools superintendent for 20 years until his retirement in 1995.

Kunkel noted that Teague has long been a friend and professional colleague of the college's faculty and administration. Teague, taught many graduate and undergraduate courses in the college as a faculty member in the 1960s and more recently as an adjunct professor.

"Although Dr. Teague was one of the longest serving chief state school officers in America while he was in the very demanding position of Alabama Superintendent of Schools, he still took time to serve Auburn and his college," Kunkel said. "He distinguished himself, Auburn University and the College of Education through his outstanding service to the State of Alabama."

The college also presented awards for outstanding performance to faculty members Peter Grandjean of Health and Human Performance; Keith Byrd of Counseling and Counseling Psychology; and Frances Kochan of Educational Foundations, Leadership and Technology; and staff members Elaine Prust of Curriculum and Teaching and Patsy Dawson of Rehabilitation and Special Education. Other awards and special recognition went to more than 40 students, faculty and staff.

Clearing pond
While other students were hitting the beach last spring, members of the forestry honor society Xi Sigma Pi took to the water in a different way. The students in the School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences cleared more than six tons of parrot feather, an oxygen-depleting weed, from the pond at AU's Davis Arboretum.

Two named to posts in College of Veterinary Medicine

A department head and hospital director have been named in the College of Veterinary Medicine's new Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences.

Robert Wilson, former dean of the Oregon State University veterinary college, has accepted the position as head of the new AU academic unit, effective Sept. 1, and John Saidla, currently the director of continuing education at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, will become hospital director on Aug. 1.

"Both are widely recognized for their experience in veterinary medicine and for the strong leadership they have provided to our profession," said Dean Timothy Boosinger. "They will bring many strengths to Auburn University, such as their commitment and dedication to instruction. Both have received the prestigious Norden Distinguished Teacher Award."

Wilson, left, a 1963 AU veterinary graduate, was on the AU veterinary faculty for more than 10 years, serving as head of the department of physiology and pharmacology from 1992 to 1996. He then accepted the position of dean at Oregon State University's veterinary college.

In addition to his other duties at Cornell, Saidla, right, a 1961 AU veterinary graduate, is also a senior lecturer in that institution's Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Services, and chief of dental services. He joined Cornell in 1988 after 27 years in private practice, the last 22 years of which were in Auburn.

"Their experience will greatly help our transition to one clinical department," Boosinger said. "The new administrative structure will significantly improve our ability to manage our clinical programs and plan more effectively for the future."

The Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences was formed with the merger of the departments of Small Animal Surgery and Medicine, Large Animal Surgery and Medicine and Radiology.

During the past 13 years, the College of Veterinary Medicine has reduced its number of departments from seven to three. The other two departments are the department of Pathobiology and the department of Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology.

Reynolds named financial aid director at AU

Mike Reynolds has been named Auburn's new director of financial aid. Reynolds, who came to Auburn in 1999 as coordinator of financial aid, was named director effective May 22. His duties include oversight of the awarding and distribution of all financial aid except AU scholarships.

Reynolds said his focus will be on keeping his office abreast of the latest technology designed to aid students receiving financial aid.
"We want to keep the actual financial aid process up-to-date with the most advanced technology to provide the best possible service that we can," he said. "We've made some great strides. Our big focus is trying to get as many tools as we can on the web.

"We want our students who receive financial aid to be able to do as much as they can via the web. This will allow my staff more time to more timely and thoroughly deal with the more exceptional problems that require the students to come into the office."

Before coming to Auburn, he worked in administration of the Alabama Guaranteed Student Loan Program.

Social Security numbers gain greater security

AU has stopped printing Social Security numbers on identification cards for students, faculty and staff and has taken other steps to reduce public access to those numbers.

Those steps, based on recommendations from the University Senate's ad hoc committee on Social Security numbers, are part of an effort to eliminate non-essential use of the numbers and reduce essential, said Jim Ferguson, vice president for administrative services.

Effective immediately, Social Security numbers will no longer be printed on ID cards for new students and new employees. Current students and employees may have their cards reprinted without the number at the TigerCard office in Foy Student Union. An administrative fee of $5 will be charged for the replacement.

In other steps announced by Administrative Services:

* The OASIS management team will review existing data bases and reports to ensure that Social Security numbers appear only on data screens and reports that are considered essential. Non-essential uses will be eliminated.

* The OASIS management team will review data base security measures to ensure that only individuals with an absolute "need to know" have access to Social Security numbers.

* On-campus units and organizations are asked to refrain from asking any student or employee for his or her Social Security number unless the information is essential. On-campus units and organizations that have access to Social Security numbers are asked to treat them as strictly confidential and never transmit them to third parties.

AU announces aid to drought-stricken areas

Auburn will provide free diagnostic and analytical services for agricultural testing to farmers in Alabama's 23-county Drought Disaster Area, AU President William V. Muse announced Friday. Included among the diagnostic tests are forage analysis, soil testing and plant diagnostics.

Also, in cooperation with the Commissioner of Agriculture's Office and the Alabama Cattleman's Association, Extension workers in each of the 23 affected counties are providing drop sites for free hay, much of which is being donated by cattle producers in less drought plagued areas of Alabama.

"We appreciate the prompt actions of Gov. Siegelman and Commissioner of Agriculture Charles Bishop in their efforts to help farmers in these drought stricken counties," said Muse. "We are pleased to lend Auburn University's support to this relief effort."

Nitrogen content of grass and hay for beef cattle in the drought-stricken area is an immediate concern, and the risk of nitrate poisoning for animals in these counties is high, said Hamp Bryant, director of AU's Soil Testing and Forage Analysis Lab. "You cannot simply look at a plant and determine whether it is high in nitrates," he said. "Testing is the only way to determine this."

In southeast Alabama counties, there is no hay or grass for livestock feeding. In many areas, the corn crop is a total failure. A common practice is to allow cattle to graze on the immature corn stalks. But during a prolong drought, corn and other potential forage crops accumulate high nitrate levels. Cattle grazing these plants can develop nitrate poisoning, which causes suffocation and rapid death.

Samples for nitrate testing should consist of entire plants cut from every area of a field. Corn plants from a field should be cut 3-4 inches above the soil surface, folded, placed together in a paper bag, and sent in as a single sample. However, if samples from an area of a field are noticeably different from the rest, they should be packaged as a separate sample, Bryant said.

The best way to handle the samples is to take them to the nearest county extension office, said Bryant. Samples from the 23-county drought disaster area will be given priority. However, samples can be mailed or hand-delivered to the Soil Testing Lab in Room 118 of Funchess Hall, Auburn, University, AL 36849.

Siegelman said of Auburn's plans to waive forage testing fees, "It is our Alabama heritage to look out for one another."

"This represents the best of Alabama, when we all pull together as a community. I am pleased that Auburn can help in this way," he added. "I commend the university for their efforts."

While tests for nitrates are of immediate concern, soil tests, plant diagnostic tests and other critical analyses are essential to help livestock producers and farmers overcome the aftermath of what is being called, "the drought of the century".

Luther Waters, dean of AU's College of Agriculture and director of the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station said cattle producers are being forced to use hay they normally use for winter feeding. Subsequently, there is certain to be an increase in planting of winter forages, which will require additional soil and fertility
analysis.

"Fees from testing services are critical to our ag programs at Auburn, but the needs of the cattle producers and farmers of our state come before our needs," said Waters. "We will continue to provide free diagnostic services or any other type help we can offer for as long as needed to help our agricultural industry survive this drought driven crisis."

Added Stephen Jones, director of the Alabama Cooperative Extension System: "In addition, we are pleased to offer our plant diagnostic services free to farmers in this drought stricken area of the state."

To supplement Bishop's efforts to provide free hay to farmers and ranchers in the 23-county drought disaster area, the Extension System is posting a website listing sources of hay for purchase nationwide. In cooperation with the Commissioner of Agriculture's Office and the Alabama Cattleman's Association, Extension workers in each of the 23 affected counties are providing drop sites for free hay, much of which is being donated by cattle producers in less drought plagued areas of Alabama.

AU prepares for deferred tuition payment plan

AU is initiating a deferred tuition payment program with the transition to a semester system this fall, but failure to meet the obligations of participation in the program may result in a student's schedule being canceled.

Details about the deferred tuition payment program and the schedule cancellation policy were described in a recent mailing to AU parents and students from the Office of the Bursar.

According to the policy, once a student's schedule is canceled, the student must pay a $50 re-enrollment fee in addition to the course tuition and fees, and other charges applicable to the current semester before they will be allowed to re-register.

Reasons a student's schedule may be canceled are:
* Nonpayment of at least one-half of the total charges on the first bill received by the due date posted.
* Failure to pay the remaining charges by the due date posted on the second bill received even if the first payment was made on time.
* If all charges due regarding the second billing are not paid by the due date posted, including tuition and fees for students registering after the first billing cycle of the semester.

Students who re-register after having their schedules canceled may find it impossible to reconstruct their original schedule.

Camp War Eagle faces tight schedule this summer

With Auburn preparing for its largest freshman class ever this fall, Mark Armstrong is preparing for that -- and more.

The director of Camp War Eagle -- AU's freshman orientation program -- is preparing to host each of the 4,000 new Auburn freshmen and more than 4,500 parents in the eight Camp War Eagle sessions set for throughout the summer. "It's tough," Armstrong says. "It does stretch some of the resources we have almost to their maximum."

AU's switch to the semester system in the fall compounds Armstrong's task. In the past, the camp has been made up of eight three-day weekend sessions over nine weeks. Because summer quarter has been shortened -- fall quarter classes begin Aug. 22 this year, about a month earlier than years past -- Camp War Eagle's eight sessions will be packed into six weeks.

The first session Camp War Eagle 2000 began Sunday. The last session concludes on Aug. 1. Due to the change in the schedule, the pace of the preparation of the camp's student counselors and the staffs of the AU's Freshman Year Experience and Students in Transition offices has been stepped up, too, Armstrong said.

"We really think about the camps all year," he said. "It's never too early to start making changes to the program -- tweaking this, adjusting that -- all to make it better. We did that last year when we moved to registration by computer. This year, we chose not to make major changes because of the semester transition and the short summer we're working with. That's challenge enough."

The camp is a structured program that emphasizes academic and personal success. Students meet faculty, talk with academic advisors, and register for fall quarter classes. The students can talk with representatives about various student activities on campus and are introduced to the Auburn Spirit at a pep rally and a session called Auburn Mania, where students divide into small groups to participate in various contests. "Aside from academic advising and registration, Tiger Talks are probably the backbone of Camp War Eagle," said the camp director.

Parents attending Camp War Eagle will meet with university administrators and faculty and learn about academic programs, policies, facilities and services.

Bakker wins 'Young Investigator' Award

Eric Bakker, associate professor of chemistry, has been named the Society of Electroanalytical Chemistry's Young Investigator for 2001.

Bakker, who has been at Auburn since 1995, was cited by the society for his research in heparin sensors, improved biocompatibility of ion-selective electrodes, new kinds of reference electrodes, sensor membranes with acid release and for pioneering work in the new field of voltammetric transduction of ion-sensing polymeric membranes.

Bakker, who received undergraduate and graduate degrees at ETH in Zurich, Switzerland, and did postdoctoral work at the University of Michigan before accepting his position at Auburn, was cited by one colleague as "the preeminent person in the world" in his field. Bakker's research has been featured in more than 50 publications in the past six years.

Achievements

Lee-Sasser featured on cover of magazine
Escambia County Extension Agent Marissa Lee-Sasser was recently featured on the cover of the National Sporting Clays Magazine. Lee-Sasser, who has participated in sporting clay competitions for only two years, already has won the 1999 Alabama state championship and competed nationally. She was first introduced to shooting sports through the Alabama and 4-H Youth Development program. Designed to simulate real-life-hunting situations, sporting clays are considered the most challenging of the three shotgun sports. In addition to work with the 4-H Shooting Sports program, Lee-Sasser also specializes in wildlife damage control.

Marcie Smith presides over conference of business officers
Marcie Smith, controller and assistant vice president for business and finance at AU, concludes her year as president of the Alabama Association of College and University Business Officers this week. Smith will preside over the association's annual conference in Orange Beach. At the conference's conclusion, she will turn over leadership of the statewide organization to Ken Johnston, vice chancellor for finance at Auburn University at Montgomery.

Athletic units wins national award for publication
The national association for college sports information directors has named AU's 1999 football program the best in the nation. This is the fourth time in six years that the Media Relations unit of the AU Athletic Department has received the award for Auburn Football Illustrated from the College Sports Information Directors of America. The football program is published by the Auburn Network Inc.

Dennis Wilson receives award from foundation
Dennis Wilson received the Outstanding Faculty Athletics Representative Award from the All-American Football Foundation in Tampa on June 8. Wilson, the Wayne T. Smith Distinguished Professor and Head of the Department of Health and Human Performance, is also the chair of the SEC Faculty Athletic Representatives and an SEC alternate to the NCAA Management Council.

Melvin Smith elected to regional association office
Melvin K. Smith, program advisor and coordinator of special events for Auburn's Office of Career Development Services, has been elected vice president of Colleges of the Southeastern Association for Employment in Education for 2000 2001.
Smith also will serve as program co-chairperson for the 16th Annual Conference in New Orleans in January 2001. The Office of Career Development Services is a division of AU's Student Success Center.

Campus Roundup

New retirees gain COLA
AU employees preparing to retire in the next few months are eligible for a 4 percent cost of living adjustment from the Teachers' Retirement System of Alabama if they retire by Sept. 1 and submit their retirement application to the AU Office of Payroll and Employee Benefits before July 17. Under the COLA, an employee whose average salary the past three years has been $30,000 can receive approximately $600 a year more in retirement benefits by retiring on Sept. 1 instead of waiting until Oct. 1. The COLA was passed in the recent session of the Alabama Legislature. For filing information, call 844-4183.

Osumare drum, dance group to perform
The Osumare African Cultural Drum and Dance Ensemble will perform at 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 21, in Foy Student Union Ballroom. The ensemble is a group of performers from Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee and Mississippi. They are directed by Solomon Sholanke of Birmingham, a member of the Yoruba culture of Abeokuta in Nigeria, West Africa. The goal of the performance -- sponsored by AU's Office of Multicultural Affairs -- is to educate audience members about African tradition and culture as well as the history, music and dance of Nigeria and other African countries.

BC/BS representative on campus
AU's Blue Cross/Blue Shield representative will be on campus in Ingram 212 from 10 a.m.-noon on July 11 and Aug. 8 to meet with faculty and staff who have questions or need assistance concerning their BC/BS insurance coverage. No appointment is necessary.

Computer course information on web
Summer computer course information offered by the Office of Information Technology through the Human Resources Development Office is available on the web at http://www.auburn.edu/desktop/training/currclasses.html. Offerings include Word 2000, Access 2000, and WordPerfect 9 classes. Registration for these courses is handled by HRD at 844-4145.

Campus Views: Board of Trustees Annual Report for 2000

By William James Samford Jr., President Pro Tempore
Auburn University Board of Trustees

On the occasion of the Annual Meeting of the Auburn University Board of Trustees (on June 5, 2000), I felt that it would be in order to provide both a brief report on the year just completed and a look to the future. I will do this hurriedly, touching only on the highlights.

Having escaped the Y2K bug, this past year was characterized by implementation of the first year of the university's planning initiative. For the first time, at least in my memory, Auburn has a process that connects specific goals and aspirations to the budgeting process. This effort has resulted in a number of specific achievements:

* More competitive salaries for all employee groups, placing the university on track to achieve appropriate regional averages for all employees.

* A Peaks of Excellence Initiative that will permit Auburn to achieve national
prominence in programs central to its mission.

* Enhanced departmental operating budgets, thereby making it easier for our programs to accommodate increasing costs and to overcome limited funding during the past decade.

* Improved physical plant, responding to years of inattention and neglect, due to inadequate state funding. This past year we have continued adding to the board's commitment to budget $10 million annually for deferred maintenance. It is important that we protect, enhance and improve this major feature of the university's infrastructure. The budget this year for this purpose is approximately $7 million.

* Building budget reserves and making onetime funding commitments. Our fiscal policies have placed Auburn University in the enviable position of being able to set aside funds for contingencies, in addition to attending to the university goals as identified above. As will be noted later in a report from the budget committee, we are considering an additional allocation to the Provost's Office for use in responding to unusual situations in the academic schools and colleges.

In short, the university now is positioned to remain in control of its destiny.

I want to emphasize that these achievements are possible because of the vision and leadership of this board, and hard work by many. While the board has been criticized severely, Auburn University today is a better institution, both academically and fiscally.

The 1999-2000 year can be characterized in a positive light for a number of other reasons. I mention the following:

* The proposed constitutional amendment that, if ratified by the electorate this fall, will change the board selection process, increase its size, limit terms of service and impose an age limit. These are all positive changes and demonstrate that when Auburn people work together, good things can be achieved. This initiative was conceived several years ago by Ruel Russell, Stuart Gaines and many others. Special thanks go to Sen. Barron and Rep. Venable, as well as many other outstanding Auburn alumni.

* An undergraduate scholarship program that will help assure that Auburn will always remain accessible to those who qualify for admission. This board at its last meeting endorsed a proposal by Sen. Barron to set aside at least $750,000 annually for need-based undergraduate scholarships. Auburn is a very good university that attracts many excellent students. This board wants to send the message that entry should never be restricted by a potential student's family income level.

* A course repeat policy was approved. For several years, Auburn students have indicated that they were disadvantaged by lack of an academic forgiveness policy similar to those in place at other regional universities. Upon encouragement from this board, the faculty, students and administration forwarded a policy that will begin to provide our students with a more level playing field.

* Enhancing communication within the university community was a special focus this year. I'm pleased that through the efforts of Dr. Gladden, Dr. Clothiaux and Dr. Heath, the informal faculty-trustee luncheons were re-instituted. This is an excellent venue through which the faculty and Trustees can obtain clearer understanding of common concerns and issues. Along that line, I have accepted invitations this year to visit with the Staff Council, the Administrative and Professional Assembly and the Student Senate. These appear to be excellent forums in which to gain a better perspective of varying views and a greater sense of common obstacles.

Similarly, I am delighted that the faculty has been provided the opportunity to present the Peaks of Excellence programs at regular board meetings. These have served many purposes. First, it provides us with a better understanding about the real strengths of this university. Second, these presentations have made us even prouder of the outstanding faculty who are committed to Auburn and its future. Finally, this is another avenue through which communication can be enhanced. I hope that these initiatives will increase in the coming year.

Numerous other actions on a wide range of topics were taken by the board in response to recommendations from the president and his staff. These dealt with academic matters (as in the case of the Guidelines for Elevation in Designation of Departments, Schools and Colleges, and the subsequent change of Human Sciences from School to College); physical facilities (as in increased budgets for the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Art and the proposed Poultry Science Building); budgets (as in tuition-related issues, employee benefits and budget approval); planning (as in approval of an Institutional Plan for AUM). This board is appreciative of the quality proposals brought for its consideration. Those who followed deliberations of this body in the past year are aware that most of the action items on our agenda are endorsed by the board. This speaks positively about the work of the administration and the responsiveness of this board. ...

This has been a very productive year for Auburn University -- a year characterized by solid achievements in many areas. The year is epitomized by notable progress gained by improved communication and the University community working together. Auburn is a very good institution, identified by some to be among the top 40 public universities in the nation. That is significant and laudable. But that is not enough. Our aim needs to be higher: The top 20 sounds better to me. I may be an idealist, but to me, that is an achievable objective. Working together, addressing possible impediments, we should continue to observe steady improvement in the University National standing.

What should we expect in the future? Let me suggest the following:

* Stay the course. As we approach the second year of this five-year plan, it is important to rededicate our efforts to continue toward fulfillment of our goals. We must continue to build upon our strengths.

* Recruit, reward, recognize and retain hard-working, dedicated employees.

* Remain sensitive to the power of technology. Information technology is changing the world at unbelievable speed. For Auburn to prosper in that environment, it is crucial that we stay on the cutting edge for the institution's sake and for the benefit of our students.

* Keep concern for the individual at the forefront. We live in a fast moving; rapidly changing world. I hope that at Auburn we can always pause to be sensitive to the concerns of the individual person. Auburn's uniqueness is its warm and personal nature. This makes for a good place to work and nurtures graduates who become caring and supportive alumni. It is this environment that I hope we can protect.

This has been a very good year for Auburn. The board, and I express deep appreciation to all who helped to make it so successful: faculty, staff, administration, students, and alumni. All have been of great assistance to this board, and we are most appreciative.

Unsung Hero: Sandra Harris, College of Education

This week's Unsung Hero is Sandra Harris, office administration associate in the Office of Teacher Education Services in AU's College of Education. She has been at AU for 12 years and in her present job for 10 years. She was asked:

What do you do in your current job? "I assist the personnel in our office -- one associate dean, one assistant dean, three advisors and two graduate students -- to serve 2,000 undergraduate students by keeping the office running as smoothly and efficiently as possible."

What is the most rewarding part of your job? "Working and interacting with the good staff in our office who have become like a second family. Also, I enjoy hearing from students after they graduate. I am happy when I learn they have become good teachers, mommas and daddies."

What is the most challenging part of your job? "Giving each person that contacts and visits our office a feeling that they are being served by caring individuals, not just a bureaucracy."

What makes Auburn special? One of the things I love about Auburn is the AU Singers! I have attended many of their concerts and enjoyed their entertainment at university events. I would like to see these wonderful young people get the funding and support they deserve to develop their talents."

What was your first impression of Auburn University? "Some years ago, the Auburn student body was predominantly male. The support staff consisted of a large number of the wives of the students and faculty who considered their employment to be a temporary position."

How has that impression changed? "I am happy that today many young women, such as my daughter who graduated in civil engineering at Auburn, are pursuing their own educational goals. Most of the support staff now consider their employment to be a permanent position."

What words best describe Auburn as a work environment, learning environment or just a place to be? "Auburn University has gifted faculty, students and staff. I would like to see the state legislature be more supportive in their funding to enable us to retain the excellent programs and attract more good students."

What do you like to do when not at work? "I enjoy singing with my gospel group, "The Redeemed," fishing with family and friends, reading good books, tending my flowers and gardening and observing the birds that visit my yard."

What person or person do you most admire and why? "My mother worked hard to guide and nourish six children to adulthood. She will be 76 years old next month is still a well of strength, love and support to each of us and our families."

What is your favorite line from the Auburn Creed and why? "'I believe in my country because it is a land of freedom and because it is my home, and that I can best serve that country by "doing justly, loving mercy and walking humbly with my God."'...I believe in Auburn and love it."

AU Report Editor: Roy Summerford. Contributing editors: Bob Lowry, Janet McCoy and David Granger. University Relations Executive Director: Pete Pepinsky. 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@mail.auburn.edu