President Jay Gogue Tribute Site - Homepage

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Celebrating a Decade of Leadership.

During his decade as president of Auburn University, Jay Gogue oversaw growth and success in many areas of campus life.

Key Accomplishments

Programs

  • Presidents Unite to Solve Hunger Initiative

    • Gogue signed the PUSH Commitment at the organization’s first gathering, establishing an initiative uniting universities in the fight against hunger and malnutrition. By signing PUSH, university leaders agree to make food and nutrition security a priority on campus.

  • Auburn University Diplomatic Program

    • Gogue created the program in 2009, bringing guests such as consul generals, ambassadors, honorary consul generals, trade commissioners and executives from international firms to campus.

  • Office of Sustainability

    • In 2008, Auburn created a permanent Office of Sustainability. Gogue signed the American College and University President’s Climate Commitment, and the new office supports the President’s Climate Commitment and the core values in the strategic plan.

  • Auburn Global program launched

    • Auburn Global is an International Accelerator Program for international students seeking an education at the university. The program combines English language instruction and support with academic instruction and acculturation.

  • Pre-freshman abroad trips offered

    • The Office of International Programs and the Office of Admissions identify top applicants who might be interested in studying abroad the summer before attending Auburn in the fall.

  • Auburn Abroad Core Curriculum program began

    • A study abroad option, which offers students an opportunity to complete two core curriculum courses over five weeks, began summer 2016. It is a collaboration between the Office of International Programs, the College of Liberal Arts, the College of Sciences and Mathematics and the University of Arkansas Rome Center.

  • First ombudsman brought to campus

    • The neutral position supplements existing grievance procedures and other administrative processes on campus, helping employees and the university solve grievances and workplace concerns.

  • VCOM opens an Auburn branch campus

    • The Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine, or VCOM, opened a branch campus in the Auburn Research Park. The first class of 150 students began fall 2015.

  • Health Sciences Sector established

    • The area at the corner of Lem Morrison Drive and South Donahue Drive houses a building for the School of Nursing and a pharmaceutical research building for the Harrison School of Pharmacy. Both facilities are located near the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine to bolster interdisciplinary collaborations.

  • Coastal Alabama Center for Educational Excellence proposed

    • Auburn University and the City of Gulf Shores are moving forward with plans to build a complex in Gulf Shores, Alabama, that will serve as both an educational outpost for Auburn and a resource for Gulf Coast residents.

  • Commitment to Culinary Arts Center

    • Plans for a new culinary science center, to be located adjacent to The Hotel at Auburn University and Dixon Conference Center, include a restaurant, teaching and demonstration kitchens, a beverage appreciation center, a terrace and rooftop function space and a premier spa.

  • Auburn University Veterans Resource Center founded

    • The center is the central resource to support veterans and can help identify academic resources, provide financial advising and give professional, personal and career development services. Originally founded in 2010, the center was designed to increase support for and outreach to veterans enrolling in college after the Post-9/11 GI Bill took effect in August 2010.

  • Auburn Aviation Center established

    • Auburn University elevated its aviation program in 2014 by establishing a center that serves as a focal point for instruction, research and outreach and supports the aviation and aerospace industries.

  • University College established

    • University College fosters the growth of interdisciplinary and cross-college academic programs, and its programs are designed to provide intellectual opportunities for students whose interests, aptitudes and career goals range widely across college boundaries.

  • Exploratory Advising Center opened

    • The center, located on the ground floor of Mary Martin Hall, houses advising rooms, meeting rooms, adviser offices and waiting areas for students. Freshmen who have not selected a specific major upon admission will receive personal assistance to help them find the right major.

  • Miller Writing Center established

    • Dedicated in 2009, the Miller Writing Center offers free, one-on-one consultation for all writers at Auburn University. The highly trained staff of undergraduate and graduate peer tutors assists with any kind of writing, at any stage in the writing process. The center was established as part of a university-wide initiative to increase Auburn’s writing resources for students and to foster a stronger culture of writing and writing instruction.

  • Strategic Hire Initiative developed

    • Launched in fall 2014, the initiative is designed to align Auburn's research efforts with funding trends, while strengthening Auburn's research faculty and enhancing the university's research profile through strategic hiring.

  • Auburn introduced the Common Book program, “Auburn Connects!”

    • The Common Book program, used in more than 100 universities across the country, was developed to promote a shared academic experience among students, especially incoming freshmen.

  • Auburn DegreeWorks created

    • In 2012, Auburn began implementing Auburn DegreeWorks, a software program designed to help students and their advisers monitor progress toward graduation.

  • Accelerated dual degree programs established

    • Students can augment their educational experience by simultaneously working toward a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in many colleges at Auburn, saving both time and money, as well as preparing them for careers in which workers are in short supply.

  • Finish in 4 campaign launched

    • Auburn encourages undergraduates to finish their bachelor’s degrees in four years to take advantage of the many benefits, while providing them with ways to stay on track.

Facilities

  • During Gogue’s tenure, Auburn completed 116 major construction projects (more than $1 million per project) that totaled more than $1.4 billion.

  • Some campus buildings have been designed to be LEED-certified (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design—a green building certification system).

  • Additions to campus include Village Student Housing, Auburn Arena, Wilford and Kate Bailey Small Animal Teaching Hospital, Auburn Recreation and Wellness Center, South Donahue Residence Hall, Student Center, Office of Information Technology building, Kinesiology Building, Multi-Sport Indoor Practice Facility, Jordan-Hare Stadium video board system, Wellness Kitchen, Band Practice Field, Solon Dixon Forestry Education Center and Pebble Hill renovations and additions. 

  • The landscape redevelopment of Samford Park, including replacing the oaks at Toomer’s Corner, took place under Gogue’s tenure.

Student Success

  • Since 2007, Auburn has deepened its commitment to student success, as measured by indicators like retention and graduation rates. The university has seen a concurrent increase in those rates and also a steep increase in the academic preparation of the average new first-year student. A principal commitment over these years has been the creation and continuing funding of the Spirit of Auburn institutional scholarship program, which has made Auburn even more attractive to high-ability students. Along with this commitment, under Gogue’s leadership, the institution has also invested in advising and programming to help students succeed.

    • New freshman retention to the second fall is now 91 percent, up from 86 percent in fall 2007.

    • The four-year graduation rate is now 50 percent, up from 37 percent in fall 2007.

    • The six-year graduation rate is now 75 percent, up from 63 percent in fall 2007.

    • The average ACT composite score of the first-year class is now 27.4, up from 24.9 in fall 2007.

    • Scholarships increased almost 400 percent from $15.3 million for 2006-07 to $60.1 million for 2016-17.

National Prestigious Scholarships

  • In the fall of 2008, Gogue and the administration established a national prestigious scholarships presence on the Auburn University campus. Housed in the Honors College, the National Prestigious Scholarships Office recruits and assists students in the application process for nationally competitive scholarships and awards.

  • In that time, Auburn has had 116 prestigious scholars and 56 finalists or honorable mentions. Auburn’s winners were selected for scholarships including Rhodes, Marshall, Mitchell, Gates-Cambridge, Truman, Goldwater, Fulbright and more.

Rankings and Recognitions

  • The Association of Public and Land-grant Universities named Auburn an Innovation and Economic Prosperity University, a designation that recognizes the university's strong commitment to economic engagement and its work with public and private sector partners in Alabama and the region.

  • For the first time in Auburn University's history, annual charitable giving by alumni and donors exceeded $200 million in the 2015 fiscal year.

  • The university continues to excel in U.S. News and World Report rankings, bring ranked as a top 50 public university for 24 consecutive years.

  • Auburn is ranked #4 in “Colleges with the Happiest Students” by The Princeton Review.

  • The Office of Sustainability has earned many designations for Auburn, including STARS Silver Sustainability performance rating, Bicycle Friendly Campus designation, eight consecutive Tree Campus USA designations and a Green Ribbon School Designation by the State of Alabama and the U.S. Department of Education.

  • Auburn University is regularly included in The Princeton Review's annual Guide to Green Colleges.

  • Auburn is one of a handful of institutions in the U.S. that has been designated by the National Security Agency as a Center for Academic Excellence in Cyber Operations, Cyber Defense and Information Assurance.

  • Forbes and Money named Auburn the top university in the state of Alabama.

  • Included in The Princeton Review’s Best 381 Colleges, 2017 edition.

Research and Economic Development

  • Research expenditures have grown from $126 million in 2006 to $152 million in 2016, an increase of 21 percent.

  • Total sponsored projects funding has grown from $112 million in 2006 to $125 million in 2016, an 11 percent increase.

  • Auburn University is the site of one of the world’s leading research centers in the area of radio frequency identification, or RFID. The RFID Research Center moved to Auburn from the University of Arkansas, and opened the door for research collaborations involving the Raymond J. Herbert College of Business, the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering, and the College of Human Sciences.

  • Auburn Research Park opened in 2008 to support and enhance the Auburn University research enterprise and economic development through the creation of knowledge-based jobs. 

  • The Auburn University Huntsville Research Center was established in 2010 to align Auburn research expertise with government and industry needs in the Huntsville area.

  • The National Academy of Inventors listed Auburn in the top 100 among universities worldwide in the number of patents. Four Auburn University professors have been named Fellows of the National Academy of Inventors. In 2016, the number of invention disclosures from faculty increased by 25 percent and its portfolio of US patents increased by almost 30 percent.

  • Strategic research initiatives have moved Auburn forward in these key areas:  Additive Manufacturing, Energy and the Environment, Health Sciences, Cyber, Transportation, Gulf of Mexico Research and Restoration, and Science/Technology/Engineering/Mathematics (STEM) Education.

  • Interdisciplinary research activities have been expanded significantly, including the Food Systems Institute at Auburn University.