{"id":4175,"date":"2011-06-17T16:46:42","date_gmt":"2011-06-17T20:46:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ww2.georgiasouthern.edu\/news\/magazine\/?p=4175"},"modified":"2014-06-02T14:54:56","modified_gmt":"2014-06-02T18:54:56","slug":"higher-aim","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ww2.georgiasouthern.edu\/news\/magazine\/2011\/06\/17\/higher-aim\/","title":{"rendered":"Higher Aim"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"main_higheraim\"<\/a>
\nWhether a mission statement, vision statement, mantra or memo, a visioning document needs to be something more – a heartfelt answer to the question, \u201cWhy does it matter?\u201d<\/p>\n

Georgia Southern President Brooks Keel and his leadership team are setting a direction and a vital cultural tone based on the University\u2019s traditional strengths. To raise the academic and athletic bars, words are important, but emotion motivates.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m trying to create more of a \u2018passion statement\u2019 than a mission statement,\u201d said Keel.<\/p>\n

Keel is mapping an ambitious journey. Success will depend on the support of alumni, faculty, staff and students. External funding \u2014 annual giving and support of a planned major capital campaign \u2014 is a must-have, and Keel believes the only limitation on Georgia Southern\u2019s dreams is a financial one.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt starts with the President\u2019s Cabinet,\u201d he said. \u201cEvery decision we make, everything we talk about, is focused on some aspect of the strategic vision. The deans have been engaged in this process with their faculty and every time I speak publicly I make a point of mentioning this.\u201d<\/p>\n

As the University moves forward, beginning with this fall\u2019s anticipated record 20,000-plus enrollment, Keel\u2019s passionate vision revolves around four strategic themes.<\/p>\n

Brains and brawn<\/h3>\n

Academic excellence is a must, the president said. \u201cWe need to make sure we have enough faculty in place, but more importantly, make sure we have the right faculty in place \u2014 that we hire outstanding scholars who are going to be engaged in research and creativity.<\/p>\n

\"img_higheraim\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to help our existing faculty advance their own careers and capabilities as teachers and as scholars,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd, we want to make sure we have the best curriculum in place to address the issues to make our graduates competitive in the marketplace.\u201d<\/p>\n

The process began in 2010 when Keel initiated interdisciplinary \u201ccluster hires\u201d \u2014 new faculty specifically chosen to conduct promising cutting-edge research with other professors across departmental and college lines. He wants to see additional hires, but with a careful approach that targets the University\u2019s research strengths and regional needs. \u201cWe want to continue the cluster hiring, looking not only at interdisciplinary cluster hiring at Georgia Southern, but at interdisciplinary hiring in cooperation with other universities within the state.\u201d For, example, he said, if Georgia Southern, Georgia State and the Medical College of Georgia identified a problem that could be solved with a multi-disciplinary approach. \u201cWe can utilize each other\u2019s resources and influence and it will help in bringing research capabilities to the entire state.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe hope to initiate new clusters,\u201d he said. \u201cThe deans are working on a 5-year plan about where they want to go.\u201d<\/p>\n

The University\u2019s new online Bachelor of General Studies degree meets a regional need, said Keel, as does this fall\u2019s inaugural classes in mechanical, electrical and civil engineering. The engineering program bodes well for Georgia Southern\u2019s national visibility, approach to solving problems, service to its region, and ability to attract grants and contracts, Keel said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe approval of engineering is a huge opportunity for us to move ahead in a major way. I think that\u2019s changed the way people look at the University.\u201d<\/p>\n

The president sees an incremental increase in admission standards in coming years. \u201cWe are in the process of looking at higher standards,\u201d he said. \u201cWe increased our admission standard from a 1,000 combined SAT score to 1,010 last fall. Our goal is to raise it to 1,050 over a period of time.\u201d<\/p>\n

But, he is quick to add that there are limits. \u201cTen points doesn\u2019t sound like a lot, but it translates probably to 400 students. It makes a heck of a difference in terms of enrollment management and budget. Our goal is to increase the standards as we move along and increase everything that goes along with it such as retention and graduation rates.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Augusta native would also like to see a larger percentage of the overall enrollment made up of graduate students \u2014 students who are committed to advanced degrees and the accompanying research. That means funding graduate assistantships beyond the 13 percent of the University\u2019s students who are seeking master\u2019s or doctoral-level degrees, and adding assistantships to attract significantly more students.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d like to see us in the higher teens,\u201d Keel said. \u201cI\u2019m not married to an absolute number as much as wanting an upward trend. As we ease into that over the years we will naturally develop a sweet spot for us. I can\u2019t really predict that, but a lot is going to be determined by the other things we put in place to make sure we can support additional graduate students.\u201d<\/p>\n

A greater focus on out-of-state recruiting is also under consideration, especially north Florida. \u201cJacksonville is about the same distance as Atlanta from Statesboro,\u201d said Keel. \u201cIt\u2019s a large market with a significant number of academically qualified students, and for someone who wants to leave home for college and yet be somewhat close to home, we are a great choice.\u201d<\/p>\n

In athletics, a push is on to fully validate the \u201cRings and Diplomas\u201d slogan of the Athletic Foundation. \u201cWe need to make sure that every athlete has the opportunity to win a championship ring in their respective sport,\u201d he said, \u201cand \u2018diplomas\u2019 means that we graduate 100 percent of our student-athletes.\u201d<\/p>\n

It also means upgrading or replacing some existing facilities.<\/p>\n

While far too early to be firm, the idea of a sports arena is being discussed between the University, Statesboro and Bulloch County. Such a facility would serve as a multi-purpose civic center and would be the new home for Eagles basketball.<\/p>\n

Last spring, Keel announced plans for a 50,000-square-foot facility to house football coaches\u2019 offices, meeting rooms, an 11,500-square-foot weight room, and a hall of fame. The building will be erected at a cost of nearly $10 million at the scoreboard end of Paulson Stadium. \u201cIf you don\u2019t dream big, it\u2019s never going to happen,\u201d said Keel.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve needed a football locker room desperately for quite some time.\u201d<\/p>\n

A key to athletics success is convincing more ticket-buying fans to become donors. \u201cOur financial support for athletics is not where it needs to be,\u201d Keel said. \u201cOur fan base is unbelievable \u2014 I\u2019ve never seen such passionate and loyal fans – but to translate that into dollars we have some work to do. We have one of the lowest athletics budgets in the Southern Conference.\u201d Needed extra funding should come from alumni and fans, he said, because students are already bearing 40 percent of the burden of athletics programs.<\/p>\n

Many of the University\u2019s athletics facilities are of high quality, but need additional attention to maximize their utility, he said. \u201cWe\u2019ve got a top-notch softball complex, but no batting cage. We\u2019ve got a beautiful track and soccer facility, but no lights. Those are the types of things we need and will be focusing on.\u201d<\/p>\n

The importance of athletics as a \u201cpicture window\u201d to interest potential students and supporters cannot be overstated, said Keel. Athletics bring national acclaim, and serves as a rallying point for students, faculty, staff and alumni. Success, he said, breeds better recruiting and wider support.<\/p>\n

Football might be the \u201cbig dog,\u201d Keel concluded, but given the commitment of time and effort by all student-athletes, they deserve an equal opportunity to play for championships. Full funding of all allowable scholarships is a goal.<\/p>\n

Maximum achievement<\/h3>\n

\u201cWe want to do everything we can to make sure our students are successful,\u201d Keel said. \u201cOur retention and the progression to graduation rates are two of the main things on which we are focused. We need to make sure we get our students from the freshman to the sophomore year. Then we need to ensure that they progress through their second and third years and that we graduate as many as we possibly can.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nationally, the length of time it takes for students to complete their college degrees has grown beyond what was once a norm of four years. Keel wants to see that trend reversed at the University. \u201cWe\u2019re beginning to shrink the six-year graduation rate to a four-year graduation rate,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019re using the motto of \u2018Out the Door in Four.\u2019 We want to get our students on track and help them stay on track so that they can get the courses they need in the order they need them so they can be successful.\u201d<\/p>\n

The globalization of commerce is only going to increase, Keel said. \u201cWe need to help students be competitive in the 21st-century marketplace.\u201d That means students staying abreast of new technology – regardless of the planned career – but also being offered global learning opportunities. \u201cThat\u2019s important, whether giving students the chance to study abroad or trying to make our campus as diverse as we possibly can in the true sense of the word,\u201d he said. Keel stressed that diversity should go beyond ethnicity and race \u2014 which are very important \u2014 and should include diversity of birthplace, religion, language, food, music and culture. \u201cOur students are going to be in an increasing globally competitive marketplace, not just regional,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n

An imperative Keel sees is for more student financial support. \u201cWe are desperately in need of scholarships and internship opportunities,\u201d he said. \u201cWe can\u2019t really move forward unless we have more scholarships for students across the board. In order for us to go after the highest quality students we can – students who can go anywhere they want to – we\u2019ve got to have a scholarship pool to attract them to Georgia Southern rather than somewhere else in the state or outside of the state.\u201d<\/p>\n

Georgia Southern is also interested in students who are not only academically qualified, but have a true financial need. \u201cYou\u2019re not attracting the student strictly because of their academics, but you\u2019re trying to help them be successful because they come from a low-income environment,\u201d Keel said.<\/p>\n

Georgia\u2019s General Assembly acted this year to keep the state\u2019s HOPE Scholarship solvent by tightening academic requirements and reducing coverage from 100 percent of tuition to 90 percent. It does not fund fees, books, meals or housing. \u201cWith HOPE being cut to 90 percent of tuition for most students and all fees being eliminated, a \u2018HOPE-Full\u2019 scholarship is something we want to take a look at,\u201d he said of a proposed University scholarship fund that would help make up the shortfall for top students.<\/p>\n

Attracting the best possible professors is another key to increasing quality. \u201cAs we push a research agenda, we\u2019ve got to have more resources to provide the type of startup packages, especially for the sciences, when we recruit research-intensive individuals,\u201d said Keel. \u201cYou\u2019ve also got to have the facilities for them to work in.\u201d<\/p>\n

Scholarly pursuits<\/h3>\n

Georgia Southern is classified as a Carnegie Foundation Doctoral\/Research University \u2014 but further strengthening its research credentials is important, Keel said. Research, he added, is not limited to the sciences. It extends to creative scholarly activity in the arts and humanities. \u201cWe\u2019ve really got to push the research agenda heavily,\u201d he said. \u201cIt improves our ability to help the economy of the region by attracting business in major ways. More research faculty lure business and industry to the community.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not just research in the sciences and engineering,\u201d Keel said. \u201cWe have outstanding visual and performing arts and outstanding language and humanities programs that add to the economic development role the University plays. Industry wants to come to a place where their employees can have an outstanding quality of life – and all of those aspects contribute to that. You can\u2019t get that in many major cities.<\/p>\n

\u201cResearch also goes hand in hand with an increase in graduate students,\u201d the president said. \u201cWe\u2019re going to be changing the graduate\/undergraduate mix to a larger percentage of graduate students. I think we also have a unique opportunity to increase research for undergraduate students and to do it in a meaningful and significant way here. I think that\u2019s going to help maintain the student-centered approach that has made us famous.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome people are concerned that as we move toward placing more emphasis on research, we are going to lose our focus on the individual student and become just another big research university,\u201d said Keel. \u201cThat rightly scares people, but I try to remind them that we don\u2019t have to be anything we don\u2019t want to be. The flip side to that is we can be anything we do want to be. If we go into this research agenda initiative keeping in mind the importance of the undergraduate students and teaching, we can have something very unique and important here.\u201d<\/p>\n

The cost of progress<\/h3>\n

Keel is, indeed, passionate about where he wants to take Georgia Southern, and there is but one truly large hurdle – revenue.<\/p>\n

Increased giving is one key, and one that the pending capital campaign can help address, but Keel sees other avenues as well. \u201cWe need to be efficient with the limited resources we have and think entrepreneurially about how we do things,\u201d he said. He added that the University needs to raise scholarships, advance philanthropy, engage public-private partnerships, pursue corporate grants and contracts as well as federal grants and contracts. \u201cThat brings resources to the University and to our students.\u201d<\/p>\n

Keel is hopeful Gov. Nathan Deal will approve funding in this year\u2019s budget for a new biology building. But, he said, \u201cIt is probably the last publicly funded building in our lifetimes. There simply aren\u2019t enough tax dollars to meet the building needs across a growing university system.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat means we\u2019ve got to be more entrepreneurial thinking,\u201d he said, and consider public-private partnerships and philanthropy. \u201cCan we find someone who wants to invest in constructing a building that has the sort of resources we need, lease them the land for a dollar a year for 30 years and then we lease some of that space from that company? That company could bring in other smaller companies, and then you have an incubator of business and research. That works together and provides a hotbed of activity for our students to learn and to work.\u201d<\/p>\n

Full circle<\/h3>\n

\u201cEverything we do falls into one of these spheres,\u201d said Keel, \u201cand is all part of this vision. I think what is being crafted is something that everyone, regardless of what they like or dislike or what they do or don\u2019t do, can support and play a major role.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll of these things revolve around the students. We have to always keep in mind that we are student-centered and do everything we can to maintain that large-scale small-feel attitude and stamp of Georgia Southern.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

President Brooks Keel Sets the University’s Course for a New Horizon<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":9937,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[35],"class_list":["post-4175","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-summer-2011"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ww2.georgiasouthern.edu\/news\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4175","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ww2.georgiasouthern.edu\/news\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ww2.georgiasouthern.edu\/news\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ww2.georgiasouthern.edu\/news\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ww2.georgiasouthern.edu\/news\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4175"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ww2.georgiasouthern.edu\/news\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4175\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ww2.georgiasouthern.edu\/news\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9937"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ww2.georgiasouthern.edu\/news\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4175"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ww2.georgiasouthern.edu\/news\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4175"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ww2.georgiasouthern.edu\/news\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4175"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}