UpDate - Vol. 11, No. 7, Page 1
October 17, 1991
President reviews past and looks to the future

     President David P. Roselle discussed the University's
students, its budget and its buildings and services at the
semiannual General Faculty meeting Monday.
     His observations about successes and concerns over the past
year ranged from a discussion of faculty obligations to students to
reduced state appropriations, to a summary of building renovations
and projects to projected changes to the telephone system.

Think of students
     "Last year, I suggested that faculty, administration and staff
alike try to think of themselves as students. My point was not that
we should think like students but of students, keeping in mind that
our first duty as an educational institution is to our students,"
Roselle said.
     "No student should leave our offices, our classrooms or our
institution without having been helped or been made a better
person."

Minorities
     He told the faculty, despite increases in recruitment efforts
and increased scholarships for minorities, the overall
African-American enrollment decreased by 10 students this fall. He
observed that several unfortunate racial episodes last year
produced a bad image for the University.
     Current efforts should make it clear that the University will
not tolerate acts of discrimination or prejudice, he said. These
efforts include diversity training for University employees, who
are themselves new trainers, and a two-week diversity awareness
training program for all members of the Department of Public
Safety.

New construction
     Roselle summarized renovations to classrooms, buildings and
dining halls completed over the past year. These in clude the
continuation of the four-year program of classroom renovations,
under which about two-thirds of the classrooms have been renewed.
     "As far as future construction is concerned," Roselle said,
"We anticipate that the state will be asked in the 1993 legislative
session to undertake funding for projects related to the College of
Engineering, specifically Colburn Laboratory and the College of
Business and Economics. We are also studying ways to address the
need for additional space for student activity programming."

Computing purchases
     The president also said that approximately 450 faculty and
staff have made purchases of computers and software under the
University program and that the University has a very aggressive
strategy, whereby it might prove possible to link all the residence
halls to its computer network.
     Regarding the changeover in telephone service, beginning Jan.
18, he indicated that the new digital switching service will be
technologically superior and less expensive. Under the new system,
the first three digits for faculty and staff telephone numbers will
change to "831" or "UD1" and for students to "837" or "UDS."

Tuition
     Regarding tuition, Roselle said that because of rising tuition
at "many of our sister institutions, we will be a bit less
expensive in a relative sense. The implications that high tuition
has for access continue to be of concern."

Grants and contracts
     Grants and contracts increased by about 20 percent during the
last fiscal year and gifts to the University rose by 27 percent, he
said. The president reported that the residence halls and the
bookstore are financially sound, and revenues from the ARA
agreement will "address the variety of deferred maintenance,
furnishing and equipment issues in the dining halls."

State economy
     The state's economy is likely to limit appropriations to the
University for the 1992-93 fiscal year, Roselle said. The
University had anticipated the need to reduce expenditures by $6.5
million, but further reductions of $2.6 million have been
requested, largely to offset a 20 percent increase in health
benefit costs, anticipated energy costs and a reduction of 2
percent in the state appropriation. He said the University will
continue to make it the first priority to protect classrooms and
laboratories. "Thus it is necessary to look hard for reductions in
other sectors of the University. Nonetheless, we will all need to
be better stewards of University funds to accommodate the new
budgetary realities," Roselle said.
     "Incidentally, I have some considerable experience in managing
difficult budgets. And I have learned that supporters for needed
relief are most easily won if the institution continues to talk
about what it does do instead of what it is unable to do," Roselle
said.
     A commitment to excellence will be a byword for the
University's management practices, the president concluded. "We
must be responsible, cost-effective and creative, and we must be
sensitive that our efforts are so perceived by our various
publics."

Questions and answers
     In the question-and-answer session following the president's
remarks, Roselle praised recent outreach activities such as "From
the Brandywine to the Bay," mounted by the University Gallery and
the "Celebration of Science" program commemorating the new Lammot
du Pont Laboratory. These events were well publicized in the news
media, he said, and were attended by important decision-makers in
the state. Roselle noted that the University seems to be
well-perceived by the citizens of the state and by the legislators,
but the state's financial resources are scarce.
     When asked about the academic quality of incoming students,
Roselle said that the smaller pool of 18-year-olds resulted in a
small crop in SAT scores. He said the University is implementing
plans to involve the faculty more fully in the recruiting effort
and is trying to increase the number of scholarships for well
qualified students.
                                        - Cornelia Weil