10 a.m., Feb. 10, 2009----Given the current fiscal downturn affecting the state and the nation, University of Delaware President Patrick T. Harker told state lawmakers on Thursday, Feb. 5, that the University is taking steps to limit its expenditures and wants to work with them "to identify our reductions so that we remain responsible to our students and staff, to our articulated priorities and to the state's economic vitality.”

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Harker made his remarks during a discussion of UD's fiscal year 2010 state operating budget with members of the Joint Finance Committee of the Delaware General Assembly in Dover, Del.

“When the University launched its strategic plan last spring, we made our leading principle Delaware First -- our assurance that every Delawarean will have access to a top quality education, and that we'll apply our strengths and resources to benefit the greater Delaware community,” Harker said. “I assure you that, regardless of the state's fiscal outlook, our Commitment to Delawareans will not abate.”

Delaware First, Harker noted, includes an enhanced Commitment to Delawareans whereby UD will meet the full demonstrated financial need of qualified Delawareans who fulfill this academic roadmap.

Combined with a rolling admission and early notification policy for qualified First State residents applying for fall 2009 admission, Harker said the Commitment to Delawareans also ensures that graduates are not excessively burdened with college loans.

“Beginning with freshmen entering UD this fall, we'll meet the full demonstrated financial need of those who satisfy the academic roadmap we laid out in 2006, up to the full cost of tuition, fees, on-campus room and board and books,” Harker said. “To make certain that graduates aren't excessively burdened financially once they graduate, the University will work to ensure that a student's indebtedness upon completing a degree is kept to a minimum -- our goal is set at 25 percent of the cost of a four-year education at UD. That's no more than what a Delaware elementary school teacher could afford.”

Harker said the Commitment to Delawareans and rolling admissions and early notification initiatives are proving popular with First State residents.

“This past fall we admitted 92 percent of all Delawareans who applied, with 66 percent going to the Newark campus, while 26 percent were admitted to the Associate in Arts degree program,” Harker said. “We've received 300 more completed applications from Delaware residents this year than last year, and 30 percent more than we did in 2004, the year that we launched the Commitment to Delawareans.”

Harker noted such initiatives are especially challenging in an economic climate where, for the first time in five years, state aid for higher education nationally grew slower than it had the year before.

“Those challenges aren't unique to Delaware. Nationwide, state tax support for higher education increased by less than 1 percent in fiscal year 2009, to $78.5 billion,” Harker said. “With $281 in per-capita spending on higher education, Delaware ranks 45th in the U.S., in its fiscal year 2009 funding commitment. An appropriation decrease of 0.1 percent over fiscal year 2008 puts the state at 37th for this one-year state aid drop.”

UD a good investment

Harker noted that besides being a nationally acclaimed educational value, UD also supports 7,500 jobs while spending $410 million annually, with a total economic impact of more than $750 million.

In December, Harker said, Smart Money magazine ranked UD 16th nationally for its return-on-investment, the difference between University tuition and a graduate's annual salary.

“With that number rank, we beat out every single Ivy League school,” Harker said. “And, just last month The Princeton Review named UD as one of the 'Best College Values for 2009.'”

Research based economic initiatives

With a national economy becoming increasingly dependent on knowledge-based innovation, Harker said UD must find better and quicker ways to put research-generated innovations into the hands of entrepreneurs.

To this end, Harker said, UD has established the Office of Economic Innovation and Partnership, headed by David Weir, the founding director of the Delaware Biotechnology Institute.

Research projects at UD, Harker noted, also include wind power, solar power and the development of vehicle-to-grid automobiles that not only run on electricity, but also produce electricity that can be returned to the power grid.

Recent initiatives that reflect the strategic goals outlined in its Path to Prominence are the launching of the University of Delaware Energy Institute, the University Health Initiative and several environmental sustainability programs, Harker said.

“In our College of Engineering, scientists are developing the next generation of composite materials, including a liquid body armor that will protect our troops and law enforcement officers,” Harker said. “Our goal is to promote expanded business and government partnerships, and to better support technology transfer and the commercialization of new discoveries.”

Harker said that to address the current financial constraints faced by the state, the University is taking steps to limit expenditures, including senior administration salaries, vacant positions and discretionary spending.

“Certainly, there will be a lot of volatility in this year's budget, and those changes will inform more clearly the cuts we need to make,” Harker said.

Harker concluded his remarks by thanking lawmakers for their continued support and invited new members of the Joint Finance Committee and members of the community to visit UD for a look at an institution that returns $7 for every $1 received in state support.

“Despite the worrying financial markets, we will continue to drive Delaware's economy in the year ahead, through leadership in research, workforce development, partnerships and outreach,” Harker said. “We will be a dedicated partner to the state and to the legislature in finding our way out of this recession, and we will continue to look for strategic partnerships that will further expand our reach and impact.”

Following the presentation, Harker, Provost Dan Rich and Executive Vice President Scott Douglass took questions from committee members on matters ranging from campus security and emergency notification procedures to energy-related research initiatives, the possibility of the purchase of the Chrysler plant in Newark and the Commitment to Delawareans.

Article by Jerry Rhodes
Photos by Mike Baker