Letter to the Community

February 28, 2002
TO: The University Community
FROM: Philip E. Austin

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Each semester I share with you the major opportunities and challenges that face the University. This particular letter gives me the special pleasure of discussing Governor Rowland's proposal for "21st Century UConn" in some detail. A number of other issues also warrant the attention of the University community and I will try to summarize the key points below. As always, I appreciate your response.

"21st Century UConn"

Even before the Governor's announcement, it was clear that the University was moving in the right trajectory on multiple fronts. The academic program-the core of the University-is strong, not only by our own estimation but in the view of accrediting bodies, other external evaluators, peers at other institutions, and the public at large. The student applicant base continues to grow in size, strength, and diversity. Though the operating budget presents significant challenges (see below) the underlying financial base at the Storrs-based programs is solid and the Health Center is meeting its demanding fiscal goals without sacrificing the quality of education, research, or patient care; indeed, the level of excellence in each area continues to grow. Outstanding new faculty have joined our already-strong ranks. Moreover, even in this uncertain economy the University's $300 million fundraising campaign is ahead of target.

This accurate picture of UConn, presented clearly and consistently to Connecticut's elected leaders, set the context for consideration of the proposal that came to be called "21st Century UConn." Governor Rowland's commitment to excellence in the state's flagship public university speaks for itself and underlines every aspect of the proposal. Clearly, the Governor and key members of the General Assembly in both parties and both chambers understand that the University of Connecticut is a vital state asset, that we play a key role in maintaining Connecticut's economic development and overall quality of life, and that UCONN 2000 demonstrates our capacity to implement a vast, multi-year infrastructure program with extraordinary efficiency.

This was the description of the University that the Governor presented in his budget message on February 6 and at the Storrs campus the following day. Understandably, the element of the 21st Century UConn proposal that draws the most attention is the magnitude of the commitment: $1.3 billion over eleven years, commencing in 2004 and winding up in 2015. But other aspects are no less significant. Building on UCONN 2000's success, the new program proposal maintains the mechanisms that have worked so well, essentially giving the University the authority to manage all projects but appropriately mandating periodic progress reports and a mid-term performance review report by the University to the Governor and the General Assembly. Like UCONN 2000, the 21st Century UConn proposal provides generous support for vital projects in Storrs and also incorporates funding to meet the needs of regional campuses, including $35 million for Avery Point, $25 million for West Hartford, $3 million for Waterbury, $3 million for Stamford, and $1 million for Torrington. Unlike UCONN 2000, however, the proposal incorporates support for the Health Center, allocating $300 million principally to improve buildings constructed in the late 1960s, now in serious need of renovation, and to expand research space.

In the weeks prior to February 6th, at the Governor's request we submitted a project list that includes about fifty separate items. Prepared in close collaboration with the deans, regional campus leaders, and the management team at the Health Center, the list has one specific line item setting aside significant funding for equipment and deferred maintenance; this last item will cover essential improvements at many buildings not separately listed in our submission.

A University with 24,000 students, 7,000 faculty and staff, and 160,000 alumni will probably not come to unanimous agreement about the size and sequencing of every project on a long list. The point to note, however, is that if it is adopted, by the time 21st Century UConn concludes in 2015 every member of our University community will have been significantly and positively affected; no one will study, teach, conduct research, work or live in a facility that reflects anything less than our commitment to access and excellence. A University whose academic programs and athletic success have long been points of pride for the people of Connecticut will finally have a statewide campus worthy of the state.

We need to remember that at the moment 21st Century UConn is some distance from reality; as of this date it is simply a proposal for consideration by Connecticut's legislators. The early signals are positive, but I anticipate weeks of serious discussion. The University's case is compelling and it needs to be presented vigorously. We will do everything possible to help each member of the General Assembly understand the value of continued investment in what has proven to be a winning proposition.

Operating Budget

The overall U.S. economic situation as well as that in Connecticut creates more challenging news about the operating budget for the upcoming fiscal year. The proposed budget reflects a spending plan that rolls forward rescissions made during the present year--$5 million for the Storrs-based programs and $1 million at the Health Center. While this certainly presents a challenge, of even greater concern is the budget proposal to suspend the matching grant program that has proved so helpful in generating private funding. We are working with the state budget office to find ways to restore that support.

With Executive Vice President Deckers, Chancellor Petersen, Vice Presidents Aronson and Allenby and others I testified on the budget before the General Assembly Appropriations Committee on February 14th. I made the fairly self-evident points that we would like to have the rescissions restored and that we are eager to keep the matching grant program intact; we have strong arguments to make in both areas. That said, I made clear then and reiterate now that we understand the state's financial challenges in an uncertain, post-September 11 economic climate. Connecticut's fiscal position is better than that of many other states and this enables the University to avoid even deeper cuts. The operating budget will not move us ahead as much as we would like, but like others we must await better economic times.

Bond Rating Upgrade

A University is not a business and bottom line indicators of financial strength are not the best and certainly not the only measures of an academic institution's effectiveness in fulfilling its social mission. Nevertheless, demonstrations of fiscal stability are vital. They help immeasurably to document our capacity to withstand short-term budget challenges and, more important, to fulfill long-term aspirations such as those embodied in the 21st Century UConn proposal.

In that context, when Moody's Investor's Service upgraded our Special Obligation Bonds to an "Aa3" (or "high-grade") rating on January 15 we greeted this as exceptionally good news. In a related action, Moody's also upgraded the rating on the UConn Foundation's Series A bonds to an "Aa3" rating. Particularly because it comes at a time when higher education in general faces an uncertain fiscal outlook the Moody's rating is a special sign of confidence in the University's current status and long-term prospects.

Among the factors cited as reasons for the assessment are favorable student demand; the size and scope of the building program; expansion of the external funding base; and a healthy balance in financial operations that, while relying heavily on state appropriations, nevertheless provides flexibility to respond to potential cuts. This is also the first time any of us has ever seen the success of a basketball program cited as a significant positive factor in an otherwise coldly objective rating report.

A favorable bond rating has significant practical implications; specifically, it enables us to finance projects at the lowest possible rates and thereby use resources most effectively to meet University needs. But there is also powerful symbolic significance to the fact that an institution dedicated to quality and access can concurrently demonstrate that it represents an attractive investment opportunity based on its merit and potential. The Moody's rating provides yet another demonstration of the wisdom that lay behind Connecticut's decision to undertake UCONN 2000 (and, implicitly, to support 21st Century UConn). I would like to think that it also represents a vote of confidence in our ability to manage our resources for the most efficient attainment of instructional, research, and service goals.

Enrollment

Perhaps the most single objective signpost of our success comes in the form of the periodic reports I receive from our Division of Enrollment Management. One of the goals set forth in 1995 was that the University, long a safe school for many of Connecticut's college applicants, become the school of choice for the state's most talented and ambitious undergraduate students. It is also critical to our progress that we draw some number of exceptional students from beyond our state to undergraduate and particularly to graduate and professional programs. The "brain drain" that brought Connecticut to the number two rank in the country (after Alaska) in terms of the proportion of high school graduates going to college elsewhere needed to be halted and, if possible, converted into a "brain gain." We are very close to meeting that objective.

As I indicated last semester, this August we welcomed the largest, most diverse, and (with no slight intended to students of bygone years) arguably the most talented freshman class in the University's history. Since UCONN 2000 was approved in 1995 freshman enrollment at Storrs has gone from 2,021 to 3,149 in 2001; minority freshman enrollment has increased 62% and average SAT scores have risen almost 30 points; and, over the past seven years, we have enrolled 314 high school valedictorians and salutatorians.

The preliminary indications for next year's class are even more encouraging, though our colleagues in Enrollment Management are quick to caution that numbers seen in February are subject to change. That said, I can report that applications are up by more than 10% over the comparable date last year, SAT scores are up about 10 points for students admitted at this point, and first-choice applications to regional campuses are up 13%.

The analogous figures for the graduate and professional programs are, in aggregate, equally encouraging. Graduate school applications are up about 15% over last year; our objective for the next several years is to expand graduate programs selectively, targeting increases to areas where expansion of research funding covers assistantships and to areas where expanded graduate enrollment helps meet well-defined institutional goals. Applications at the Law School are running about 30% higher. At the Health Center national trends in Medical School applications are reflected in a slight decrease over last year, though the 1800 applications for an 80-student class will continue to yield an excellent cohort. Dental School applications are holding constant, with about 870 applications for a class of 40. Significantly, probably due in part to our students' ranking in 2001 as first in the nation on the National Board Dental Examination, the "yield rate" (i.e., proportion of admitted students who accept our offer) is the highest on record.

Positive as these statistics are, they suggest a host of ongoing challenges. This past fall we added 1,415 new beds to our campus student housing stock and the facilities-traditional residence halls, suites, and apartments-are first-rate. But UConn has perhaps the highest on-campus student housing percentage of any major university in the country, due largely to the absence of a significant amount of private housing. One way or another additional beds will be needed to come on line in the next few years. We are exploring a range of options to meet this need.

An equally serious challenge stemming from increased demand relates to class availability. Many of our general education classes as well as classes for popular majors are at capacity or have waiting lists. On a temporary basis we are working to address the problem through various means of optimizing resource allocation. For the longer term, the faculty's revisions of the general education curriculum, combined with other innovative strategies (and, of course, resource enhancement) should assure expansion of scheduling opportunities that meet students' needs.

Town and Environment Issues

We continue to work with the Town of Mansfield to create a lively, attractive downtown area that will be appealing to students, faculty, and residents. As we create a true 21st century core campus, the absence of an active commercial center nearby represents one of the few obstacles to ongoing progress and I am pleased that so many members of the community are as eager as we are to address this need. The Mansfield Downtown Partnership, chaired by our alumnus and supporter Philip Lodewick and including on its governing board representatives from a wide range of affected interests, is the organizational entity through which plans are being developed. Along with local government and business, the University is contributing staff and financial resources. Over the next several months a number of important decisions will be made and we are committed to working cooperatively on a development plan that works for all concerned.

The University is by far the largest entity in the local area and we take special care to be a good neighbor. Since UCONN 2000 got underway nearly seven years ago we have expended more than a half billion dollars on thirty major projects in Storrs alone. During these years we have expanded our research program and, of course, educated thousands of students and greeted at least in the hundreds of thousands of visitors. The environmental challenges are significant and we have endeavored to respond responsibly.

This is not to say that there have been no problems or that it would be impossible for us to do even better. In every case where concerns have been voiced, if there are legitimate problems we have worked with residents to address problems expeditiously. In December Chancellor Petersen and I announced a series of additional steps to assure ongoing positive performance and I outlined these measures in a recent issue of the Advance. There are two primary actions. The first is the recruitment of an experienced environmental manager reporting directly to the Chancellor who will be engaged with University operations in areas including water, sewer, energy, environmental health and safety, farm operations, transportation, construction, and development projects. In addition, the environmental manager will lead the University's effort to develop a natural and cultural resources conservation policy, working with internal constituencies as well as local government and citizen groups.

The second action is engagement with the federal project, the United States Environmental Protection Agency's Region 1 Environmental Audit and Disclosure Program for Colleges and Universities. As the title suggests, this is a program designed to ensure systematic compliance with environmental laws and regulations and to implement a comprehensive environmental management system. As part of our engagement, we will utilize external, independent auditors to review our compliance with key federal programs including those dealing with clean air and water, resource conservation and recovery, and spill prevention, control and containment.

These two measures, along with others more specifically focused, help implement our basic commitment to an educational, research, and construction program that meets or exceeds strong environmental standards. That commitment has guided us through UCONN 2000 and will be one of the hallmarks of 21st Century UConn if that program is approved.

Research and Service

The generation of knowledge is as important to the mission of a research university as is the transmission of knowledge to new generations of students. Indeed, as a general proposition the closer the linkage between research and teaching, the more effective the institution will be in attaining its goals of excellence in both areas. The continuing expansion of UConn's research program is as important to our ongoing progress as is the strengthening of our enrollment base and the construction of first-rate facilities. Not only does ground-breaking scholarship represent a primary means by which we fulfill our responsibility to serve the state and nation, but funded research generates resources essential to the entire academic program. To the extent that state operating budgets are limited by economic constraints and competing needs, this is increasingly significant.

The growth in funded research at the Storrs-based program and at the Health Center is due, in part, to the impact of the enhancement of our facilities on our capacity to compete for major grants. In greater part it demonstrates the ability of a talented and energetic faculty, backed up by the institution, to generate external support at levels unimagined less than a decade ago. The statistics speak for themselves:

The numbers are probably less impressive for current volume (which places us first among public universities in New England but 65th among all public and private universities in the country) than for the trajectory. As in virtually every other area of endeavor, the University is making dramatic and rapid progress. We will be challenged to maintain a high rate of growth in the next several years; as the federal government's projected surpluses turn to deficits their research funding in key areas is likely to be curtailed and the environment is increasingly competitive. Nevertheless, the combination of first-rate facilities and an exceptional faculty provide UConn with a growing advantage on which I expect us to capitalize to the maximum possible extent.

Several initiatives or advancements announced in the past few months demonstrate the University of Connecticut's capacity to contribute to economic development, health care, and a better quality of life for people in our own state and far beyond. One of our missions as the State's flagship public research university is to serve as Connecticut's principal economic partner and we are moving rapidly to reach that goal.

One example is the establishment of the Connecticut Global Fuel Cell Center in the School of Engineering, developed in collaboration with Connecticut Innovations (a state-sponsored agency), industrial partners, and the federal government. Funded at $14.5 million, the Fuel Cell Center will occupy a new state-of-the-art fuel cell building, utilize two major fuel cell power plants donated by the private sector, and fill six endowed chairs. Its primary objective is to play a key role in the development of a key alternative energy source, an objective whose significance has clear economic and global political dimensions. An equally important outcome is the Center's significant and ongoing contribution to the School of Engineering's academic program.

I had the opportunity to point to another example on February 7, when Governor Rowland came to Storrs for the announcement and press conference on the 21st Century UConn proposal. By happy coincidence, the following day the prestigious journal Science was scheduled to report that researchers at the UConn Health Center had discovered a gene that causes "primary open-angle glaucoma," which is the most common form of glaucoma and affects more than 33 million people worldwide. This finding offers the hope of early diagnosis and ultimately prevention. I was delighted to be joined at the press conference by the principal investigator for this project, Professor of Human Genetics Mansoor Sarfarazi, Director of the Health Center's Molecular Opthalmic Genetics Laboratory, and by his graduate assistant Tayebeh Rezaie.

I mentioned another activity on that occasion that demonstrates our growing prestige as it expands educational and cultural opportunities for our students. Early last month the Metropolitan Opera announced that it chose the University of Connecticut as its partner in a pilot program for music and drama students who are interested in careers in opera. Beginning this year, students in our School of Fine Arts will be interning at the Met, observing closely the development of productions, and discussing all aspects of opera with key staff members. The program is the first of its kind for the Met, and it is a special mark of distinction for Dean David Woods and the faculty and students of the School of Fine Arts that our own university was selected for participation from among the many excellent schools across the nation. A particular debt of gratitude is owed to philanthropist and UConn supporter Raymond Sackler, whose advocacy and guidance were critical in bringing this partnership to fruition.

Final Thoughts

Things are moving rapidly at UConn. While this has been true for some time, the months ahead will be particularly active. We will be working concurrently to meet the challenges of enrollment growth; build on our already strong research capacity; assure that the academic program meets our own standards of excellence and responds to student needs; continue to implement our $300 million fundraising campaign; admire the success of our athletics program as we look forward to completion of a new stadium; work with our neighbors in Storrs on the Downtown Mansfield Partnership; continue progress in meeting the ambitious objectives outlined in the Health Center's strategic plan; and maintain the momentum that is propelling the University ahead in a host of other areas. Above all we must spare no effort in conveying UConn's story to the public and particularly to our legislators, who will shortly have to decide on approval of 21st Century UConn. Every member of the University has an important role to play in each of these activities and our ultimate success will depend in the future, as it has in the past, on your continuing engagement.

This much is clear. The success of UConn's transformation is building on itself, and in so doing is attracting enthusiastic support from all quarters. This point was brought home by several items that have appeared in the media in recent weeks. The first appeared shortly before Christmas; its author is one of Connecticut's leading conservative journalists, Chris Powell of the Journal Inquirer. Mr. Powell is an editor of integrity not given to casual support for public expenditures or to what he regards as unwarranted praise for public institutions. He saw fit to write the following in an article printed in the Providence Sunday Journal, and I cannot resist quoting him at length:

If you despair of getting something for the ever-rising price of state government, visit the University of Connecticut at Storrs...In just a few years, what had sometimes given the impression of a "cow" and commuter college hiding its lights under a bushel in the boondocks has become a gleaming and even thrilling place that is getting noticed all over the world...But the most important changes at UConn may involve the improvement of everyday life for students...Attracting Connecticut's best students, building their loyalty to the state, and inducing them to stick around after graduating was a big part of UCONN 2000, and there is evidence of success...UConn's professors are doing scientific research of international consequence, and getting international publicity...Financial donations to the university have increased 600 percent in six years, reaching $50 million for the current fiscal year...As suburbia, Connecticut can never align itself entirely with New York or Boston, and as a democracy it can never give itself to elite institutions...Its public university may be the biggest thing Connecticut can rally around, and it clearly has begun to do so.

The second appeared just last week in the Hartford Courant. The lead editorial, titled "Ten More Years for UConn," said in part:

Seven years ago, skeptics snickered when University of Connecticut trustees set forth to make the state's flagship public university world-class. UConn was at a low point. The main campus at Storrs was trash-strewn and crumbling, a victim of lapsed maintenance of barracks-style buildings slapped up on the cheap, many of them meant to be temporary. The percentage of the state budget that went to higher education was nearly dead last in the nation. But that was then, and this is now: Six years into a billion-dollar rebuilding program called UCONN 2000, the university and its branches have been transformed...(Governor Rowland's) proposal to extend UCONN 2000 for another decade beginning in 2004 will make the trustees' original goal attainable. Another $1.3 billion, spent wisely through 2015, would buy a lot of excellence...A continued commitment to the state's flagship university will put UConn on a footing to become great.

The third was in The Day of New London:

Instead of being embarrassed by arcane facilities and glum surroundings, the Storrs campus community revel in the opportunities for excellence presented by modern structures and equipment...Away from Storrs, a football stadium will be built in East Hartford, a downtown Waterbury campus will be completed, there is a downtown Stamford regional campus nearing completion and the Avery Point Campus in Groton has a new $41.5 million marine sciences building...Wise investments such as these are reasons behind the rating of the University of Connecticut as New England's best state university by U.S. News and World Report. But UConn should be more. It should be one of the best state undergraduate and research universities in the country. In a state with the resources and economic success of Connecticut, the state university ought to be the best available. UConn is getting there.

And the fourth appeared in the New Haven Register. Echoing some of the points outlined above, the editorial concluded:

The continued investment in rebuilding the University of Connecticut is needed and long overdue. The legislature should support (Governor) Rowland's call to continue building a public university of which Connecticut can be proud and that ranks among the nation's best.

In different words but with the same sentiments, those observations have been presented in other publications across the state and region. Support for the University comes from all corners of Connecticut and from every ideological and political camp. It reflects a record of progress of which we should all be proud. It also points clearly to an increasingly high standard of achievement that it will be our responsibility to maintain.

cc: Board of Trustees