Chancellor's year in review turns attention to future

Dignitaries gather for the August dedication of the Science and Engineering building at UCCS.

While university finances remain a top priority over the next 14 months, the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs should celebrate its progress during the 2009-2010 academic year, Chancellor Pam Shockley-Zalabak told campus deans, directors and department chairs last week.

Speaking at a May 5 breakfast and at a May 6 luncheon, Shockley-Zalabak thanked deans and directors for their efforts before highlighting a series of events ranging from the opening of two buildings to renewed accreditations, record enrollments and fundraising, and third-party accolades.

"These are trying times, to be sure," Shockley-Zalabak said. "But as I look back at the accomplishments of the past few months, ahead to the challenges, and at the people in this room, I know that we will make it because of the hard work of everyone here and many who are not."

Month-by-month, Shockley-Zalabak highlighted accomplishments ranging from record fall and spring enrollments to the hiring of new faculty and staff, rankings by organizations ranging from national news magazines to local weeklies, research grant awards, new programs, community relations efforts and faculty accolades.

Campus members join January's opening festivity for the campus events center.

She also encouraged deans and directors to be aware of competition for students, calling student recruitment and retention "a major piece of the budget we can control." To emphasize her point, she showed a recent advertisement from Adams State College that appeared in the UCCS student newspaper, The Scribe.

Because other higher education institutions will continue to market in Colorado Springs, Shockley-Zalabak said, outreach and service must be improved to ensure excellent students choose UCCS. Strategic Enrollment Management is one of five initiatives where UCCS will focus as the university prepares for budgets without federal stimulus dollars and the potential for reduced state support.

Click the link to see the chancellor's presentation in PDF format.