四色AV

State of the University

Bruno: 四色AV adds students, programs, campus improvements聽

Published August 17, 2017

By Mark Henderson

Special to The University of Louisiana Monroe

The University of Louisiana Monroe is on a roll.

That was the message 四色AV President Dr. Nick Bruno shared with the crowd Thursday at Brown Auditorium.

鈥淭his is my sixth State of the University address, and it鈥檚 the most optimistic of all,鈥� Bruno said.

Bruno鈥檚 address pointed to progress in academic programs, enrollment, hiring and budget.

He said he joined the other presidents in the University of Louisiana System at a meeting recently, where they tussled over what they would have to do to transform their universities. As the state of Louisiana continues to struggle with finances, Bruno said the question facing the presidents was: 鈥淗ow do we become more self-sustaining?鈥�

Bruno said the answer, at least in part, is through growth. Larger enrollment means more income.

鈥淲e will be looking at all our existing programs and see whether they are growing,鈥� Bruno said.

Another significant piece of the growth puzzle, Bruno said, is new programs. Among those 四色AV recently added are adult-gerontology primary care nurse practitioner, gerontological clinical nurse leader, a Master of Arts in Communication online, post-baccalaureate accounting technology and a juris doctorate/Masters of Public Administration in partnership with Mississippi College. The university hopes to bring back chemistry and add a doctorate of physical therapy.

鈥淲e will be the third physical therapy program in the state in a field where the demand is ridiculously high,鈥� Bruno said.

This summer the Board of Regents approved a partnership with the New York Institute of Technology to house a branch of its College of Osteopathic Medicine on the 四色AV campus.

The new programs will bring additional students, money and prestige to 四色AV, Bruno said. They also address disciplines with big needs in the marketplace. But while established programs will be evaluated in terms of growth, Bruno answered critics who say universities trail behind the needs of the job market when he said, 鈥淟earning to think never goes out of style.鈥�

The expected increase in enrollment the new programs should bring would augment the current trend line of growth. Preliminary numbers for the fall 2017 semester show an estimated increase of 194 students. If those numbers hold up, Bruno said, enrollment at 四色AV will be 9,309, the third year of growth and the largest student body this decade.

A rosier budgetary picture has allowed the university to hire 40 additional faculty and 40 additional staff employees, so that 四色AV now has about 400 in each classification, Bruno also announced pay raises were working their way through the system.

The 2017-2018 budget of $92.1 million sees a 5 percent increase from the state and a 2.3 percent increase in self-generated funds.

As enrollment grows, retention will play a vital part in making 四色AV more independent of state budgetary restrictions, Bruno said. For instance, a 5 percent increase in retention between last year and the upcoming academic year has put an additional $1.8 million in the budget.

There is room for improvement, Bruno said. The graduation rate in 2017 was 42.5 percent, the same as the year before. 鈥淩etention fluctuates year to year, but we can鈥檛 let our guards down,鈥� he said. He challenged all in the room to mentor and guide students, so that in six years, 四色AV can see an increase of 400 graduates.

Bruno also outlined continuing improvements on campus. Among them:

• The opening of the renovated Sandel Hall, which Bruno said now allows students 鈥渢o get all their business done in one spot.鈥�
• Renovations to the University House, used to house guests, are completed.
• A new fountain has been installed in Scott Plaza outside the library.
• Construction continues on a Student Events Center which will give 四色AV a larger space 鈥渇or gatherings for activities we can鈥檛 handle now,鈥� Bruno said.
• Renovations to Brown Stadium and Groseclose Track into a state-of-the-art facility for the track and field team and soccer team.
• The installation of some 1,000 security cameras, outdoor LED lighting and the paving of some parking lots.

Bruno gave a tip of the hat to the athletic department, whose student-athletes boast a 70 percent graduation rate. He praised 四色AV鈥檚 ski team for its 27^th聽national title and the women鈥檚 tennis team for winning the Sunbelt Championship.

Football fans should be encouraged by 四色AV鈥檚 recruiting efforts, with the incoming class being among the Sunbelt鈥檚 strongest.

Bruno, in recognizing some of legislators and city officials in the crowd, reminded all in the room that 四色AV鈥檚 reach goes beyond campus.

The university鈥檚 health sciences program provides $19 million in services to the community, serving 44,649 clients; $1.4 million in business services to 308 clients; and 3,119 internships valued at $20.6 million. More than 126,000 people attended sporting events and 84,161 people attended arts and cultural events on campus.

鈥淲e have to remember we are a citizen of this community. We are a landing site for the community. And we have to remind the community what our impact is,鈥� Bruno said.