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I'm confident, absolutely confident hearing

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you all visit this morning that it's going to be a great school year.

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Our goal is to be the most affordable, 4-year, public university in Oregon.

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And to do that...applause 

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To do that we need to minimize tuition increases

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but also engage in very pro-active remissions policies

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which we begun in earnest this year.

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I've said this before but access to high education without affordability 

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is not opportunity.

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Looking forward to 2018-19 in academic affairs, 

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as I said earlier we'll prepare to launch the new general education program in fall of 2019.

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A Salem campus will begin offering classes.  

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The plan calls for undergraduate programs and 

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many areas including the applied baccalaurate.

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The program will focus on adult learners and classes will be offered 

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in the evening, in a hybrid fashion.

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Oregon has over 500,000 adults with some 

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college credit and not degree.

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We also engage in continued planning for a doctorate of physical therapy.

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And this will be proposed to faculty senate this fall.

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We will engage in renewed efforts for improving retention.

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This summer the division chairs made contact

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with continuing student who have not registered

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in a effort to re-engage these students.  Such efforts

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provide an encouraging nudge to our students. Encourage them to finish the race.

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And I greatly appreciate their efforts to engage these students to start fall term.

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Applause. 

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Looking to the next biennium, I mentioned that Western has 2 projects

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among the top 10 identified by HEC for consideration.

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This first is a Student Success Center.

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This concept will occupy the old College of Education building site

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and we are currently finalizing the best path forward related to

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remodeling or rebuilt on that site.

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This center is envisioned as a place where all students would be able to gather

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to improve their academic performance and to graduate

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For many this will be welcome news.  On the list we also have New PE.

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Applause

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New PE built in 1971...laughter 

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and yet we still call it New PE somehow.

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As you  know it houses indoor varsity athletic courts,

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team and locker room training facilities,

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multi-purpose classrooms,

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as well as the athletic department office themselves.

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Its gymnasium and multi-purpose courts are scheduled each term

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to support and meet the demand in health and physical education

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as well as the athletic program.

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As the largest venue on campus with seating for 3,000

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New PE is also used for a number of campus events

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and community activities.  

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Many of you know that New PE does not have an elevator

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making the faculty offices and the entire second floor learning spaces

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inaccessible for some students, faculty and staff

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and this must be changed.

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So I wanted to highlight and underscore the academic achievement

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of our over 300 student-athletes.

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Many of you have a chance to watch them

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participate in sports. But many of us don't have a chance to call out

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their academic work which is where I want to focus my comments this morning.  

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So in terms of the Spring 2018 

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team GPAs, I want to read the team GPA's for our sport team.

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On the men's side, Baseball 2.9

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Basketball 2.7

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Cross Country 3.1

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Football 2.8, Track 3.0

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men's average 2.9

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On the women's side, Basketball 3.5

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Applause

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Cross Country 3.2

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Applause

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Soccer 3.3   

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 Applause 

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Softball 3.2

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Applause, Track 3.2.

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Volleyball 3.3.

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Women's average 3.3. 

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cheering and applause

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First, Dr. Woodcock pledged one million dollars for scholarships and endowments 

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to support underrepresented students in the STEM fields

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and education-related STEM fields such as math and science. 

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applause

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I am pleased that this pledge has now been fully paid. 

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And by next fall we will begin awarding 40,000 in scholarships per year forever. 

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applause

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We also had an all-time high on Giving Day

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surpassing our goal of 34,500. 

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You might ask, why 34,500? 

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Our address is 345 Monmouth Ave. N.

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I believe the total was over $40,000

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and I would like to applaud each of you who gave and participated in that program

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as it provides much needed support for scholarships as well. 

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applause

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Western should embrace the goal of becoming a Hispanic-serving institution. 

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cheering and applause

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Once achieved, Western would be the only four year institution in the state of Oregon with such a designation. 

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And to achieve this we need to have Hispanic enrollment grow from 16 percent currently to 25 percent. 

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Sounds like a lot. 

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In numbers, we need to grow from 800 to 1200 students, a reachable goal. 

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Our size and student-faculty ratio of 14 to one

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gives us a comparative advantage in integrating high-impact practices into our curriculum. 

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It's what we do well. 

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We must harness the power of personalized support for our students in their pursuit of a college degree. 

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That effect will build a reputation that will draw students and families to Western as their first choice for higher education. 

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So I'm confident that if we focus our efforts on developing new programs and new pathways

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improving retention and graduation 

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with an overarching eye toward affordability 

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our future will be bright and secure. 

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So as we begin this new academic year

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I want to remind us all of our purpose, our shared values and goals.

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I ask each of us to recommit ourselves to our mission and our core values.

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Our mission is Western Oregon University creates lasting opportunities

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for student success through transformative education

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and personalized support. 

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The work we do changes lives and changes generations forever. 

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Go Wolves.

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applause