Towson University President

Check out my new widget on how Towson University uses all kinds of technology on our campus!

 My latest podcast is up and ready for listening. This time I sat down with Kim Fabian, president of the Towson University Alumni Association and member of the class of 1988.

Be sure to tune in to find out:

-how you can get involved or continue your involvment at Towson University post-graduation through our alumni network

-how alumni giving plays a part in our national rankings

-little-known facts about Towson University that all alumni should know to help us “tell the Towson story”

-ways to show your Towson University pride!

After you listen, leave a comment here to tell me what you think and what you would like to hear on future podcasts.

Join me this week when I host my first virtual study break in Second Life!

Each semester I  sit down with students to talk about your campus experience at Towson University.  In an effort to find new and interesting ways to reach out to students, I decided to host a study break in Second Life this semester in addition to the traditional study breaks.

My hope is that we not only engage students already using Second Life, but also bring in new interest to those who have not yet discovered SL or my study breaks.

The best thing is, you don’t have to be a Second Life pro to join the discussion. There are several different ways to participate.  Check out the TU Daily Digest announcement this week for more details.

So plan to join me for this exciting endeavor on the new Towson University Innovation Lab Island in Second Life.

Please let us know where you are logging on by submitting your RSVP here.

Well the buzz about all of the great things happening and coming to Towson University is rising.

With all of the talk about the proposed construction in the athletic precinct of campus, much attention has been diverted from one of the largest campus construction projects in the history of our campus, the new College of Liberal Arts building (College of Liberal Arts Rendering PDF).

As the first new academic building on campus in 30 years and the University’s largest, nearly every student on campus (except for this spring’s graduating seniors) will have the chance to take at least one class in the College of Liberal Arts building, beginning this fall.

Even better, the building opening this fall is only the first phase and first third of the final product. 

With the new building Towson will retain what gives our university its small campus feel, small class sizes.  With more than 250,000 square feet, the LEED silver certified building includes office space for faculty and small classrooms that accommodate lTowson’s competitive 18:1 student teach ratio.

  Last week Towson University celebrated the accomplishment of one of our alumni, musician Douglas Purviance, who won a Grammy Award with his group Vanguard Jazz Orchestra for best jazz ensemble album.

According to Dan Roddrick’s Baltimore Sun column , Mr. Purviance plays bass trombone and also serves as the group’s business manager.

After graduating Dundalk High School in 1970, Douglas came to then Towson State University as a music major.  Today, Doug is an accomplished musician in New York City and has played for several Broadway shows.

Congratulations Doug, we’re proud to call you a Tiger. We’ll be calling you soon to come home and share your talents with Towson’s many other aspiring musicians.

To find out more about Doug visit the following websites  http://www.douglaspurviance.com/  and  http://www.vanguardjazzorchestra.com/index.htm .

 Google searches turn up the most interesting things. Did you know that December is National Stress Free Family Holiday Month? 

For most of you, when all of your final exams are finished, you will travel back home to your families.  For some, it will be the first time you return home after living somewhat ‘on your own’ in college. Trust me, home may feel a little different.

Many of you will have to conform to your parents’ rules and curfew once again. You may have to get used to your old room or even pick up some household or sibling responsibilities you left behind when you came to school.  This is all part of the college experience and the transition between college living and home can be a tricky one.

For those of you going home, I have some advice.  Having been where you are, both excited to catch up with friends from home, but also a dad whose kids returned from college (but were often nowhere to be found during the holiday break), I’d like to remind you to take some time to spend some quality time with your family. Don’t forget about your siblings, either. They look up to you and your parents will appreciate you for spending time with them.

Here’s more to think about. Choose to enjoy yourself. Choose to not sweat the small stuff.  Don’t worry about not being able to get your family the perfect gifts. From personal experience, I can tell you that parents are simply happy to hear that you are doing your best.

So during this holiday season and winter break try to indulge in stress-free holiday break, by helping out when you can, spending quality time with family and/ friends, and, my favorite, always making curfew.

Happy New Year and return to campus rejuvenated for an exciting spring semester!

As the holidays approach (including the biggest shopping weekend of the year) financial responsibility is just as important as making a solid academic finish this semester.  

Towson University wants to help students practice financial responsibility and wants your help in naming a unique, comprehensive financial literacy program launching this year! Exclusively through my blog, students will be able to name this university-wide program.  The student with the winning entry will receive a $25.00 University Bookstore Gift Certificate! The winner will be announced in a future blog post (early December).

Towson University’s financial literacy program will be geared toward helping you become financially literate and will provide support services on campus by partnering with local area experts and service providers who want to offer their services for free to students. In developing this unique program, Towson University wants to help students practice financial responsibility in every aspect of your life from managing your personal finances, to paying your college bills, and preparing you for post graduate financial security and success.

In today’s economy, now is an important time to develop good financial behavior in saving, investing, and spending. Did you know, for example, that the second largest group filing for bankruptcy are those between the ages of 25 and 34?  This is a significant reality some of you may have to face, and we want to help prevent that.

In additional to a number of other services this “unnamed program,” can help you:

-Improve your credit score to obtain a top-level security clearance.

-Get debt counseling and debt management guidance.

-Learn how to avoid identity theft and fraud.

-Get help filing your taxes.

- Develop a spending plan.

- Understand the importance of savings.

What you would call a program that does all of that for students and more?

Get creative and give us all of your ideas! You may enter multiple times.  (For Example: Common Cents, Dollars and Sense, etc). While you’re typing tell us what other kinds of services you may find helpful.

 Did you know it’s International Education Week?

A joint initiative between the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education, International Education Week, which runs this year from November 17-21, aims to promote  and celebrate multiculturalism and international education.

Towson University’s Study Abroad  program sponsors several International Education Week activities, including foreign film screenings.  Check out http://www.towson.edu/studyabroad/internationaleducationweek.asp for more information.

Here are some quick facts about Towson University Study Abroad:

• 2008-2009, TU helped 549 students study abroad
• TU study abroad participation has increased 156 percent since 2000-2001.
• TU has more than 50 study abroad programs in more than 25 countries.
• TU students can choose programs than range in length from one week to one year abroad.
• Top study abroad destinations by Towson students are Italy and United Kingdom.
• TU students can choose to study abroad at any time during your academic career at TU.
• All financial aid and scholarships can be used for study abroad and special scholarships are available for study abroad students.

If you never thought about it before, take some time this week to stop by our study abroad office just off the second floor entrance of the Administration building and grab some information.  If you find something you like, it’s perfect timing to talk it over with the family during the Thanksgiving holiday! 

Have you studied abroad or ever considered it? I am interested in hearing your experiences or your questions.

Elections don’t get more exciting than the one before our nation this week. Whether you are Republican or Democrat, between presidential candidate Barack Obama and vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, America has a choice between making history and making history.

For many freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and some seniors, this will be your first opportunity to cast your vote for the nation’s highest office. This may have been the first time you actually carefully weighed how each candidate’s platform personally affects your life and your future. Welcome to your role in society–being thoughtful involved citizens.

You followed the news articles on the candidates, read their books, saw their commercials, watched them debate, followed their blogs, attended their rallies, listened to the political pundits, and even became their friends on Facebook. When you put it all together, it sounds so exhausting that it could make you thankful presidential elections only happen every four years.

Democracy is a wonderful thing, but it only works if you participate. So, hopefully by now you have already cast your absentee ballot or at least located your local polling place.  There are tons of election day activities including free shuttle buses to local polling places.  TU is also bringing live election results through WTMD and National Public Radio, where some of Maryland’s deaf and hard-of-hearing community will be able to experience live radio coverage for the first time.

Take advantage of this exciting time in your life and become part of the political process. Gather your friends and watch the results at PAWS in the University Union from 7:30 p.m. to midnight.

 If this is your first presidential election, it is a memory and feeling you will never forget.

One of the advantages of attending a school like Towson University is the university’s rich 140-year history. Over the years, many stories (or legends) have developed about certain buildings, people, and places on campus.
One of those stories is about the Auburn House, located adjacent to Unitas Stadium and the Towson Center. Towson University first acquired the Auburn House back in 1971, and today the property is used primarily as office space for Athletics and for special events.

However, the white mansion we see today on Auburn Drive is not the original structure built by Charles Ridgely in 1790. In 1849, on a “dark and stormy night” the original mansion was struck by lightening and ultimately destroyed by a fire, killing a woman named Martha, who was allegedly a maid or nanny working late that evening in the mansion. There is also conjecture that a child could have also died in the fire.

The Auburn House was ultimately rebuilt in 1850, and it is said that to this day the ghost of Martha still has a presence there.  Accounts from both visitors and staff include lights flickering, strange noises, or even that Martha, herself, can sometimes be seen from the attic window. By the way, the rathskeller in the basement is named in her honor.

 According to TU Foundation President Dan McCarthy, a few years ago university police reported to the Auburn House for noise complaints and the K-9 dog accompanying the officer refused to enter the house.

As recent as last year, a ghost hunter even discovered “paranormal” activity in the Auburn House.  

Whether you believe in ghosts or not, you have to admit that it sure makes Halloween–or your next visit down Auburn Drive–a little more interesting.
Have a safe weekend.

 My latest podcast, the second of the academic year, is up and ready for listening. This month I sat down with SGA president Kristen Guy and we discussed how our roles as campus leaders intersect as well as her goals for the academic year.

Be sure to check it out. I think you’ll be interested to find out about the many ways in which we work together including the SGA-sponsored student study breaks, where I get a chance to hear from you one-on-one.

Like the blog, the podcasts have a new format this year.  Instead of being an audio version of my blog, this year’s podcasts will follow more of a radio format and from time to time I will invite special guests, like Kristin, that you may find interesting.

After you listen, leave a comment here to tell me what you think and what you would like to hear on future podcasts.

This year’s homecoming theme, “There’s No Place Like Home” perfectly captures the sentiment of what this special week is truly supposed to be about every year. Homecoming should evoke a sense of pride from not only Towson University alumni, but also the students that are still walking about campus every day, taking classes, going to performances, and attending our thrilling Tiger athletic events.

Some of our freshmen got a sneak preview of that at this year’s fall sports pep rally.

In addition to your academic pursuits, your college experience should be about cultivating lifelong relationships, and as I’ve said before, one of the most important connections is the one you feel with your school. If you haven’t taken the time to develop that bond called “school spirit” yet, homecoming is the perfect time and place to start.

Homecoming, the ultimate breeding ground for school spirit and pride, is often the place where you meet the few people in the world that can identify with you and understand what it is like to be part of the Towson University community.

After all school spirit and pride is really about feeling a sense of ownership about the positive reputation of your school, memories of your time here, the success of your athletic teams, the appearance of your campus, and (what most people remember) the behavior and accomplishments of your fellow classmates. All of those things add to the quality of your college experience, and ultimately, will make you proud to be a graduate of Towson University.

Unfortunately, some people get so caught up in the excitement of enjoying their new found freedom as young adults that their celebrations ruin the experience for others. We cannot let this happen. Remember to remind your friends this week, and even this year, that with freedom comes responsibility. For your own safety and for the safety of others we must all be responsible and keep in mind our “clean, safe, pretty, happy” campus mantra.

There’s truly no place like Towson University, so remember to take care of our campus home and each other. Have an enjoyable homecoming week! 

By now you may have heard that as of September 11, 2008, the University System Maryland (USM), initiated a hiring freeze on all 11 USM campuses-including Towson University.

The hiring freeze is all inclusive and affects any faculty or staff positions that were not filled by September 11, 2008. While the duration of the freeze is unclear at this time, each campus, through the president, has been given flexibility in saying yes or no to a particular hire or critical hires.

Freezes are one way to respond to a reduction in budget or the potential of shortfall in budget revenues. A freeze usually comes after budget cuts, but in this case the hiring freeze will help brace USM campuses for possible cuts suspected after State leaders recently announced an expected State budget revenue shortfall.

In my 5+ years as President of Towson University, there has never been a hiring freeze, although the system and university has had them in the past. As a designated growth institution, we will have to handle the hiring freeze differently than an institution that is not growing.  With our enrollment headcount cracking the 21,000 mark last week, there are many demands we must meet in order to continue to deliver quality academic programs, support students, and provide a safe campus community. We will meet those demands.

You hear me say all the time that we are an institution on the move. Towson University is thriving, and the excitement and momentum will continue.

Welcome back to another exciting school year! Whether you are new to campus, or returning for another healthy dose of Tigertown, no one can deny that this fall semester feels a little different than any other.  You can feel the energy just walking around campus as new construction and completed projects are slowly transforming the campus landscape before our eyes.It’s been one exciting event after another. First we cut the ribbon opening of the new Paca and Tubman Houses in West Village for the 668 lucky students and RAs who live there.   

Then we had our biggest-ever fall sports pep rally where we unveiled the new 17-by-47 foot TigerVision high definition video scoreboard.  The Many Moons Asian Festival at the Center for Arts brought in students and visitors from all over the state still riding the momentum from the Beijing Olympics.  Our Tiger football team, in its home opener, defied a hurricane and defeated our local football rival, the Morgan State Bears.  We have 5 homes games remaining in the season, and I hope to see you all there. Student activities kicked-off this week with the Student Involvement Fair and the Greek fall rush.  And finally, I delivered my sixth fall address to the campus community this week.

For those of you who are unfamiliar, the fall address is my opportunity to share this year’s top priorities and get the campus off to a good start for the new academic year. In case you missed the fall address, you can listen to it on this month’s podcast.There are so many things happening on campus and this year, to keep up with it all, I will be blogging weekly on various topics and current events.   I would like to hear from you, so be sure to subscribe or visit back often. 

By now you may have heard that Towson University is the first University System of Maryland school to move toward operating our facilities year-round with a pilot trimester and asking students to “try a trimester.” Undergraduate and graduate students can register now to take advantage of more than 800 classes, labs and internships available between May and August.

At first mention, the idea of a trimester may not sound exciting or enticing. For some students, it may seem like the beginning steps of extending the school year—when many cannot wait to be liberated into summer after the spring semester.

So, for those of you who are in doubt, undecided, or just need to know more, I ask you to consider what the trimester can really do for your total college experience at Towson University.

Do your fall or spring semester grades need a tune-up? Try a trimester redo.

Do you need to take an 8 a.m. class in the fall, but are convinced your body will reject your alarm clock? Get your rest and the course during the trimester.

No luck getting into a popular course during the fall or spring semesters? Increase your odds during the trimester.

Seeing a pattern here? The trimester is all about increasing student access to classes and giving you the freedom, during the fall and spring semesters, to explore other educational horizons and accelerate your learning.

Use the trimester to get out and onto your career path faster. Give yourself the flexibility to pick up more internship or work hours, or take a course better suited for a particular time of year.

Give yourself a better chance to get a good grade in a tough course. If your college experience is anything like mine, capitalize on the trimester opportunity and ease your fall or spring workload by taking a study-intensive lab during the summer.

The summer trimester also offers enhanced summer services and resources from tutoring and writing lab support to extended library and dining services hours.

Remember this is just the beginning. If the pilot trimester turns out to be a success this summer, we will be able to expand the trimester course offerings to you and future students.

A few years ago I celebrated my 30th anniversary in higher education. Pondering that milestone I began to think about significant changes that have occurred over that time span. At Towson University several are obvious. Thirty years ago there were around 8,000 students. Today our enrollment is at 20,000. Over time there is also a commendable increase in the threshold GPA and SAT needed to gain entry at Towson. Time has brought change.

But perhaps the most striking change, and of greatest concern to all of us, is the significant increase in the cost of attending college. The cost of tuition is much different today than it was when I attended college. I am not going to tell you what it cost me to attend; you might not believe me and I would be providing an inaccurate comparison. Why this change? There are lots of reasons. In Maryland and much of the country, conditions have produced a kind of storm, a storm of many factors coming together. And unfortunately, it does not appear that the storm will pass.

First, more and more families want their children to attend college, in many cases becoming the first family member to go to college. As students and parents scramble for extra funds, university administrators and state decision-makers are scrambling to maintain access and quality education with fewer federal and state dollars to help do it. What is frequently overlooked is a key question — what does it cost to educate a student? Conventional thinking is tuition, fees, books, room and board. These are the costs to families, but it is not the full cost of their son or daughter’s education. The full cost is subsidized by the federal government, the state and the institution itself. Just five short years ago at Towson, it cost approximately $10,800 to educate a student. Today it costs approximately $14,000. Thirty years ago, it cost about $1,300 to educate a student.

Why? In the past 20 or so years tuition is up well over 200%. The estimate of inflation over that period is under 100%. Why the difference? Health insurance for faculty and staff has grown to unimagined numbers and states have transferred more and more costs to institutions. Older, larger and more complex facilities require higher operating and upkeep expenditure. The “halls of ivy” require more and more care, care that costs more and more each year. Students want heat, cooling and shuttle buses — energy users. We must keep pace with technology. ADA and EPA compliance is demanding and costly. Many other federal and state mandates come with reduced or no funding. All considered, the state has tried to keep pace with higher education funding, but keeping pace means falling behind. Today, only about 40% of the cost of funding a student comes from the state. Thirty years ago it was closer to 60%

The bottom line, ancillary costs have gone up and up and up. This is our new reality. As a result we need to work hard and smart to keep higher education not only affordable, but accessible. Institutions, the federal government, states, students and their families must be part of the solution. States must keep higher education a priority. Unfunded mandates must be minimized. There must be financial and need-based aid to help students come through our doors. There are many economic challenges and many of these challenges were not present 30 or so years ago.

It is like the tropical storm that becomes a hurricane. Conditions bring together the right mixture of heat, moisture and wind, and all coalesce to produce an awesome force of nature. Around the country in higher education there is this kind of storm, the sum of all the elements. It is a challenge to all. A university is not an island immune from social, economic, medical and political changes. We reflect changes in attitudes, dollars and other external factors.

Yes, today a college education costs more, but it is also worth more.

School spirit is not something you can easily define. That’s because school spirit consists of many things. School spirit is the feeling you get when you step into Johnny Unitas stadium for the first football game of the season.  It’s the indescribable feeling you get as you drive by Stephens Hall and see our bronze tiger standing there proudly. It’s the feeling you get when the Tigers are announced and the team runs onto the field at the start of the game, and watching Doc Minnegan run around the field after we score a touchdown. School spirit is proudly wearing the one-of-a-kind T-shirt you got during Orientation, Homecoming or Tiger Fest.

School spirit is more than supporting the team; it’s supporting the University’s entire community — attending campus events in the University Union and Center for the Arts, running for a leadership position in a student group, or participating in a community service project.

School spirit makes you feel good about your school and creates a positive learning environment for both students and their professors.  If you have pride in your school, you have pride in yourself. I hope you see the relation. After all, a positive learning environment is one of the many things that make college life so exciting. School spirit can improve your commitment to our school, your education and, in turn, deter bad behavior like skipping class, disrespecting school property or your fellow students.

Furthermore, school spirit helps to develop and foster relationships among your classmates.  And this bond is something you will share long after you’ve graduated. No matter where I am, when I see someone with a Suffolk University or University of New Hampshire sweatshirt (where I received my degrees), I feel a connection. I can strike up a conversation with them that lasts for hours, and the root of that bond is school pride.

So remember, college is not just about tests, mid-terms and report cards. It also involves relationships—and one of the most important relationships is between you and your school.  In the end, that is what makes college so exciting. It’s friendships, and the bonds that develop over the years. It’s having professors that are passionate about their students and what they teach and students who develop and grow and enjoy the growth and learning experience that college provides.

School spirit is more than wearing black and gold. It’s a culture and it’s the lifeblood of our Towson Community.  Got school spirit? Well then, let’s hear it! If not, think about it

What do you want to be when you grow up? When this question was posed to you in second grade most likely your answer was fireman, bus driver, doctor, astronaut, or teacher. Chances are you probably have shifted your career goals a bit since then. As a college student when I thought about where I would be thirty years into my career, college president was not on the top of my list. It never even crossed my mind. In fact, my goal at the time was to be a high school science teacher or chemist or perhaps an accountant—I liked math.

The inevitable future questions are bound to haunt you during your time here but I would like to share some advice – relax! The chances that your first job will be your last job are pretty slim. In fact, it’s downright unlikely. Writing the perfect resume and landing your first job interview is only the tip of the Career Iceberg. Impressing the employer on your interview and succeeding at the job that you finally accept will depend on lots of things. Skills that you acquired on and off campus such as multi-tasking projects, selling an idea, interacting with peers, study habits, ethics, school pride, being punctual, and balancing your school work with your social life will be considerable factors in excelling at your job in the real world.

Keep it all in perspective. Think big but start small. Broaden your skills and knowledge base, read a lot, learn from your peers, stay involved, and your path will unfold just as it has for me. Your college experience shouldn’t be a giant to-do list. The purpose isn’t to get it all done but to enjoy each step and get the most out of each experience along the way.

TU offers plenty of resources including internships and other service learning opportunities, student leadership opportunities, career fairs, and workshops to help prepare you for the “next step” — whether that’s graduate school or your first job!

Visit the career center website for more information at http://www.towson.edu/careercenter/.    

Welcome back! For over 2,000 of you this semester will mark the culmination of your academic career with Towson. Each May and January Towson holds commencement ceremonies. Commencement is more than an event; it is a tradition. And it is an important tradition because it brings together our students, faculty, alumni, friends, family, and distinguished guests to celebrate the very purpose of our university—the graduation of our students. As President I attend countless events each year and among my favorites are orientation, new student convocation, and commencement. I have the opportunity to welcome students and commemorate their hard work.Commencement is much more than just a two-hour event; it is the symbolic activity that moves you from student to alumnus and from scholar to practitioner. Each year faculty members and administrators from across the campus attend the ceremonies to support your transition into the next phase of your life. For each of them commencement is an opportunity to see one of their primary purposes as a teacher celebrated.

Over the next several months pay especially close attention to your professors during their lectures, and make sure that you are taking full advantage of what your courses offer you intellectually.  As you are updating the second draft of a final paper, remember that ends will justify the energy and time expended.  After you finish a difficult exam, complete a 25-page research paper, or turn in that challenging group project, take a minute to feel proud of all that you have accomplished, before you move on to the next assignment. Treasure the time you spend with your friends on and off campus. The friends you have made over the past few years have probably had a huge impact on the person you are today.  So, the next time your roommate drinks all of your milk—without asking—try to remember the importance of this unique bond!

Before commencement take advantage of the series of “Senior Experience” activities sponsored by The Office of Campus Life. The events range from job-fairs to happy hours. For more information visit www.towson.edu/seniors. Your experience at Towson University marks one of the most pivotal stages of your life. Enjoy your last semester. I look forward to joining Provost Clements in shaking your hand this coming May!  

Many, if not most, of our students are plugged into iPods or other audio devices most of the day. I do it a bit myself. In a noisy environment, music enables you to block out much of that white noise around you on the campus - that construction, that York Road traffic, other things that bother you. And your choice of music enables you to create your own personal environment – your own personal soundtrack. Having test anxiety? Listen to music that is familiar or calming. Need to gear up for a jog, spinning, or a sports competition or to motivate yourself at the gym? Crank up the tempo and the volume.  Music enriches our world.

How that music gets on to your iPod, your MP3 player or cell phone, however, is of concern to Towson University and the music industry - especially the Recording Industry Association of American (RIAA). And it should be of concern to you. The RIAA wants to ensure that recording artists are not compromised by illegal downloading of their music and/or their videos. There are so many legal services that allow downloads, it doesn’t make sense for you to risk illegal downloading. Ruckus Network, Inc. offers Towson University free, legal downloading of more than 2.5 million songs. Register with your TU email address at www.ruckus.com. Other legal music sites identified by RIAA include Napster, iTunes, Rhapsody and Yahoo.What are the risks of illegal downloading? Violators are subject to sanctions, stiff fines and criminal penalties. RIAA actually contacts Towson University when they believe illegal downloads have occurred and they are able to identify the IP address or addresses of the violators. Towson University is committed to enforcing copyright laws, to working with RIAA, not to protecting those who violate them… so it’s just not worth the risk. And many future opportunities for employment can be compromised….things you just aren’t thinking about today.

In addition to the legal aspects, consider the creative artists who make their living from writing, producing, singing and playing the music that you love and helps define your day. They bring you their talent and deserve your respect. Some of you may be joining those artists in the future. Download their music legally.