By Matthew Kiernan
President Jack Miller’s speech at the opening meeting of the 2010-11 academic year on Wednesday gave a positive outlook for CCSU’s future, with Miller citing growing numbers in statistics for most of the central aspects of the campus.
“One of the things that remains the same is that we’re changing all the time,” said Miller during his opening remarks in Alumni Hall.
All across the board CCSU did appear to be growing, stretching from student retention rates, all the way to energy sustainability.
The campus saw a growth of 414 undergraduates totaling 7,859 in fall 2009 from fall 2005. Miller attributes this not to greater numbers of students being accepted into the university, but to the work professors have put into retaining students and giving them incentives not to transfer.
Extracurricular activities have also jumped in numbers of participation, measured by 63 percent of students getting involved on campus in 2010, compared to 47 percent in 2007.
Graduation rates are still a troubling factor for the university though. Of students graduating within six years, only 51 percent of whites, 37 percent of African-Americans and 38 percent of Latinos do so in that period.
Miller made predictions as to what the state of CCSU will be in 2015. He expects there to be 15,000 students as long as there’s proper funding, 20 percent of which will live in residential halls and 20-30 percent in private apartments.
“We’re going to have a lot more facilities on campus,” said Miller. There will be a new residential hall, police station and academic building, among other projects, according to Miller, to combat the increasing room shortage on campus.
Environmental sustainability has drastically improved within the last few years. In 2010, 37 percent of the campus trash stream has been recycled, compared to 28 percent in 2008.
Miller recalled a moment when he first took the position of president in 2005 when he asked where on campus he could recycle a soda can and was answered that there wasn’t such a place.
Criticism is something Miller says is needed in order to improve the university, but must be delivered in a civil and proper manner. Without naming names, he briefly mentioned that most of the negative and difficult voices over the recent years have left, creating a much more positive atmosphere.
After the meeting, professors and students met outside of Alumni to discuss Miller’s presentation, and it appeared to have an overall warm acceptance.
“There was a lot of celebration of our success and what we’re trying to do,” said Thomas Delventhal, professor of theatre, on the general tone of the speech.
“We (professors and students) should always be learning how to grow,” said Barbara Clark, assistant professor of teacher education.
Gilbert Gigliotti, professor of English, was granted the university’s Distinguished Service Award at the meeting for his exceptional work with students and the outside community.
“I don’t want to make people think there won’t be any bumps in the road, but that we will be prepared for those bumps,” said Miller.
