Chancellor Carter outlines priorities in campus Address
By Nick Phillips
Editor
Chancellor Kyle R. Carter officially kicked off the 2011-2012 academic year with his University Address on Aug. 16, covering a wide-range of topics that included everything UNCP.Those topics included the good and the bad, the present and future, the faculty and the students.
Budget:
The toughest topic to discuss was the University's budget, but it was a topic that Chancellor Carter met head on.
"Last fall, I knew that we would be challenged by the current economy and would have to look for ways to do more with less," Chancellor Carter said. "But I had no idea that I would stand before you today and report that our state appropriation would be 15.5 percent less than last year," he added. The University budget has been reduced by more than $7 million for this year, and Chancellor Carter called the cutbacks "daunting" and said that "there will be belt tightening across the campus." Chancellor Carter was happy to report that despite the budget cuts the University has only lost three jobs due to planning and eliminating vacant positions.This is now the fourth consecutive year with no pay raises, a stat that Chancellor Carter said he "can not ignore."
Student success:
The UNC Board of Governors expects the UNC campus to provide high quality programs, retain students and graduate the students on time, Chancellor Carter said. He pointed to funding being linked to performance measures such as performance, retention rates and degree efficiency. "UNC-Pembroke risks additional budget penalties if we do not improve," Chancellor Carter said. "We must improve," he added. Student selectivity, student services and academic expectations, he said, have all been improved. UNCP's retention rate is above the national average, but the General Administration shoots for 80 percent. This year, the entrance requirements on a student's GPA and SAT scores were increased, and Chancellor Carter said they would continue to increase until the right balance is found for student success. Another factor in student success is the new academic standing policy that requires students to have a 2.0 GPA after their first semester to remain in good academic standing. This requirement replaces the old system that mandated a 1.5 GPA by the end of a student's freshman year that gradually increased to needing a 2.0 GPA at the end of their junior year. "We hope that raised expectations will encourage students to be serious about their academics from day one," Chancellor Carter said.
Standing out:
Chancellor Carter discussed a new effort on branding that will show both a consistent image and the university's core values. "Institutions of choice must differentiate them- selves from other institu- tions through consistent and accurate messages that tell their story," Chancellor Carter said.
"The brand is not only the visual imagery like Old Main and the athletic logo, but also the language used to describe themselves and what we promise," Chancellor Carter added. He pointed to the numerous slogans the University uses and also asked "are we Pembroke, UNCP or UNC-Pembroke?"
The University is currently searching for an Executive Director of University Communications and Marketing, to oversee all marketing aspects. "When we officially represent the institution, we need to show our colors – black and gold," Chancellor Carter said "Could you imagine UNC-Chapel Hill using any other color than Carolina blue?" he asked. Part of the marketing and branding strategy is to begin licensing the school's marks and begin selling
UNCP merchandise more broadly.
Regional engagement:
Chancellor Carter said that UNCP has a mission to serve the community, and that there will be several pieces put in place to support that. Engaging with the region through a continuing education program, creating a task force to update the approach on service to the military and extending a partnership with the Town of Pembroke to work on problems that plague both sides.
