News

Dear Faculty Colleague:

Despite the many challenges in front of us, the beginning of Spring cannot help but bring a renewed sense of energy and optimism. This is well warranted given the accomplishments and recognition that PSU faculty, staff and students continue to achieve.

Recognition

Two weeks ago, we received notice that PSU's Graduate School of Business has been chosen by The Princeton Review as one of 16 graduate schools of business that are "Business Schools Best for 'Green Business' Education." The Princeton Review also included PSU's undergraduate programs in "The Best 376 Colleges: 2012 Edition." Only about 15 percent of colleges in the United States make the Princeton Review list. PSU joins Reed College, Lewis & Clark College, Willamette University and University of Oregon as the only five Oregon universities to have made Princeton's "Best 376" list.

In other recognition, US News Media Group's 2012 edition of Best Graduate Schools will include several of PSU's graduate programs in its top-50 ranking, including the College of Urban and Public Affairs' Environmental Policy and Management program (#13), City Management and Urban Policy (#17), and Public Affairs (#49). The Graduate School of Education ranked Number 23 for its Rehabilitation Counseling program and the School of Social Work made the list at Number 36 for Social Work.

Acknowledgment of PSU's contributions to sustainable practices continues to come from a number of quarters. Last month, the university received notice that the first comprehensive assessment of its sustainability programs and performance had earned it a Gold STARS rating by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). The assessment identified co-curricular education, public engagement, research and transportation as strengths of PSU's sustainability efforts. PSU also was chosen earlier this month as one of only six sites in the nation, and the only West Coast site, to host a national public forum on natural resource policy issues.

Update on Searches

The search for a new Dean of Social Work to replace retiring Dean Kristine Nelson has produced a strong pool of well-qualified candidates. Five candidates have come to campus for interviews. We expect to make an offer soon and to have a new dean in place this Fall.

The search for a replacement for retiring Vice President of Finance and Administration Lindsay Desrochers is also well underway. Initial interviews will be conducted the first week of May and campus visits the last week of May and first week of June.

Finally, the search for a new Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) to replace Marvin Kaiser is on schedule. Campus interviews are expected to be completed by mid-June and a new dean to be in place by Fall Term. Dick Knight, who previously served as interim dean of engineering and interim vice president of university relations, is serving as interim dean for CLAS until a new dean is on board.

Budget

The Ways and Means Committee began hearings on the OUS budget last week. The committee heard from a wide variety of higher education stakeholders, including the Presiding Officer of PSU's Faculty Senate, Maude Hines. The committee also was provided with written testimony from Nabil Mitkawi, the PSU graduate student recently recognized by President Obama for developing a solution to an engineering problem for Intel.

While committee members acknowledged the important role of higher education, it is unclear at this time what level of budget they will approve. Given the state's $3.5 billion revenue shortfall, it is unlikely that the final legislative budget will be vary significantly from the Governor's proposal, which would result in an estimated annual funding gap of nearly $24 million for PSU.

Upcoming Event

If you have the opportunity, please consider attending the Music Department's presentation of Street Scene, April 23 - May 1 in Lincoln Hall. Having attended earlier opera productions at PSU, I recommend this wonderful opportunity to see our students put their education into action.

Planning our Future

Finally, I would like to recommend an interesting article about PSU from the March 4 issue of the Portland Business Journal. The article focuses on the need for the university to grow to accommodate the number of students it is expected to be educating by 2034 - and the economic impact that growth will have on the larger community. You can find the article at

http://www.pdx.edu/news/psu-pursues-grand-vision

We are all aware of the challenge we face in creating the great urban university that Portland needs to be globally competitive – a university that meets the education needs of the region's citizens while also meeting its economic needs. As THE public university in the region, however, we have no choice but to meet this challenge head on.

We can't meet the education needs of the region without pursuing growth, nor is growth worth pursuing unless it also contributes to a better quality of life. I have no doubt the university that survived the Vanport flood and has overcome every challenge since will be able to achieve this delicate balance. The can-do spirit of the faculty and staff attracted Alice and me to Portland State in the first place and this spirit continues to make us grateful to be part of this amazing university.

I look forward to a productive Spring Term and to seeing all of you at Commencement on June 12 at the Rose Garden.

Sincerely,
Wim Wiewel