Spotlight
Summer 2007 Back to Spotlight home page
President's letter
As you might expect, my first six months as president
of ESU have been a bit of a whirlwind. The nontraditional
start date of Nov. 1 allowed me a unique
opportunity. Rather than come in over a summer to
prepare for the upcoming year, I was able to 
come in and
observe the many activities and traditions on campus that
were already planned. This opportunity allowed me to
experience ESU without the background of planning.
As I promised when I accepted this position, I wanted to
do a lot of listening and learning. That is a process I plan to
continue until I retire. However, at this point I have been
able to assess many things at ESU, and, working with the
faculty, staff, and administrative team, will begin to make
some changes over the next year. The first significant
change involves a restructuring of the university’s strategic
planning process. We will initiate a new strategic planning
process in the fall. The new structure places a task force,
with representatives from all constituencies, in charge of
the process. The task force will be aided by a consultant
who will work with the co-chairs to complete the planning
process by next March or April. Our goal is to create a bold
plan for the future of ESU.
You will also begin to see important changes in
opportunities to support your alma mater. We have spent
much of the last several years completing a scholarship
campaign to support students at ESU. As we move forward
with a new executive director of University Advancement and president of the Foundation (Mrs. Judith Heasley, who
began her ESU career in April), you will see many changes
in the Foundation and in our fundraising priorities. I am
sure you know that state funding of higher education is
still declining as a percent of total operating budgets. This
is a trend that, I believe, will continue. As a result, we need
to fend for ourselves. Some of the new opportunities you
will learn about in the next year include:
• Endowed chairs and endowed professorships in
all disciplines;
• A leadership program for 10 entering freshman
(the program will include international travel);
• Naming opportunities for our colleges, schools,
and programs;
• Creation of a new lecture series;
• Many discipline-related opportunities;
• And a major renovation of the Memorial Union.
As you can see, the opportunities are impressive!
As I end this message, I want to reiterate how impressed
and pleased I am with the commitment of the faculty and
staff of ESU. Their primary mission is the success of our
students and their record of success is truly remarkable.
As I have met some of our alumni, I continue to be
impressed with the positive memories each of you hold.
As we move into the future, I will do my best to make sure
we are creating positive memories each day for our current
students. With the continued support of our friends and
our alumni, we will move Emporia State University to new
levels of greatness! It’s a great day to be a Hornet!
Dr. Michael R. Lane
President
Last Updated April 17, 2008