Jackson State University News August 14, 2015 Meyers in State of JSU address: ‘Intending to stay’ at ‘solid’ JSU Speaking during the 2015 Fall Faculty and Staff Seminar on Thursday, Aug. 13, in the Rose E. McCoy Auditorium, at the start of her fifth academic year at Jackson State University, President Carolyn W. Meyers was transparent and candid about the state of the university, her stewardship of campus funds and, in her informal prelude to the formal address, dispelled selected and persistent rumors. In her State of the University address, Meyers affirmed that, the state of JSU is solid. “Our productivity of graduates is up; our reserves are up; our enrollment is robust; our students are talented; our alumni and friends are steadfast and increasing in their support; and our faculty and staff and whole community are more committed than ever. We have made substantial progress. Others in this city, state and nation have noticed us. People are watching and imitating us.” She thanked the faculty and staff for their hard work, commitment and dedication that enabled all of our successes, proclaiming “You did this over the past four years. You made me look good. Most critically, you made the University look good! Thank you, thank you.” She said the university has been diligent and frugal in its spending. Due to unpredicted circumstances she admitted that the university’s reserves for the first time in four years will show a decline. This decline is mostly due to the replacement of the brickwork on exterior of the library, “What started out as a small project became more expansive and expensive,” she said. The construction of the facility, which preceded her administration, has resulted in structural engineering problems, specifically with spacing of the support of the brick work posing an imminent and real danger to our people and our property. “While it will take more than $3 million to repair, it is not worth the risk of anyone getting hurt or hit by a pile of falling bricks. We’ve got to safeguard faculty, staff and students.” Recounting her 2012 inaugural initiatives, Meyers said the university has come a long way in each of the five areas. She expressed that academics remains JSU’s core business. As a result of this focus on excellence, she proudly shared with the faculty and staff a recent notification that “all of our programs at all of our sites today have been reaffirmed to 2021.” This reaffirmation comes from SACS (The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools) which accredits institutions of higher learning globally. Again, she thanked the faculty and staff who made this reaffirmation possible. Happen On other important matters, Meyers spoke of the university’s fiscal position and belt-tightening as all state agencies face funding cuts. “I have no new information about this financial situation we’re currently in. All of us together will work through the budget crisis,” she said. “For rich schools with a high endowment, this is an ‘ouch.’ For poorer schools, this is a ‘scream.’ With faculty and staff raises in limbo, Meyers – in solidarity – declared that although she was delighted that some had informally shared with her plans to encourage an increase in her salary under the new contract, due to the tight financial constraints of this time she has discouraged these much appreciated conversations “when I can’t give my people salary increases.” This is not the first budget crisis beyond our control. This university has had to weather such storms before,” she assured. In addition, the president emphasized that people are the university’s most important asset and that each person must continue telling the stories of the university because “no one will tell it better.” Also, she emphasized diversifying resources to “control our destiny because quality is not free’. To inspire administrative leaders, faculty and staff to continued excellence as the university focuses on the future, Meyers leaned on the wisdom from historic notables, quoting President John F. Kennedy about change as a way of life. “Those who look only to the past or the present are certain to miss the future.” Consequently, she said, “JSU must keep writing our roles in the future.” Meyers then turned to discussing the future, using passages from author David Price’s, book Open – How We Will Live, Work, and Learn in the Future. This work supports the reasoning of Jackson State’s embrace of the largest social engagement of the young people around the globe – social learning -as well as the recent merger of academic affairs and student life. Formal and informal learning must reinforce each other for the best educational experiences of our learners. Meyers also encouraged the audience to keep on dreaming big, to be brave, fearless, and confident as they write our roles in the future and create parts of the future. Dreaming enables us to get better and cited the wisdom of Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who said, “If your dreams don’t scare you, they are not big enough.” “We’ve been through in our almost 138 year history some rough time times on many fronts; change is often messy and uncomfortable, even positive changes,” Meyers declared, but as abolitionist Sojourner Truth said, “It ain’t easy, but it ain’t impossible.” This university has demonstrated this over and over. Informally, President Meyers opened with an unwritten prelude to her formal address, “Usually I don’t respond to rumors.” Rather, she expressed her desire to “touch up each other” as one would do in a candid conversation among close acquaintances. Citing her four-year contract extension earlier this year from the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning, Meyers said, “If my priorities, family and health change, I will let you know first. But, at this time I’m intending to stay.” Moreover Meyers said, “My contract includes the requirement of a complete physical examination every year, which I do anyway. I am blessed and happy to report I still have the same health conditions as when I came here. I have high blood pressure, high cholesterol and Type II diabetes – all inherited and unfortunately common among people of color across this state. I’m not ashamed of it. All of these conditions have been under control. Let the word go out: I’m fine.” She expressed gratitude to the College Board for their confidence in her as well as to the faculty and staff for their support of her administration. Meyers said, “We’re getting better at everything we do. We will engage partners to expand our successes on this planet. We are a right-size university with the ability to adjust smartly and quickly. We are ahead of the curve.” After a speech of repeated appreciation to JSU’s faculty and staff for acting as ONE JSU, and challenging all to think ‘new’, and reassurance that this will be the best year yet, part of JSU’s Sonic Boom of the South marched through the auditorium blaring “Get Ready”, bringing all to their feet in celebration of JSU. SANDRA M. PHOENIX Executive Director HBCU Library Alliance sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> 800-999-8558, ext. 4820 404-702-5854 Skype: sandra.phoenix1 1438 West Peachtree NW Suite 200 Atlanta,GA 30309 Toll Free: 1.800.999.8558 (LYRASIS) Fax: 404.892.7879 www.lyrasis.org<http://www.lyrasis.org/> Honor the ancestors, honor the children.