Executive Summary

The 2003-04 academic year was a productive and successful year for the University. We faced several unusual challenges. We began the year with a hurricane, Hurricane Isabel. Storm damages on campus were manageable, but we unfortunately experienced the death of a student off campus.

Whether through careful preventative measures or good luck, JMU's history is devoid of any serious fires. That record was altered in October when we experienced a major fire in what we had known as the Medical Arts Complex. No one was injured, but building and records damage was extensive. The buildings were lost, but to the credit of our staff and the implementation of our crisis management plan all functions were operational 48 hours later.

Finally, JMU along with all other state agencies worked through a General Assembly Session that did not produce a budget until May 7, 2004. The delay resulted in anxiety on the parts of faculty, staff, students, and parents, and it tested the ability of the budget and finance staff to produce a budget for Board of Visitor's action in a timely fashion.

As usual, JMU faculty and staff met the challenge of the adversity of the year, and as can be seen from the attached summary significantly advanced the progress of the institution toward our goals for 2008. For the 11^th year in a row we were recognized by US News and World Reports as the number one public comprehensive university in the South, and our popularity with prospective students and their parents remains strong as well. Only Virginia Tech received more admission applications from Virginians than we did.

We are committed to preparing students to be educated and enlightened citizens who will lead productive and meaningful lives, and it remains both a pleasure and honor to serve as president of an institution comprised of faculty, staff and students so dedicated to excellence in pursuit of that mission.

2003-2004 Summary of Accomplishments

The University's planning efforts and resulting goals and objectives reflect a commitment to those Defining Characteristics the University community determined should accurately describe the institution in 2008 Our Centennial.

The annual accomplishments of our faculty and staff demonstrate a desire to confirm those Characteristics thought to already accurately describe the institution, and in other cases to modify our institutional profile to more closely align ourselves with those Defining Characteristics to which we aspire.

We have made substantial progress in achieving conformity with the Defining Characteristics, but with only four years remaining until the Centennial, we thought it important to identify a few strategic areas of emphasis to ensure our success. Characteristics demanding strategic emphasis are not more or less important than other Characteristics, they simply require "special" attention.

Defining Characteristics with strategic emphasis include the following:

• The university will offer graduate programs of distinction.
• The university's strength is in its people and thus, we will invest in both professional development and instructional innovation and excellence.
• The university will be a diverse community whose members share a common JMU experience.
• The university will enhance and diversify funding sources to achieve initiatives campus-wide.
• The university will develop broad-based financial support and involvement among alumni, parents and friends.
• The university will involve the entire campus community in a well-defined, consistently-used and commonly-understood process for planning and decision-making.

STRATEGIC EMPHASIS

• Position of Director of Training was created and filled.
• PeopleSoft Database technology used to track and plan training.
• Impact³ Leadership Institute was designed, offered and completed by 15 academic department heads and administrative directors.
• HR has developed a series of leadership programs in its individual training programs series.
• Four Performance Excellence Briefings (PEBs) were held.
• Conducted a Summer On-Line Distance Education Institute for 12 faculty.
• Expanded HR provided customer service training to include 3 levels of courses.
• Enhanced new employee orientation program focusing on friendliness and student-centered approach.
• Created a monthly newsletter, "Leadership is About..." using the supervisors list-serve.
• The Presidential Commission on Diversity was appointed, completed its report and offered recommendations.
• $25,000 was added to the merit-based scholarship program for underrepresented students.
• Staffing commitments were made to address diversity including a special assistant to the president, a retention specialist, a Richmond-based admissions recruiter, a staff recruitment specialist and a faculty recruitment specialist.
• Approximately 72% of the search chairs or staff has been trained to input searches on the "Faculty Recruitment System".
• Programs such as "Illuminating Islam," and the Greater Asian Symposium helped to heighten diversity awareness on the campus.
• Received "Gear Up" grants to support our high school summer enrichment programs.
• The Centennial Scholars student aid program was established to attract qualified students with financial need to the University. Awards to fifty students annually for the next four years are planned.
• A "Faculty-in-Residence" program was created. A full-time senior faculty member was assigned to partner with designated high schools.
• The offices of admissions and student financial assistance were reassigned to the special assistant to the president.
• E&G funding increased by $14 million.
• New tuition and E&G revenues increased by $8.7 million.
• General fund support increased $1.8 million for salary and benefits and $3.5 million for Base Adequacy funding.
• Equipment Trust Fund Support increased to $2.2 million.
• Funding increased by $3.1 million for academic instruction; $500,000 for additional library acquisitions; $497,000 for diversity efforts; $601,000 for advancement operations; $117,000 for student and administrative support operations; and $250,000 for additional student financial aid.
• Sponsored program funding increased by five percent to $22 million. The increase was driven by a 76 percent success rate with NSF grants. The University climbed 50 places in one year in the ranking of NSF funded universities.
• A new University Advancement vice president was hired and the division was reorganized. Extensive staff recruitment to establish the personnel infrastructure for our first capital campaign was initiated.
• A benchmarking system to provide an annual assessment of private fundraising was proposed and approved.
• $10.3 million in private support, a record high, was raised this past year.
• Revenue generated by Continuing Education increased by $41,717 to $207,685.
• Annual Duke Club gifts totaled $466,016 for 2003-2004, a 12% increase over the previous year.
• Version 3.0 of the web-based Planning Database was implemented to facilitate the collection and organization of goals and objectives reporting.
• Vice Presidents were involved in evaluating the status of the Defining Characteristics creating planning priorities at the divisional level and provided input on the planning calendar and university priorities.
• A strategic planning retreat was held with the university's vice presidents, associate and assistant vice presidents, and academic deans.
• A strategic planning retreat was held with the Board of Visitors.
• A strategic planning document was prepared for wider distribution to the campus community in fall of 2004.
• Incorporated the defining characteristics into the budget request process.

CONTINUED COMMITMENTS

Academic

• New undergraduate programs in athletic training, health sciences administration, statistics, biotechnology, and justice studies were approved.
• New graduate programs in nursing, physician's assistant, occupational therapy, and mathematics education and public health were approved.
• The Carrier Library developed a five year collection development plan that included emphases on electronic resources, increased access to journals and increased funds for books, DVDs and other non-print materials.
• Fifteen online certificate programs were added.
• Established the Institute for Infrastructure and Information Assurance.
• Created a collaborative program in science and math education with Longwood, William and Mary, Norfolk State University, VCU, Va Tech, UVA, and the state department of education.
• Over 500 students presented their undergraduate research projects at conferences around the country.
• Approved the new College of Fine and Performing Arts and began a study to consider the optimal organization of the remaining units presently in the College of Arts and Letters.
• Over 700 students studied, worked or volunteered abroad.
• Reorganized the office of international programs.
• An Honor's Abroad program was initiated with Cambridge and the University of St. Andrews.
• New summer programs in Paraguay, Trinidad/Tobago, Berlin, Beijing and London were introduced.
• The Institute for Innovation and Health and Human Services received federal funding for the Virginia Center for Health Outreach; partnered with Athletics in the administration and provision of health services to athletes; and offered seven HHS courses with cross-disciplinary orientations.
• A leadership "Learning Community" theme hall dedicated to sophomore students was created.

Services

• Significant upgrades to Blackboard and Centra learning systems were introduced.
• Dining Services was ranked #18 in the Princeton Review the only public ranked institution.
• JMU was ranked 15^th in the nation in the survey by the Princeton Review of the "top twenty-five most connected campuses".
• Wireless network access was installed or improved in more than a dozen campus locations.
• JMU was ranked 39^th in the nation in wireless network service.
• "One" theme was successfully implemented throughout all JMU recruitment materials.
• A&P Faculty Handbook was placed online.
• E-grading was fully implemented.
• Implemented an on-line electronic pay advice and leave reporting system for employees.
• More than 20 buildings were rewired and upgraded to 100mb connections.
• Successfully upgraded the PeopleSoft student system from version 7.6 to 8.0.
• An online UREC registration system was implemented that resulted in reduced wait-times, increased participation and better service.
• Health Center moved to an appointment system to provide improved service to students.
• Counseling & Student Development Center provided 50% more clinical hours than last year.
• Major changes were made to transfer orientation.
• "Late-Night" programming was aggressively conducted.
• Reorganized Sports Medicine to provide improved services to student athletes and establish a closer connection between the athletic and academic programs.
• Achieved a 10 mph reduction in average vehicular speed through campus compared to 2001.
• Expanded off campus use of the JMU flex account.
• On-line service for parking permit registration, dining hall accounts, and parking fine payment was established.
• Added two new motor coaches (56 and 36 seats) to the motor pool fleet enabling the university to reduce transportation expenses for student activities and athletics. Both coaches were used as "moving displays" of University images.

Infrastructure and Facilities

• The new Track, Field Hockey and Lacrosse facility was completed.
• A new football stadium scoreboard was installed and improvements in esthetics and seating were completed.
• Acquired Blue Ridge Hall.
• Over 85 facility improvement projects across the campus were completed totaling $3.6 million.
• Logan Hall was renovated and completed on time.
• Construction commenced for the Plecker Athletic Performance Center, CISAT A3A (Chemistry/Physics), and Harrison Hall.
• Completed phase III of the Quadrangle Pedestrian Plaza.
• A lightning detection system was installed for event safety.
• UREC Park land was purchased; a concept drawing was completed.

Accountability

• National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) board of examiners recommended that JMU's Professional Education Unit be acknowledged as having met all standards at both the initial and advanced levels.
• Fully satisfied all SACS recommendations with no follow-up required.
• CARS contracted with the Virginia Community College System (VCCS) to provide web-based testing and to develop instruments to fulfill statewide competency assessment mandates.
• JMU received an unqualified opinion from the state auditor of public accounts for the FY 2003 financial statements no audit comments.
• All state Financial Management Standards were once again met.
• SA&UP began the process of examining the feasibility of recommending service learning and multicultural competencies for possible inclusion on a student transcript.
• Reduced housekeeping material and equipment expenses by 5 percent without sacrificing service quality.
• Students reported on the annual satisfaction survey that 95 percent were satisfied or very satisfied with their JMU experience.