Last week university President Robert Foglesong released a draft of the FutureSTATE 2015 review detailing a course of action for the university over the next decade, including student development, which involves the development of character and academic standards, and fiscal stability.
According to the FutureSTATE document, the university seeks to enhance student development through providing prestigious academic programs and ensuring a caring, accessible and diverse environment in which students can build strong character.
The document also says the university looks to obtain its goal of fiscal stability by encouraging corporate, private and federal support and by expanding the tuition base through increased student recruitment.
The third goal is to expand research opportunities by providing equipment and opportunities needed to attract great researchers and obtain research grants.
“We are a land grant institution, so we have an obligation to the state and nation to do research and to help advancement for the state,” Foglesong said.
The fourth goal is to promote economic development by organizing the university’s extensive capabilities to form relationships with communities and corporations throughout Mississippi, which will create and retain employment opportunities for the state.
The final goal is to strengthen involvement and pride among those associated with Mississippi State through a successful athletics program, a vibrant social environment and an inviting campus infrastructure.
Foglesong said he is happy with the outcome of the review and the degree of help he received.
“Had I sat down and done this myself, it would have been unfair and unfortunate,” he said. “The faculty played an incredibly important role.”
Faculty, staff, students and community members served on seven committees to offer recommendations for the review after Foglesong initiated it in April.
“We ended up with well over a 100 recommendations,” Foglesong said.
The review condenses these recommendations into five primary goals and plans of action for these goals.
Communication professor Wayne Durst served on the research and graduate/professional education committee for part of the process and said it was an enjoyable experience.
“It was rewarding to meet other people from other disciplines,” he said.
Durst said the review helped build a sense of community by bringing many people from different disciplines and parts of the area together to freely voice opinions.
“I’m optimistic about the changes Foglesong wants to implement,” he said.
Former Faculty Senate president Mark Goodman served as the head of the research committee and said the review created a greater understanding of the problems faced across campus.
“I think the committees took their work seriously,” he said.
Goodman added that the committees were able to present reports to show where the university faced problems through lack of funding.
“The value of the experience will be based upon what the administration does with the information,” he said.
The draft is on the MSU Web site and is open for comments and suggestions before it is published in September.