Pragmatism

University president keeps positive attitude

We liked the optimistic yet pragmatic approach Frostburg State University President Jonathan Gilbralter took the other day during the school’s fall convocation.

To be sure, the school is suffering financially. State cutbacks have been drastic and more are on the way.

On the other hand, as Gilbralter pointed out, enrollment is thriving. With 4,755 undergraduate students, enrollment is 3.8 percent more than last year. And it is nearly 10 percent better than 2006.

And the university has raised more than $10.5 million in its $15 million campaign, including a record $2.8 million last year, Gibralter said. “That’s truly extraordinary, given the state of the economy,” he said. “And this money makes so much possible for our institution. It’s reinvested back into the right places, like student scholarships and faculty and staff development.”

As for the financial plight, the FSU president said over the last 18 months the school has lost more than $5.1 million in state funding, including $1.2 million in temporary salary reductions. The University System of Maryland has mandated that all institutions implement temporary salary reductions in 2010, using, in part, a tiered furlough plan.

Despite the setbacks, FSU remains in a “relatively strong financial position” because of increased enrollment, Gibralter said.

“I don’t feel good about anybody’s paycheck being reduced, and let me reassure you that we are doing everything possible to avoid layoffs,” he said. He discussed capital improvement projects such as the renovation of the Lane Center, which will have a new fitness center and a 24-hour computer lab. Renovations of the Lyric Building in downtown Frostburg, which includes the FSU Foundation, the Office of Alumni Programs, a community theater and branch of the university bookstore, are nearly complete. FSU’s new Center for Creative Writing is to open there soon.

Eventually, the economy will be better and state government, like the private sector, will not be in such dire money straits. Until then, keeping a positive attitude is better than the hand-wringing we see in some quarters.