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WKU Making Progress Toward Goals,  Bowling Green, Ky. - Five years ago, Dr. Gary A. Ransdell accepted the challenge to transform  Western Kentucky University from a university with a regional identity to a university with a national perspective.On Tuesday morning, Dr. Ransdell updated faculty and staff on the progress toward that goal - enrollment growth, applied research, private support, economic development -- and the challenges that lie ahead - state budget issues, growth pressures, campus construction. Western's enrollment growth, on target for a record of more than 17,500 students this fall, is setting the pace among universities in Kentucky, he said. "We are, indeed, becoming the university of choice for a very large segment of Kentucky, middle Tennessee and southern Indiana," he said. "Because of our increased scholarship capacity, I believe we are becoming the university of choice for many of the best students throughout our region." Dr. Ransdell credited all segments of the University for their efforts to boost enrollment. "Some say it is the strong reputation of our academic programs and that is true," he said. "Some say it is a great value for a low tuition and that is true. Some say it is because of improvements to our residence halls. Some say it is our beautiful campus. Some say it is the media coverage of recent gifts we've received. Some say it is because of a winning basketball team. I say it is because of all of these things." The growth, however, has created a good news-bad news scenario for Western, Dr. Ransdell said. The good news: More students want a Western education and more tuition revenue is coming in. The bad news: The state is unable to fund the enrollment growth. In the past five years, Western's budget has grown from $130 million to $193 million. The 2002-03 state budget was supposed to be a year of significant funding to compensate for enrollment growth. "The economy, however, weakened as you are well aware and we have been left to create our own sources of revenue," Dr. Ransdell said. Despite the lack of growth in state funding and a $1.5 million budget cut in the last fiscal year, Western's budget has grown "primarily as a result of growth in tuition revenue, private gifts, sponsored programs and some very astute business practices within our auxiliary programs." Western's "Investing in the Spirit" capital campaign achieved its $78 million goal a year early and the goal was extended to $90 million. Among the hallmarks of the campaign are more than 20 gifts of $1 million or more, 19 new professorships and chairs and $21.5 million raised for academic scholarships. "An important outcome, however, of this campaign is a new-found institutional confidence both on and off campus," Dr. Ransdell said. "We are learning to be ambitious and successful through private support, and we are distinguishing ourselves from the other comprehensive universities in Kentucky in this regard." Private gifts have grown more than 400 percent in five years from $3 million in 1997 to $12.3 million in 2002. Since 1997, the University's endowment has grown from $20.6 million to $45.6 million. "The academic reputation of Western is growing because of the academic productivity of our faculty," Dr. Ransdell said. The growth in Sponsored Programs to $24.5 million, a 113 percent increase over the past five years, is "setting us apart from most comprehensive universities and certainly the other comprehensive universities in Kentucky," he said. The applied research is improving Western's curriculum and impacting the quality of life in southcentral Kentucky, Dr. Ransdell said. "We simply must embrace the mantle as the economic development engine for this region of Kentucky," he said. Among the initiatives to meet the region's education and economic needs are: *Research projects in the Applied Research and Technology Program, including biodiversity, biotechnology, water quality, materials science, applied physics, cave and karst studies, and health-related areas. *Transformation of the old Bowling Green Mall into the Center for Research and Development, which will include technology-related businesses, an Innovation and Commercialization Center, WKU's Materials Characterization Lab and Applied Physics Institute. *Continued growth in distance education programs -- where Western is leading the way in the state -- and in extended campus programs at Glasgow, Elizabethtown/Fort Knox and Owensboro. *Enhancements to the Continuing Education program to provide ongoing opportunities for students, faculty, staff and the community. *Collaboration between Western's Bowling Green Community College and the Kentucky Community and Technical College System to share space at the Bowling Green Technical College campus. *Creation of a College of Health and Human Services to better respond to the region's needs and the demands for health care and human service professionals. On campus, Western has $136 million in construction projects under way or soon to be under way. Those include: *Construction of two academic buildings - Media and Technology Hall, which will be completed next spring; and the Complex for Engineering and Biological Sciences, which will begin construction this week. *Renovations of residence halls, campus dining facilities and athletic facilities, including Diddle Arena. "I've said many times that I believe Western's best days are ahead," Dr. Ransdell said. "If we can solve some of our funding challenges and get some of this construction behind us, I absolutely believe we have positioned ourselves to enjoy Western's best days."
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