WKU's Success Boosting
Confidence, President Says

August 17, 2004

Bowling Green, Ky. - Western Kentucky University's motto, "The Spirit Makes the Master," is gaining a renewed significance as the University delivers on its commitment to academic quality, campus improvements and student engagement.

"If you come here as a student or as a member of this faculty or staff, you will be exposed to and, hopefully, catch this spirit – and live it while you are here and long after," President Gary Ransdell said Tuesday. "We believe in this identifying character of Western. It is among those things that truly make this campus distinctive."

In his remarks to faculty and staff at the opening convocation, Dr. Ransdell said he remains optimistic that Western's transformation will continue and that the progress will improve when a state budget is approved.

"Our attitude of success is boosting our confidence in achievement," he said. "In a few short years, we have gone from being content to being regionally important to absolutely certain that we can be nationally prominent. We are now surrounded by academic, student life and athletic success at the national level."

In the past year, Western boasted a record enrollment of 18,391, approved an innovative four-year tuition plan, generated $28.2 million in sponsored research and public service and exceeded $12.5 million in private gift deposits and $10 million in support from federal appropriations.

When a state budget is approved, Dr. Ransdell said Western expects $27 million to renovate Science and Technology Hall and Thompson Complex, funding to begin renovation of Schneider Hall to house the Kentucky Academy of Math and Science, and authority to issue bonds to improve the South Campus and Downing University Center and to build a health center.

"With the help of Governor Fletcher's administration and the General Assembly, when incremental state funding is resumed – and it will be – we will further fund, measure and proclaim our continuing progress," Dr. Ransdell said.

In 2006, Western will celebrate its centennial and will "draw on the recognition of our history, the appreciation of our uniqueness and a deeper realization of the Spirit that has defined and driven us for 100 years," he said.

"We will feed off of that history and pride and, in a few years from now, be able to document a true transformation, a changed institution in all of the right ways for all of the right reasons. We will have nurtured our distinctiveness and used it to build the confidence and capacity to be one of America's great comprehensive universities.

"Our Spirit is making and will continue to make the master."

The text of Dr. Ransdell's remarks can be found online at http://www.wku.edu/news/releases04/august/speech.html

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-WKU-