By Dr. Robert O. Kelley

President, University of North Dakota

Nov. 18, 2008, 3:30 p.m., UND Memorial Union Ballroom

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Good Afternoon.

Professor [Jon] Jackson, Members of the University Council, the UND community
and guests:

It is a great personal pleasure to present my first State of the University
address to the UND community. Marcia and I have been warmly welcomed by all of
you and, as a result, we have very quickly come to feel that we are an integral
part of the University and all that UND represents to our city and our new state
of residence. Thank you for welcoming us.

As Marcia and I have traveled the state, we have come to understand that North
Dakota is UND's campus. And we have also come to understand how much North
Dakotans care about UND and how much UND means to them. As the new president, I
feel that much more than an institution has been entrusted to my care and my
leadership. I have been charged with caring for a community, a family -- of
students, faculty, staff, retirees, legislators, concerned partners in the city
and state -- all willing to work together to nurture this great institution.

UND has transformed generations through its mission of education, learning,
research, scholarship and creative works, and has prepared its graduates for
leadership in Bismarck, Washington, throughout the United States and the World,
and, most recently, to the International Space Station in Earth orbit.

The University of North Dakota is a great University, poised to be an
exceptional one, blessed with a creative, innovative and entrepreneurial spirit.

Our goal is, quite simply, to be exceptional in all that we do, to be the very
best in the arts and humanities and the professions, as well as science,
technology, engineering and mathematics, which I will refer to as "STEM," and
athletics. And we will continue to conduct our programs in exceptional
facilities, facilities that are sensitive to our environment and to the
economies of our city, state and nation.

Since arriving on campus on July 1, I have observed that there are at least four
core values, unspoken but clearly present, shared by every member of the
University family: an emphasis on quality; a willingness to take advantage of
offered opportunities; an atmosphere that I can only call "learner-centered";
and a strong sense of public engagement. I believe that sharing these core
values will help us move from Great to Exceptional.

I would like to spend just a few moments at the beginning of this address
highlighting some of the outstanding achievements within the institution.
Clearly, I won't be able to speak to every accomplishment, and there should be
no attempt to read between the lines if a favorite program or achievement is not
mentioned. But I would like to showcase a sample of what the faculty, staff and
students of the University have achieved as a reflection of where we are at the
moment, and why we should be justifiably proud of the University.

UND has a remarkable faculty and staff. The University has recruited well over
the years, and we will continue to put priority emphasis on allocating resources
into faculty and staff compensation and professional development. The efforts
of UND's faculty and staff have resulted in new centers and institutes; new
advances in science and technology; creative new performances in music and the
visual and performing arts; and development of innovative new technologies, like
the AgCam that was recently delivered to the International Space Station by NASA
on the Shuttle Endeavour.

Faculty have developed centers that focus on such diverse themes as digital
humanities, sustainable energy, human rights, digital archiving, neuroscience,
natural resource law, human behavior, regulation of the gaming industry, and the
list goes on and on.

And last week, UND staff leadership hosted the first North Dakota University
System Staff Leadership Conference on campus. In addition, it's important to
note that UND enjoys unprecedented leadership across the North Dakota University
System: Halee Cripe is the student member on the State Board of Higher
Education; Jon Jackson is the faculty representative to the State Board; and
Janice Hoffarth, administrative assistant in the Department of Music, is the
newly elected (and first) president of the University System Staff Senate.

UND enjoys remarkable students, too. Enrollment is up. We have nearly 12,750
students at the University this Fall. And among those students is a freshman
class that, from the standpoint of grade point averages and ACT scores, is
possibly the most prepared incoming class in the institution's history.

The Graduate School continues to grow. Students working on advanced degrees now
number 2,135. The professional schools continue to have stable enrollments.
Some colleges, such as the School of Engineering and Mines and the College of
Nursing, have seen significant growth, thanks in part to our distance education
programs. And the best news is that there is every reason to believe that
enrollment will again be up next Fall. It will take a great deal of hard work
by a lot of people -- faculty, staff, and students -- but if we all pull
together, we should exceed our near-term enrollment goal of 13,000.

I just mentioned distance instruction. I learned the other day of one
remarkable student who is a truck driver based in North Dakota. Her work takes
her from Alaska to Texas -- sort of the opposite of the "place-bound" student.
Along the way, she visits Internet connections so she can pursue her degree,
online, through UND.

The University currently offers 31 distance degree programs and certificates
administered by Continuing Education. Enrollments stand at 3,161 and, in my
judgment, there is considerable capacity for growth in online and distance
education. And driving a long-haul 18 wheeler is not a prerequisite for
accessing UND's on-line programs. We have students on campus who are taking
UND courses through distance education to supplement on-campus courses or to
overcome a scheduling conflict.

Students of the future, as well as many enrolled now, will come to expect
choices in how they receive their education. This clearly is an area where UND
can do more, and we will.

I believe that this kind of dedication to study at UND reflects exceedingly well
on our academic programs and the opportunities for learning that these programs
provide. Accreditation for professional programs is always an issue, and it is
an index of UND's excellence that programs in the College of Law, College of
Education and Human Development, School of Nursing, School of Medicine and
Health Sciences, School of Engineering and Mines and the Odegard School all
continued to achieve high ratings from accrediting and licensing agencies.

UND recently hosted a very successful Higher Learning Commission site visit
focusing on program and learner outcome assessment. Because of the hard work of
our faculty and staff, UND received high marks on our response to the Higher
Learning Commission about learning outcome assessment and how we use the results
of assessment to continually strengthen our educational programs.

Let me mention just a few of UND's many areas of programmatic excellence.

Recently, I was introduced to the Integrated Studies Program, an opportunity for
students entering the University to explore how multiple disciplines -- for
example, economics, political science, the intersection of technology with
society, music and the arts -- all come together to frame solutions to
contemporary issues. That was an enjoyable morning for me, because this is the
way I learn, and, of course, I think others should enjoy learning this way, too.

UND rolled out its new nationally recognized Essential Studies Program,
providing a roadmap for students to navigate through the University and obtain a
general education that benchmarks against the curriculum of other exceptional
universities.

And I've had a great deal of satisfaction watching students in the College of
Business and Public Administration manage America's only student-run venture
fund, the Dakota Venture Group. A similar group of UND students manages an
Investment Fund portfolio of some $800,000 that continues -- at least, I think
it continues in today's financial climate, Dean Elbert -- to outperform the S&P
500.

National rankings are a somewhat fickle index of an institution's quality, but I
would be remiss if I didn't state that it gives a president a great set of
talking points to be able to highlight areas with national recognition -- like
UND's entrepreneurship program (top 15 nationally); UND's programs in aerospace
sciences and aviation education (uniformly ranked No. 1 nationally); national
standing for UND's community-based program in medical education, in partnership
with health care systems in the state; nationally recognized academic programs
for Native American students (INMED (Indians into Medicine) and RAIN
(Recruitment-Retention of American Indians into Nursing)); and nationally
recognized programs administered by the National Center for Hydrogen Research,
the Center for Human Rights and Genocide Studies in the School of Law, and the
recent success of the AgCam associated with the Northern Great Plains Center for
People and the Environment.

The UND Graduate School has also enjoyed signal achievements in recent weeks.
Neville Forlemu, a Ph.D. candidate in chemistry, became the first UND student to
ever receive a UNCF/Merck Predoctoral Fellowship. Peter Reis, a Ph.D. student
in physics, and Daniel Theis, a Ph.D. candidate in chemistry, were selected to
be among only 60 invitees from around the world to attend the 58th Annual Lindau
Meeting of Nobel Laureates and Students in Lindau, Germany. And, two weeks
ago, the State Board of Higher Education approved a Ph.D. Program in Scientific
Computing to add to the graduate programs available to students at UND.

Also, this past summer, the four telescopes at the UND Internet Observatory were
brought into operational status. Three optical telescopes and a radio telescope
are now available for use over the Internet. Observers can be at home, in
different states, in different countries and make observations. How cool is
that! A telescope for the southern hemisphere is the next goal of this group.
Also this summer and Fall, UND enjoyed events associated with the 125th
anniversary of its founding -- commencements; convocations awarding honorary
doctorates; Great Conversations with Salman Rushdie, Phil Jackson and Stephen
Bloom; an inauguration ceremony; An Afternoon of the Arts; a day of memory for
President John F. Kennedy; Travis Roy; performing arts productions in the
Burtness Theatre; musical performances and concerts by the Pride of the North
Marching Band, the 12 O'Clock Jazz Band, and the Steel Drum Band. If you
haven't had the opportunity to attend a performance of this last group, you
should. They're a creative blend of the Caribbean…Bob Marley, Trinidad and
Tobago, and Junkanoo…right here on the Red River of the North.

UND's research enterprise continues to grow. Awards for research and sponsored
programs have been at or around the $100 million mark for the past two years.
And many people have contributed to this growth. Faculty and staff efforts have
played a major role through their competitive ideas and innovation. UND has a
very productive, supportive congressional delegation that assists in providing
funding for new ideas that will be the nucleus of economic development for the
state and nation.

As an example, Sen. Byron Dorgan founded the Red River Valley Research Corridor,
and provided funding for a number of centers and institutes that have
contributed to the success of the Corridor. And Gov. John Hoeven, by
recommending funding for North Dakota's Centers of Excellence Program, supports
programs like the Center of Excellence in Unmanned Aerial Systems and the Center
of Excellence in Life Sciences and Advanced Technologies.

The University's work through the Red River Valley Research Corridor -- which
includes collaborations with North Dakota State University, the two tech parks
at both institutions, and with businesses and local communities included in the
Research Corridor -- has helped UND reach an overall economic impact of more
than $1 billion.

And UND's facilities are supporting the expectations of faculty, staff and
students in their respective activities. In September, we dedicated the new
National Center for Hydrogen Technology at the EERC. A month later, we
dedicated the Northern Plains Behavioral Research Center, which will house
research activities in nursing and psychology. Soon we will dedicate the new
REAC 1, the first building in our Research, Enterprise and Commercialization
Park next to the Hilton Garden Inn. Housing the Center of Excellence in Life
Sciences and Advanced Technologies, its tenants will include businesses and
programs like Alion, Avianax, Ideal Aerosmith, Laserlith, NovaDigm and SUNRISE
Renewables -- affectionately known as "Wayne's World" -- where Prof. Wayne
Seames and his team of students from the School of Engineering and Mines and the
College of Arts and Sciences investigate the development of biofuels.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention the new University House where Marcia and
I have the privilege to live. It's another example of the impact of our growing
UND Foundation. Through a generous gift from William and Jane Marcil,
administered through the Foundation in partnership with the UND Office of
Operations and Finance, UND has a new venue for greeting guests to campus and a
gracious home that adds value to an already handsome campus.

The Foundation has assets of nearly $220 million, thanks to many generous alumni
and friends. True, we are now in turbulent economic times -- and how the global
downturn impacts our future remains to be seen -- but the Foundation Board is
composed of accomplished alumni who are dedicated to the success of UND and will
continue to work with all of us to assure a successful future for the University
in the years ahead.

The new Student Wellness Center remains one of the jewels in UND's crown. Just
yesterday, the center was awarded the American Heart Association Platinum Level
Fit Friendly Company Award and the Workplace Fitness Innovation Award -- awards
given to organizations that achieve the highest levels of physical activity in
the workplace.

And the Chester Fritz Library continues to be an integral component of teaching,
learning and scholarship on campus. Digital Collections have grown; historical
records and manuscripts have been archived; and the library has partnered with
the College of Law to obtain important international documents from the
Nuremberg Tribunals and the period of the Ethiopian Red Terror to supplement
research collections critical to UND's Center for Human Rights and Genocide
Studies.

Let me also share with you the status of UND's transition to Division 1 in the
NCAA. Under the very capable direction of UND's new Director of Athletics,
Brian Faison, UND is in the first year of transition to full D1 membership
status. In July, our first month of the transition, we took our first big step
as a D1 program when we were invited to join the Great West Conference. This
provided almost all of our sports programs with a conference home. In this
regard, women's soccer, women's volleyball, football, men's basketball and
women's basketball have all enjoyed wins over Division 1 opponents this. We
have dramatically increased the marketing reach of UND Athletics through a
marketing partnership with the Ralph Engelstad Arena. I'm sure that you have
seen the advertisements for our teams as you travel around the city and state --
"We are One, We are North Dakota"

Also, as I "Stand Up and Cheer" for our teams, I'm impressed that these
outstanding young athletes are also outstanding students. At the close of the
Spring semester of 2008, seven graduating seniors held a cumulative GPA of 3.75
or better. Eighteen student athletes held a 4.0 GPA through the Fall 07 and
Spring 08 semesters; and coming into competition this semester, 55 student
athletes hold GPAs of 3.5 or better. Fourteen of our 20 teams were represented
in NCAA post-season play. Six Student athletes were named to Academic All-
District teams and four were named Academic All-Americans. And three earned
individual event NCAA Championships.

Clearly, UND is a great university -- creative, innovative and entrepreneurial.

So, what do we do next? Where are we going, and how will we get there?

As I indicated in my inaugural address to the University family a few weeks ago,
there is a great deal to be learned from the 125 year history of our
institution. We've had good times and bad. Significant challenges have
confronted the University, and we certainly have some significant ones ahead of
us.

Going forward, the following challenges will provide the working foundation for
UND's specific priorities as outlined in the current academic plan for UND:

We will be challenged by the increasing costs of higher education. These costs
are driven by the need for competitive compensation, competitive benefits like
healthcare, construction costs for new facilities, regulation and compliance
with government mandates and oversight, and campus security. All are necessary
and must be managed thoughtfully. Effective allocation of fiscal and human
resources will be an ongoing process to assure that UND reaches its goals.

We will continue to be challenged to provide access to new generations of
students. We will continue to work with the Chancellor and North Dakota State
Board of Higher Education to promote increased contributions from the state to
UND's revenues. We have no wish to raise tuition if that can be avoided,
because that action simply places a greater burden on students and families, and
makes higher education less accessible.

And we will continue to be challenged by the need to maintain and improve
educational quality, along with the need to be accountable for that quality.

There are five specific areas that I wish to emphasize for the coming year: the
global financial landscape in which we live; enrollment; leadership; academic
priorities and synergies; and UND's athletic transitions.

First, all of us are aware of the major economic downturn that has had ripple
effects around the world for the past several weeks and months. Although UND
and the State of North Dakota appear to be relatively stable at the moment, we
may have challenges ahead with institutional finances. In this regard, UND
supports the budget recommendations advanced by the Chancellor of the NDUS and
approved by the North Dakota State Board of Higher Education.

UND has explained its portion of that budget to the Executive Branch in Bismarck
and we will learn where UND will stand in the Governor's Budget as it is rolled
out in early December. We are also discussing UND's priorities with members of
the North Dakota Legislature as opportunities permit. The legislature has
supported UND by acknowledging the recommendations of the State Roundtable for
Higher Education and through the recommendations of the Interim Committee on
Higher Education. I wish to thank the Legislature for its continued support
for UND and for North Dakota's University System.

UND's budget relies on several major related components: about half of our
operating revenues are derived from state appropriations and tuition and fees,
both about equally divided. The remaining revenues come from grants, contracts,
the auxiliary enterprises of the University, and our modest, but growing
endowment. And we thank our friends and alumni for helping grow that endowment.

As we apportion our revenues, we will continue to focus on faculty and staff
compensation; UND's academic programs, with special priority on arts and
humanities, the professions, and STEM initiatives, including the national
Science and Math Teaching Initiative (SMTI, affectionately known as "Smitty");
and we will continue to work to increase scholarships and other forms of support
for students. Likewise, we will place a high priority on the creation of more
endowments for professorships and chairs, which will continue to enhance the
stature of UND through enhanced competitive recruitment for faculty and
development of new programs.

And we will continue to target resources for improvements to our facilities. We
anticipate that a new Information Technologies and Computing Center will be
funded during the next session in Bismarck. This building will house IT for the
North Dakota University System and will provide space for UND's further
development of technologies that will support computational science on campus.
An additional top priority is the renovation and build-out of the building
housing the College of Education and Human Development.

I wish to add that UND will be challenged to provide stewardship of resources
which we must earn -- and I emphasize earn. Whether they are appropriations
from the state legislature, tuition and fees from enrolled students, grants and
contracts from state and federal agencies, or gifts from friends and supporters
of this great University, these resources are being competed for by many
sectors. UND must compete at the highest levels to earn the resources that are
assigned to us. I believe that these resources will be earned, by all of us,
through our creativity, innovative and entrepreneurial spirit.

Another ongoing priority will be building UND's enrollment. We had increases
this year, but it will take a lot of hard work to continue that trend. We will
step up activities in recruitment through strategic marketing and advertising.
This will require additional resources, but equally important it will require a
clear set of goals that are both challenging and realistic. We will work with
staff in the Office of University Relations, and also extramural expertise, in
UND's marketing and advertising initiatives. Success in this area will require
all of us to contribute to a university environment that will be welcoming,
stimulating and safe for students; a culture that is conscious of, and places a
priority on, multicultural diversity; and one in which this diversity is coupled
with critical thinking through UND's curriculum. In brief, an exciting place
for all of us to learn, live, create, innovate and advance our respective goals
and ambitions.

We will enhance our international student presence on campus. And we've already
had some very good success in this area. UND is the number one destination
campus for Norwegian students studying in the United States. Programs in the
Odegard School bring in students from literally all over the world. The
Department of Chemistry has created a pipeline for students from Cameroon. And
students from Somalia and Malawi enroll at UND to study educational leadership
in the College of Education and Human Development. Among students, faculty and
staff, more than 60 countries are represented on campus.

In addition, I believe that we must engage more actively in exchanging UND
students with other universities and institutions beyond the borders of the
United States. Clearly, the goal of these efforts is to add value to the UND
experience through the creation of an enhanced international and multicultural
environment. It is only through such enhancement that UND will be able to
educate fully our students for their roles in an increasingly connected, complex
global community.

More and more students are requesting the opportunity to enroll in courses and
programs offered in part or totally online. We will need to review our program
and course-offering culture. To succeed, in some cases it will be necessary to
examine how and when courses are scheduled and how they are delivered and
funded. We must become more nimble in addressing this cohort of our students.

In addition to recruiting more students, we must find more ways to retain those
who do come, and to find ways to assure their progress to a degree. We have a
wealth of academic programs for a university of our size. But we need to
utilize this strength to retain students. We lose far too many students after
they get here. The retention rate for the freshman class has improved over the
past two years, which may be a direct result from increased admissions standards
implemented in 2005. But we need to do more to keep students from leaving us
after their first, second and third years. In this regard, finding more
compelling ways to engage students in the life of the University may have the
most immediate impact on meeting this goal. And retention, time to graduation
and UND's graduation rate must become metrics by which we gauge institutional
success.

UND has one of the most comprehensive curricula of any university of comparable
size. The newly launched "Curriculum Master Planning Initiative," administered
by the Dean's Council and the Office of Academic Affairs, will continue to
assess issues of quality, identification of important new program initiatives,
and in some cases, revisions to existing programs, to assure maintenance of the
highest quality education at the University.

As UND's future begins to unfold under a new administration, I wish to state
that shared governance is alive and well at UND. We have an engaged group of
senates -- faculty, staff and students -- all with dedicated, capable
leadership. The President's Cabinet and I participate with each of these groups
and have listened to the respective issues that have been brought to the
administration to be addressed. In this regard, it is my position that the
leadership of the University is responsible for nurturing the UND family.

UND has a tradition of caring for members of the family, and that tradition will
be continued. The administration of the University will strive to communicate
its deliberations and decisions wherever possible, and to permit input into
those decisions that impact the UND community. That's not to say that hard
decisions will not have to be made, but it is to say that the business of the
University isn't just business. It's also about how students, faculty and staff
are affected.

In addition, UND will continue to partner with the City of Grand Forks and will
seek new avenues to participate in the economic development of our city and
state. A downtown presence for some of UND's academic programs may be both
desirable and feasible in the immediate future. In addition, we will seek new
ways to partner with the Grand Forks Air Force Base in areas of immediate
return, most notably by providing courses needed by Airmen to advance their
careers, and in developing the facilities and programs needed for the new Center
of Excellence in Unmanned Aerial Systems. Furthermore, UND will continue to
achieve new collaborations with North Dakota State University for purposes of
education and research advancement. The immediate priority will be to advance a
joint degree program leading to a Masters in Public Health.

There has been some reorganization within the President's Cabinet. I have asked
Brian Faison, Director of Athletics, to join the cabinet; and I have eliminated
the position of Vice President for General Administration. Robert Gallager,
Vice President for Finance and Operations, has announced his retirement starting
in December, and I have asked Alice Brekke, UND's Budget Director, to serve as
interim vice president. Provost Weisenstein will chair the search committee for
that position.

In addition, Gary Johnson, interim Vice President for Research, has resigned to
take a position with the South Dakota University System, and I have asked Dean
Hesham El-Rewini to chair a search committee to recommend candidates for the
position of Vice President for Research and Economic Development. Barry
Milavetz has stepped up to the interim vice presidency as the search progresses.

I wish to personally thank each of these individuals for their service to UND.

The respective portfolios of each vice president and the provost will continue
to be examined to best serve a growing, evolving university so that they will
reflect added emphasis on meeting goals in equity, multicultural and
international issues, and informational technology utilization for the campus.

I mentioned earlier in this address that priorities for academic programs would
reside in the arts and humanities, the professions, and the STEM initiatives on
campus.

I believe that UND has done an excellent job in building and strengthening the
research enterprise. We will continue to do so. But, in addition, we must
renew our commitment to the liberal arts and to scholarship in the arts and
humanities.

We can do that in several ways. First, we will find ways to continue the Great
Conversations that have been so popular. These were special events associated
with the 125th anniversary celebration of UND. We need to continue these
instructive and entertaining events. I would like to see UND host at least two
or three "Great Conversations" during the course of an academic year.

I also suggest that UND establish an Arts and Humanities Council to help focus
attention on the liberal arts and humanities. Among its charges would be
developing and organizing conferences and symposia, much like the "John F.
Kennedy History, Memory, Legacy" event held this past September. This excellent
conference represents the focus on scholarship and knowledge that characterizes
an exceptional University like UND.

An additional priority will be placed on the development of connections among
campus resources, both human and fiscal capital, to create synergies. UND
already has some excellent examples. The School of Nursing, the Department of
Psychology, and UND Aerospace have teamed up to lead a nationwide study of human
factors that affect aircrew performance, and to examine how differences such as
personality and communications styles may affect pilot training. Such synergies
contribute to excellence in academic programs and to competitiveness in
obtaining extramural funding to support the synergy.

Another opportunity resides in the development of an exciting new field, digital
humanities, that is being explored in the Department of English and other units
across campus. By using computational technologies, one can study the
development of the thought and creative reasoning that goes into a creative work
-- a poem, a concerto, a novel, and a public address. By adapting these methods
to assess the creative process, and to extend that line of creativity and
reasoning beyond the completed work, an investigator may then able to develop
paradigms that predict how further work in that area might be framed. The
applications to public policy, business planning, legal issues, and even health
diagnostics and human behaviors are limitless.

And I've already mentioned UND's AgCam, another example of multidisciplinary
activity creating a "supercluster" to advance ideas into realities. This
instrument will capture on-demand images of land and other earth surface
features across the upper Midwest, and will be used by farmers, ranchers, tribal
resource managers, and researchers to assess hydration, nutritional content, and
other properties of soils, in addition to biological resources like forests and
crops within the range of the sensors and analytic instruments contained in the
camera.

Students and faculty involved in this project came from four UND colleges --Arts
and Sciences, Business and Public Administration, Aerospace Sciences, and
Engineering and Mines -- and from eight departments: electrical engineering,
mechanical engineering, computer science, space studies, earth systems science
and policy, business and public administration, physics and theatre arts.

An obvious opportunity for multidisciplinary synergy is the potential of
developing an academic unit at UND dealing with alternative and sustainable
energy resources. The goal would be to provide an undergraduate and,
eventually, a graduate degree program focused on understanding current energy
sources and their management and utilization. Clearly, UND has existing
strengths in this area as evidenced by the activities in the EERC, the SUNRISE
Initiative, the new department and degree program in Petroleum Engineering, and
the Jodsaas Center in the School of Engineering and Mines.

Connecting existing strengths in several colleges and schools across the campus
-- a new, exciting synergistic curriculum dealing with natural resource law and
policy, executive management, languages and cultures in energy producing regions
of the world, as well as the technology behind development, recovery and
production -- would provide opportunities for students to enter the energy
industry with knowledge and tools not available through programs at other
universities. And we currently have our best and brightest from a variety of
disciplines working on recommendations for curriculum development in these
important areas.

These are examples of activities in which we need to do more. I've asked Prof.
John La Duke, Associate Dean in the College of Arts and Sciences, to work with
UND's faculty and staff to identify existing multidisciplinary groups that have
potential, with added resources, to attain national prominence. I have asked La
Duke to take the same approach to identifying possible new groups that --
through collaboration, expertise and synergy not before realized -- can also be
taken to national prominence.

And fifth, UND will continue the transition into NCAA D1 competition. Our goal
of full Division 1 membership for all of our sports programs will involve the
following priorities during the next five years:

* Administer the athletics program in full compliance with all D1 membership
requirements;

* Continue to lead the mandated process for reclassification, continually
engaging all constituencies of UND in the progress of the process;

* Continue to build and maintain competitive athletic teams;

* Aggressively grow the financial resources needed to operate a competitive
Division 1 athletics program, including the continued partnering with the City
of Grand Forks and the UND Foundation for development of competitive facilities
for training and game-day competition;

* Expand the presence of UND athletics in the local, regional and national
media;

* Work in partnership with the University to maintain the department's
commitment to diversity and gender equity;

* And ensure the continuation of the tradition of academic success by our
student-athletes.

I have asked Sue Jeno to continue to be the faculty representative to the NCAA
and will ask the Athletic Director, Brian Faison, to continue to work with his
coaches and staff to assure appropriate progress towards completion of these
priorities.

In closing, as I indicated in my inaugural address, UND will continue to
demonstrate a shared set of values -- academic freedom; academic integrity and
honesty; inclusiveness; understanding of cultural, ethnic and racial diversity
in our society; respect for individual differences and beliefs; a genuine
commitment to advancing knowledge through teaching, research and scholarship;
and a commitment by the University to serve our society at every level. Leading
universities, and UND is one, exhibit focus, passion, courage, wisdom and
integrity in coupling multicultural and international awareness with the
critical thinking that students gain from participating in the curriculum of
that leading institution.

Strategic Positioning of a university comes from a lively, robust institutional
conversation. From these conversations will come "the Big Ideas" -- and a more
complete understanding of the institution's mission and goals. I believe that
UND's "Big Idea" is the realization that we are educating our students for
"complexity" -- to prepare our students to participate in a global community and
to address complex questions for which there are no simple, or even correct,
answers. And it is to this end that we must renew our commitment to the
University and to its success in moving from Great to Exceptional.

We will go there together.

Thank you.