May 7, 2005 Minutes

Pittsburg State University’s Centennial Commission met at 10:00 am on Saturday, May 7, 2005 in the PSU Alumni Center with the following members in attendance:  Ms. Shirley Christian, Mr. Richard Chitty (attending for Mr. James Press), Mr. Bill Docking, Ms. Donna Dutcher, Mr. Robert Tyler and Dr. Jerry Weast.  Other attendees included:  Vice Presidents Robert Ratzlaff, John Patterson and Jim AuBuchon and Dr. Steve Scott, chair of the Second Century Task Force.

Commission President Jerry Weast opened the meeting by asking members to introduce themselves and summarize their activities since the 2004 meeting. 

President Tom Bryant’s Presentation

President Bryant presented a Power Point for the university update, which included:

• A $2.5 million expansion to the west stadium that will include eight luxury skyboxes (six of which already have been sold) and an elevator.  The University does not plan a fundraising campaign to complete this project. Construction is expected to begin at the conclusion of the 2005 season.
• Army National Guard/Classroom/Recreation Center Project.  This project is the result of several years of planning with the Adjutant General of the State of Kansas.
  • The Pittsburg State University Foundation purchased the land for the project
  • $6,000,000 is being requested from the federal budget.  It is currently in the 2008 budget request; the Kansas delegation is working to move funding to the 2006 budget
  • State funding was approved in the 2005 legislative session for the FY 2006 budget for the classroom portion of the project
  • Each of two private donors has pledged $500,000 for the recreation center
  • The City of Pittsburg has pledged $500,000 for the infrastructure
• Kansas Polymer Research Center.  Bonding authority for research facilities in the state of Kansas was approved by the 2001 Kansas Legislature for the three research institutions in the state of Kansas.  In 2005, the state of Kansas added $5,000,000 of bonding authority with $2,000,000 of that authority going to Pittsburg State.  Bob Tyler has agreed to provide the $2,000,000 in private funding for the project.  The City of Pittsburg donated five acres of land in the Research Park.
• PSU has a niche in research in soybean oil and also has a relationship with Cargill.  PSU owns four of the patents that are licensed to Cargill.  Cargill has indicated that PSU will get the first royalty check in 2005.
• Brandenburg House.  The University currently is pursuing private funds to purchase the Sigma Tau Gamma house that would be transformed into a scholarship hall.
• Student Health Center.  The University is in the process of purchasing the last rental house in the 1800 block of south Broadway and is pursuing private funding to build a new Student Health Center on this location.
• Physical Plant Storage Building.  This four year project has been funded through the PSU Foundation.  Note that the PSU Foundation has grown to assist in projects beyond scholarships.
• Champions Center.  This  facility would serve as an indoor training center for the Kansas City Chiefs.  PSU is the only school in Kansas that the Chiefs have been looking at to move the summer training camp closer to Kansas City.  It would be a big boost for the economy of southeast Kansas, but there are political hurdles to overcome before this project could begin.
• College of Business.  We are keeping the Walton Family Foundation updated on Pittsburg State.  Dr. Bryant met with Jim Walton on March 31, 2005, and asked him to carry a request to the Walton Foundation for funding for a new facility for the College of Business.
• Potential Fine & Performing Arts Center.  PSU has needed an arts center since Carney Hall was razed.  It is in the University’s future plans; however no potential donors have been identified for this project.

During the next year (2005-06) there are three projects that can happen and they are:  (1) the ANG Armory/Classroom/Fitness Center, (2) Research Facility, and (3) Stadium Project.

Second Century Task Force

Dr. Steve Scott, Dean of the College of Education and Co-chair of the Second Century Task Force updated the Commission on the charge of the Task Force, activities completed to date, and timeframe for completion of the Task Force’s work.

In February 2005, President Tom Bryant, in a letter asking Dr. Steve Scott and Ms. Jennifer Schmidt (a Social Science faculty member) to co-chair the Task Force, charged the Task Force to answer three questions:

• What distinguishes PSU from other institutions?
• What should PSU strive to become in the future – what should our vision be?
• What steps should be taken to make this new vision a reality?

Dr. Scott continued to update the Commission on the progress of the Task Force and  gathered information from the Commission to be shared with the Task Force.  The timeline for the Task Force is to provide its report to the President by the beginning of the fall semester.

Centennial Commission Input for Second Century Task Force

Dr. Weast asked President Bryant for an explanation of the enrollment numbers.  Over the last four years, Pittsburg State has experienced four of the five highest enrollments in school history.  There was a dip of about 180 students for fall 2004; however, we have gained 130 in spring 2005.  Student credit hour production is at its highest level.  What Pittsburg State is losing in enrollment numbers are graduate students taking 3 hours credit that counts as headcount. Applications for admission for fall 2005 are up about 200 over last year at this same time. 

Funding for the university – the ratio of funding is 65% state funding vs. 35% from tuition dollars.  PSU has raised tuition by 44.5% in the last four years.  For 2005-06, tuition is proposed to increase 8.25%.  Presently, the percentage of our funding from tuition dollars is increasing while the percentage of our funding from the state is shrinking.

Dr. Weast pointed out that in most states in the United States, the percentage to fund higher education is less than 65% and is going down.  The questions that PSU needs to answer are (1) what do we have to do to attract more students, and (2) what can we do to augment the dollar streams.

Mr. Chitty shared that in the automobile industry companies employ an outsider to lead visioning sessions.  They try to design and produce a product the public does not want yet.  They try to be ahead of the curve, even though it is very challenging and somewhat risky.  This should set the tone for those who work at Pittsburg State.

Ms. Dutcher talked about population shifts and how the University should adapt to those population shifts.  She also added that the University should identify “gems” and then showcase those “gems.”

Ms. Dutcher, who is from California, indicated that in order to interest a prospective student from California, PSU would have to sell itself as a place where parents could send their child for a quality education that would be better than the education the student could receive closer to home.

To be able to attract out-of-state students in states not contiguous to Kansas, PSU will have to change its marketing and brand itself.  Mr. Tyler indicated there should be no limits on the marketing program to try to attract quality out-of-state students.  PSU has proven itself with its successful graduates.

Polymers were one area that was discussed as perhaps being the “wave of the future” and Mr. Tyler reiterated their future significance.

Dr. Weast asked what are we doing at PSU that ten years from now people are going to be wishing they had majored in?

In further discussion:

• President Bryant indicated that we are losing manufacturing jobs in the United States, but we are gaining construction jobs.  Right now, PSU cannot educate enough students to fill those positions. 
• Several people indicated that we need to emphasize the technology programs. 
• Ms. Christian mentioned an Atlantic Monthly article titled “Who Needs Harvard?” about the success of many who had gone to public schools including Lee Scott.  She discussed the potential PSU has by combining programs including polymers and the business college, but that students also need to be well versed in arts and sciences.  She also cited a Wall Street Journal article indicating that future CEOs need liberal arts education.
• Dr. Weast indicated that students want a robust campus life.  You have to have football and you have to have the Gorillas.
• Mr. Docking observed that the unique component at PSU is the Technology Center and suggested combining programs in the College of Technology with the College of Business, and adding an international component with lifetime learning skills.
• Ms. Christian suggested combining ROTC with an international component, which could include a language component.
• Dr. Weast indicated that we still need two or three things to be made “priceless”.  One of these could be a new Business School, which would still appeal to locals and perhaps appeal to non-locals.
• Dr. Scott shared with the Commission that of all the constituents interviewed that were asked what one word describes Pittsburg State University, the most common answer was “Gorillas.”  However, many indicated the hesitancy to use it because of its connotation to athletics.   Several liked using “Gorillas” – it has worked for 100 years and everyone recognizes the word.
• Dick Chitty sees 4 things we can sell at PSU:
  • Quality of life
  • Quality of education/uniqueness and over-promote the KTC
  • Personal attention and personal touch
  • Value of education
• The PSU Web site was cited as something needing work.  It needs to be robust..
• Dr. Weast pointed out in-state tuition is $1700/seat while out-of-state tuition is $5000/seat.  The cost of delivery is the same for each student.  For PSU to advance, it needs to get clients from out-of-state to be able to capitalize on the net difference in the cost of tuition for in-state vs out-of-state.
• Mr. Patterson asked how the university could broaden its mission and capitalize on growth at the Kansas Technology Center while maintaining its status as a regional university.  Mr. Chitty indicated that the University needs to pursue target marketing.  Dr. Weast added that once students get here, PSU has to provide the best faculty available and the outcomes have to exceed what students have been told to expect at PSU.  Ms. Dutcher added placement of graduates needs to be a part of the marketing package.  One idea might be to go to a Cargill plant to recruit children of employees.
• Mr. Chitty compared keeping students at PSU with Toyota trying to get new customers while keeping current ones.  Ask PSU alumni what would cause their grandchildren to go to Pitt State.
• Other niches that PSU has include:
  • professional medical programs
  • automotive (need to get picture of the five PSU grads working at Toyota
• Ms. Dutcher’s suggested marketing targeted to Zip Codes.  Markers could include discretionary income, highly educated parents.  She also suggested opening dialogue with out of state community colleges and increasing outreach to out of state high school counselors.
• Mr. Chitty reiterated students are our customers.  We need, with the help of the Second Century Task Force to simplify the vision statement.

Conclusion

Dr. Weast thanked everyone for attending the meeting and adjourned to lunch at approximately 12:15 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Joan Cleland
Administrative Assistant to the President