Striking a note of realistic optimism, Mary Baldwin University President Pamela Fox acknowledged the continuing challenges that face the school and recognized its greatest strength — its people — in her State of the College Address on Wednesday.
“These significant accomplishments belong to everyone,” she said, in her speech, Mary Baldwin Wisdom. “You are the state of the college.”
Signaling the official start of the 2011–12 academic year, the annual review and forecast of things to come touched on the successes Mary Baldwin has achieved since last fall. Record enrollment, strong fundraising efforts, and the tangible progress made in the Pearce Science Center renovation are all points of pride, Fox said. She also addressed ways in which the college must continue to improve, even in the face of continuing global economic concerns.
That means moving ahead with the college’s strategic plan, which includes four primary goals: grow existing programs, ensure that all parts of the college are strong and financially sustainable, aggressively proceed with fundraising, and identify and implement transformational graduate programs to secure the Mary Baldwin’s future.
“Expect our momentum to continue,” Fox told the crowd packed inside Francis Auditorium. “There will be much to announce and celebrate over the next few months.”
Text from Fox’s speech is available online.