President welcomes back faculty at ÂãÁÄÖ±²¥
- September 21, 2010
By Chris Metinko
Staff Writer
HAYWARD -- With fall classes set to begin Wednesday, ÂãÁÄÖ±²¥'s president welcomed back faculty Monday morning by telling them the university now is poised for success after struggling through tough financial times.
"Last year posed a great number of challenges and hardships we needed to overcome -- as difficult as any I can remember in my 32 years in higher education," President Mo Qayoumi said during his annual address before about 500 faculty members. "That is why I foremost want to express my deepest appreciation for your hard work and dedication to our students and the university."
Qayoumi stressed the Hayward university remains focused on providing high-quality education to its students even as a 24 percent reduction in state appropriations during the last two years clearly has impacted both access to courses and the level of service for students.
Despite those financial hardships, Qayoumi said the university has managed to eliminate its $11 million debt over the last four years while bringing revenue and expenses back in line with each other.
"ÂãÁÄÖ±²¥ was an institution in serious financial crisis," Qayoumi said of the situation he found when he arrived as president in 2006. He admitted difficult choices had to be made, including letting go of part-time staff and other job reassignments last year.
He stressed several times in his speech, however, that Cal State is now "poised for success" and "in position to thrive in the coming years."
He said the university has reversed the historical pattern of a stagnant and, at times declining, enrollment to build the highest enrollment in its 53-year history -- with nearly 15,000 students last fall.
"Last year, we not only continued to meet our enrollment target but were able to maintain enrollment momentum consistent as a destination university." Qayoumi said. "The pent-up demand to attend our university clearly demonstrates that we are indeed an institution of first choice for students in the region."
During a question-and-answer segment with faculty after the speech, Qayoumi rebuffed the notion that pay cuts and letting go of part-time lecturers and staff had created distrust between administration and faculty.
Qayoumi said the university has a policy of a transparent budget process and open dialogue with faculty, something it will continue.