During my first semester I visited most departments and met many faculty. Next, I want to meet more of the student body, and that is one of the reasons I will be teaching a Freshman Seminar course in the fall semester of 2000. Our primary mission is teaching, and the opportunity to interact with today s freshman students will add another dimension to my ability to make informed decisions. There is a terrific future for us. The college will remain the cornerstone of the university, but I see more and more opportunities to collaborate across departments and across colleges.
Interdisciplinary efforts strengthen and enrich each of the disciplines that are involved.
We also will continue to expand our efforts in distance education. Currently we have distance learning programs in social work, computer science, criminal justice, and we cooperate with the Reich College of Education on various teacher education programs. The number of those programs is bound to increase. Ongoing technological advances are already having a tremendous impact on the way we operate, especially our efforts in presenting material in the classroom. Some of our faculty and staff are leading the way in the instructional uses of technology.