Back-to-school message: Machen e-mail to faculty and staff

September 3, 2009

Sept. 3, 2009

Dear faculty and staff,

With new classes, faces and routines, the start of the school year often brings a fresh perspective. After spending some time reflecting this summer, I would like to share my own.

This university’s financial troubles have dominated the atmosphere on campus for a long time. It has not been easy, and we still have some $16 million in expenses to cut this year.

That said, the economic climate and funding pressures on the university are moderating. To my eyes, what’s emerging in this respite is this: a university that made real progress in difficult times, and one that now seems well equipped to leap ahead.

Faculty, research, students, fundraising, campus facilities – as I noted in my State of the University speech last week, wherever I look, I see gains.

Ten faculty members are National Science Foundation Early Career award winners, while two are Presidential Early Career winners. Research funding is up by more than 2 percent, to $574 million. With an average GPA of 4.24, our incoming students are the brightest ever. Our fundraising has held steady, and our endowment climbs. We will open three major buildings this fall and have launched several more. (Download President Machen’s presentation at http://www.president.ufl.edu/StateoftheUniversitySpeech2009.pdf and http://www.president.ufl.edu/StateoftheUniversity2009.pdf.)

What’s more, many of these achievements seem to pave the way for future gains. We received a $26 million grant from the National Institutes of Health this summer that will keep our medical research enterprise among the nation’s top competitors for funding and faculty. The Innovation Hub, our second biotech incubator funded with a new $8.2 million federal grant, will grow the commercialization of UF inventions. Those 12 NSF and Presidential Career award winners? All will receive substantial grants to grow and expand their research.

I believe we are well-positioned to make the most of these achievements.

Unlike some other Florida universities, we elected to keep our budget in line with our state funding and to set stimulus money aside. As a result, we will spend $10 million to hire dozens of new faculty – faculty initially paid by stimulus funds, and later by the statewide tuition differential. We plan to place these new faculty in high-demand areas across the university.

Earlier this summer, a group of University of Florida astronomers joined the inauguration of the world’s largest optical telescope in the Canary Islands. It seems to me, our participation in a project of this scale and reach embodies the University of Florida today: We are reaching up, in some cases all the way to the stars. And we are reaching out, seeking opportunities, pursuing relationships and exerting an influence beyond our walls – even across oceans.

As we begin the year, I hope you share my sense of renewed appreciation and optimism for this university. We have some momentum. Let’s make the most of it!

Sincerely,

Bernie Machen