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Curris Delivers Commencement Address at
Rhode Island College

The essence of our democracy is that the will of the people will prevail…That heritage, the consent of the governed, is what is bequeathed to every new generation by its elders.  Remember that democratic governance can be sustained only by citizens who accept their responsibilities to be stewards of our democracy. Read more

Policy Matters:

The State College Role in Advancing Environmental Sustainability: Policies, Programs and Practices

In the past few years, awareness of global environmental challenges has received renewed attention. From Vice President Al Gore’s activism to relentless energy price increases and the escalating evidence of man-made climate change, the resulting “green” movement is continuing to gain widespread exposure in politics, education, business, and everyday life.

Leadership in this movement is a natural fit for the “public purpose” mission of American state colleges and land-grant institutions. Higher education in the United States is a $300 billion industry with the active audience, intellectual resources, and research-related infrastructure to drive positive change at the local level. Most importantly, institutions of higher education also have the ability to transfer the knowledge, skills, ideas and values needed to usher in a new era of environmental sustainability in the 21st century.

UCO incident

The University of Central Oklahoma's handling of a bomb threat that turned out to be a hoax is instructive for other campuses that may be faced with this situation. A university news release and a statement by W. Roger Webb provide more information.

Cost Containment:

A Survey of Current Practices at America’s State Colleges and Universities

Member institutions of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities are witnessing measurable success in identifying and implementing cost containment strategies in order to reduce operating costs.  Nearly all survey respondents at AASCU institutions place high importance on cost containment, with most having implemented cost control strategies in multiple operational areas. As a result, a majority of the state colleges and universities participating in this study indicated sufficient satisfaction with their cost containment efforts. Institutions rely more on support and business functions in their cost control efforts than on core academic functions. Energy management and consortium purchasing are the two most common areas of focus for cost containment.