Contact: Maridith Geuder
STARKVILLE, Miss.--Reviewing his first year as president of Mississippi State University, Robert H. "Doc" Foglesong says that he's learned the value of patience and has been energized by his interaction with faculty, students, staff, alumni, and friends.
"I've been the new kid on the block, and I've logged thousands of miles getting to know the extensive MSU family," said the university's 18th president, named in 2006.
"Mississippi State has a presence in every Mississippi county, and our more than 100,000 alumni stretch literally around the globe. This has very much been a year of hitting the ground running and being in as many places as humanly possible," he said.
Within weeks of arriving on the Starkville campus in April 2006, Foglesong appointed a cross-campus committee of faculty, staff, and students to build a 10-year strategic plan. Called FutureState 2015, the resulting document yielded more than 100 recommendations, about 70 of which already have been implemented or are substantially under way.
The former four-star general adopted a theme of One State, One Team and announced the ambitious goal of becoming the most respected land-grant school in the region.
"To some, that seems audacious," he admitted, "but I believe that Mississippi State University has talent and a work ethic that are second to none. After a year, I'm more convinced than ever that this institution can accomplish great things for the state and the region."
Initiatives under way in the last year:
--the G.V. Sonny Montgomery Center for Americas Veterans, a national center that links veterans with educational benefits and provides support as they transition to civilian life. Drawing on resources such as MSU's Social Science Research Center, the new venture also will be able to provide research specific to national veterans' issues.
--a comprehensive leadership program that seeks to ground students in out-of-classroom skills for success. An initial class of 29 sophomores and juniors make up the Appalachian Leadership Honors Program--Sonny Montgomery Chapter, and the program will expand this fall.
New components in the leadership continuum are a Day One program for incoming freshmen and the Young Guns summer program for rising high school juniors. All focus on mentoring young men and women and involving them in service activities that foster community engagement, Foglesong said.
--revitalized international linkages. A Global Leadership Program is building on an already strong international emphasis at MSU, Foglesong said, with a recently completed Korea Study Tour the first of many he hopes to see. "Our students must be comfortable with many cultures, and one of my goals has been to create linkages that will foster increased understanding," he said.
--an African American studies program. In place for the fall, the program will involve a variety of academic disciplines, including literature, the arts, history, and political science, among others.
--a revitalized student recruitment effort, with Foglesong as the chief recruiter. "My goal is to grow Mississippi States enrollment by a manageable amount--300 to 400 more students each year," he explained. "I have traveled across Mississippi and the South and have met literally thousands of prospective students over the last year to introduce them to the Great Bulldog Nation."
--a $100 million Reach for Excellence fundraising effort focused on academic excellence, faculty development, and campus enhancements. "Our donors are making a difference in helping us move Mississippi State forward," Foglesong said.
--the MSU Promise Program, a privately funded effort designed to ensure rising tuitions do not squeeze deserving students out of higher education. It has assisted more than 120 students in the first year.
--the Mississippi State Community Action Team, a coordinated effort that pulls together MSU resources to address issues of significance to local governments. MSCAT currently is working with nearly a dozen communities around the state.
--a formalized Honor Code that reaffirms the highest expectations of students to lead and learn with character.
"We want to continue to build these programs, to ensure that we have adequate support for our academic foundation, and grow our research programs to extend benefits to all Mississippians," he said.
If there's been one surprise in the last year, Foglesong says, it's the amount he's needed to travel.
"I've often found myself jammed with recruiting, fund-raising, economic development, and alumni events, often in different parts of the state on the same day, and each important," he noted. "But perhaps the most important thing I've done was to visit separately with 23 of the university's academic departments, and I look forward to meeting with the others as soon as I can."
During his 13 months on the job, Foglesong has spoken to about 23,000 people at more than 140 alumni meetings, civic clubs, recruiting events, and so on. He also received over 19,000 emails and covered more than 2,000 miles during daily runs.
"To cram everything in this busy year," Foglesong said, "I traveled tens of thousands of miles--not including the 2,000 I ran."
While the travel required energy, time and resources, including many weekends, he adds that he's seeing it pay off.
"I was advised by alumni and those engaged in higher education to spend this first year getting to know people and agencies that could help move the university forward," he said. "That was good advice."
"I believe my personal contact is having an effect, either directly or indirectly, in helping raise tens of millions of dollars for research and economic development, generating a significant return to Mississippi; boosting the extraordinary success of our $400 million State of the Future campaign; and contributing to a significant increase in our student application rate for the coming year," he said.
"I still haven't had a day off," he laughs. "I hope to take a vacation this summer." But he's quick to add that he's looking forward to the work ahead.
"There is still much more to do, and I intend to stay as engaged this year as I was last year," Foglesong said. "I'm as excited today as I was the first day on the job."
"This is the best gig I've ever had."