Dean's Communications

Letter from the Dean:  July 2009 CHASS Newsletter

Hello, and welcome to the CHASS E-newsletter! It is my privilege to represent the college—and my duty to keep you informed of important news and events. So, let me dive right in and tell you what’s been happening.

The last two months have seen unexpected changes in NC State leadership. Board Chairman McQueen Campbell, Chancellor James Oblinger, and Provost Larry Nielsen all resigned in the wake of an investigation into Mary Easley’s appointment here at NC State. Although I have no addition information to add to what is already known, we are fortunate to have Jim Woodward as Chancellor in the Interim, and Warwick Arden as Interim Provost. They are both fine leaders, with good judgment and the solid demeanor we need in the times ahead.

And what times those promise to be! As I write this, there is still no state budget. We anticipate cuts to the campus of 8-12%. Consequently, we are cutting costs in all areas, including leaving retirements and resignations vacant, reducing operating and staff expenses, and developing new revenue sources to support the college. So far, we have largely met student needs by increasing class size, using distance education and other creative solutions, but we cannot sustain more cuts without losing classes and services.  In fact, you are getting this E-newsletter because we eliminated print and mailing costs of our magazine. We will send you quarterly email updates (unless you opt out). 

Despite these challenges, CHASS still produces one third of the NC State’s classes, one quarter of its majors, and yet does so with only 23% of the faculty, 9% of the administration, and less than 1% of the staff costs across the university. Read all about us in our annual report.  Join me in celebrating the many wonderful accomplishments of our alumni, students, faculty, and staff—and drop me a line or give me a call when you can!

Jeff

Jeffery P. Braden

Dean