Major Announcement Set for State of University Speech

Major Announcement Set for State of University Speech

Be it cloned mules, the Wright Flyer, or the Rhodes Scholarship, Utah State University is riding a wave of unprecedented national and international attention.

President Kermit L. Hall will focus on these achievements and recognitions during his third State of the University address Jan. 14 at 4 p.m. in the Eccles Conference Center auditorium.

Hall, the university’s 14th president, said the address will have the same "State of the Union" feel as previous years but will also include an announcement that everyone in attendance will appreciate.

"We are going to have a major announcement at the end of the address, one that I think will be very good news for the university," Hall said. "I'm hoping that we will be able to have a substantial audience so we can show the university's appreciation for the individuals involved."

Hall said his speech will cover progress made on the academic front, such as Rhodes Scholar Laura Anderson, and in university infrastructure, including buildings under construction and those that will be shortly. He said there are also other important issues that need to be brought to the attention of the university community.

"We'll have an enlightening, informative summation of where the university's been and where it's going," Hall said. "All of this will be capped off with an announcement of real significance, and I think it will be a very special moment for the university."

Members of the campus community and the community at large are invited.

In his address, Hall will also provide an overview of the university and look back at the past several years and then look ahead.

Over the past three years Utah State University has made every effort to place academics first and to build the preparedness of its student population. Research efforts have been enhanced, as well as efforts to communicate the university's successes on both state and national levels.

Among the advancements made are strides in the preparedness of both undergraduate and graduate students. This year's undergraduate admissions are the best prepared class in history. At the graduate level the GRE combined score improved 100 points. Increasing doctoral enrollment has been a priority and over the past four years it has increased more than 50 percent from 368 to 564.

Hall will also include an overview of Utah State's research funding. Hall will acknowledge the faculty efforts, noting that university personnel received $141 million in research grants and contracts in fiscal year 2003 - a record high, eclipsing state funding of $123 million.

A reception follows Hall remarks in rooms 201-203 of the conference center. Following the address, Hall's remarks will be available on the university's Web site at www.usu.edu/president/. The speech will also be broadcast live at many of the university’s 29 county Cooperative Extension sites.

Expected overflow seating for those who attend the State of the University address is in the Eccles Conference Center rooms 205-207 and rooms 303-305.