\u201cIncreased research, creative scholarship and public service\nactivity directly benefit our students and their preparation for excellence in\ntheir future endeavors,\u201d she told a crowd of hundreds at the High Country\nConference Center, with hundreds more watching online. \u201cIt is an essential part\nof how we impact the state by creating a more qualified workforce for Arizona,\nproviding answers to big questions and future challenges and inspiring new\ninventions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cheng also discussed the changing environment in higher\neducation nationwide, which plays a role in NAU\u2019s retention and recruitment\nefforts and also affects curriculum and pedagogy decisions. She highlighted\nNAU\u2019s diverse online programs and our presence on community colleges campuses,\nmaking education more accessible to nontraditional students than ever, and\nrealigning or creating new programs to help meet the needs of industry in\nArizona and beyond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cToday\u2019s universities are challenged with redesigning\nprograms to meet workforce needs and those of student interests,\u201d she said.\n\u201cNAU has not been caught off guard by the changes taking place in higher\neducation today. We have talented teams throughout our campuses focused on the\nvision that assures our strong future.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She acknowledged that NAU, along with universities\nthroughout the country, is seeing lower enrollment numbers as there are fewer\nhigh school graduates, a booming job market and an unpredictable international\nenvironment. Although enrollment growth is lower now than it was five years\nago, NAU is addressing that through concerted and creative recruitment strategies\nto encourage potential college students to consider the university.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cheng highlighted the new brand campaign that is raising\nNAU\u2019s profile throughout the state. It is a product of a research-based\nmarketing plan that focuses on NAU\u2019s strengths and highlights what\ndifferentiates the NAU experience from that of other universities. She\nencouraged faculty, staff and students to make the slogan \u201cBring Your\nAspirations\u201d personal as they talked with peers throughout the state and\ncountry about their experiences as a Lumberjack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As the first of NAU\u2019s strategic goals, student success and\naccess continues to be a top priority for NAU programs and employees, both in\nand out of the classroom. NAU is working on enhancing the student experience,\nincluding providing students who are struggling with mental and emotional\nissues. In partnership with the American Council on Education, Campus Health\nServices has implemented a four-tiered approach that addresses student needs,\nthe accessibility of clinical services and proactive messaging, norm-setting\nand communication. This new approach includes six new counseling positions,\nfive of which have already been filled (one of whom is a culturally and\nlanguage-competent Latinx specialist); developing Kognito, an online program that\nhelps to identify students in distress; creating peer networks and offering\nadditional group therapy; and introducing a workshop to help students learn\nhealthy ways to cope with anxiety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Other programs to help NAU students include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Louie\u2019s Cupboard, an on-campus food pantry for\nstudents who are struggling<\/li>
- Louie\u2019s Leftovers, a program ITS created and\nadvertises through the NAUgo app to let students know when leftover food is\navailable after campus events<\/li>
- Enhanced gathering and study space for\nmulticultural and LGBTQIA student services and programs, opened last year in\nthe IMQ Center<\/li>
- Jacks Online, which provides peer mentoring for\nonline students<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Cheng discussed the budget the Arizona Board of Regents\nproposed to the Arizona Legislature last month, which includes $32 million for\nNAU. If approved, $22 million of that funding will go toward expanded\ninvestments in graduate and undergraduate health care programs, including\nbehavioral health; supporting and expanding pathways and expedited degree\nprograms in partnership with community colleges, career and technical education\ndistricts and business partners; and investment in cybersecurity programs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The other\n$10 million will support NAU\u2019s unique undergraduate mission through investment\nin enrollment, undergraduate faculty and quality education and additional\nmarketing efforts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
NAU\nadministrators are hopeful this budget proposal will allow the university to\nregain the balance in the overall mix that disappeared in 2014. Right now,\nstate appropriations make up about 18 percent of the total budget, down from\nmore than 22 percent in 2014. NAU has continued to grow and provide a quality\neducation despite that funding loss, Cheng said, but she hopes to see an uptick\nin investment from the state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is especially\ncritical for an institution like NAU, which serves a significant number of\nArizona residents and does so in communities throughout the state and through\nprograms like the Arizona Teachers Academy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cState funding will help NAU continue to support student outreach, quality instruction and student services while increasing access to higher education for a diverse population of students contributing to Arizona\u2019s attainment goals,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nCheng discussed the accomplishments NAU is making in its sustainability\nefforts and education, which were recognized last month by Arizona Forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNAU is well-positioned to lead in the practice and study of\nsustainability, and it is a core part of who we are as an institution,\u201d she\nsaid. \u201cWith the Colorado Plateau as our backyard and laboratory, our location\nhas given us a legacy of climate research, leadership and solutions that set us\napart from many other universities. We continue to be leaders in environmental\nand sustainability-focused education.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She also announced that next semester NAU will have an\ninaugural class of diversity fellows, a program aimed at recognizing faculty,\nstaff and students who show a commitment to diversity and inclusion\ninitiatives. This semester, NAU has celebrated Latinx Heritage Month, is in the\nmiddle of Disability Heritage Month and in November will recognize Native\nAmerican Heritage Month, which celebrates the programs, partnerships and\nrelationships that connect the university to Indigenous communities throughout\nthe world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe are a distinctive university focused on helping our\nstudents realize their aspirations, strengthened by the supportive environment\nfostered by our faculty and staff,\u201d Cheng said. \u201cAs we face an increasingly\ncompetitive higher education landscape, we must embrace the fact that we<\/em>\nare the NAU brand. Personal connections are foundational to this university\u2019s\nhistory and are as strong today as they were 120 years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Watch the Oct. 15 Campus Forum on NAU-TV.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"