Southern Illinois University Carbondale's Chancellor says the state of the institution is good.
Paul Sarvela delivered the annual "State of the University" on Monday. He highlighted numerous programs which continue to earn awards, as well as faculty and staff who are leaders in the nation. Sarvela says those successes should be touted.
"We offer more than 225 degree and certificate programs across a wide range of disciplines. We should celebrate the breadth and diversity of our academic programs - many programs are recognized as leaders in their fields."
Sarvela pointed out recent gains in the number of students on campus, saying he and other leaders remain hopeful they've turned around years of declining enrollment.
But he says challenges remain, including the battle to attract and retain quality students, budget issues and a decline in research funding.
"Universities across the country have experienced similar challenges in research funding, due to several factors, and our numbers have been further affected by the retirement of senior level research faculty. But we have a strong base of long-term and new faculty who will contribute to the future growth."
Chancellor Sarvela will also be Jennifer Fuller's guest on Tuesday's WSIU Morning Conversation. You can hear that interview at 8:30am Tuesday.
