UB President John B. Simpson emphasized the university's leadership role in international education, describing universities as a catalyst for cultural understanding and better diplomatic relations, in a meeting of the UB Council on Monday.
The council meeting also revealed that UB research grants were down two percent from last year, while student representative Jonathan Yedin reported on a failed council initiative in the University Heights neighborhood.
Simpson's report focused on UB's increased need to be a player in international education.
He said that 50 percent of graduate degrees were given in the United States in 1970, compared to a projection indicating that by 2010, only 10 percent of advanced degrees will be given. International enrollment has held steady at UB, despite an overall national decline.
"I prefer to be optimistic," Simpson said. "We have to start now. Let's make this issue a national priority."
His talk before the council summarized the January University Presidents Summit on International Education held in Washington, D.C., which was hosted by U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. The conference focused on greater investment in international education and the teaching of "critical languages," listed as Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Russian and Hindi.
While Simpson's talk focused on UB optimism, Vice President for Finance and Operations James Willis revealed UB has experienced a slight downturn in research funding.
Willis said that research awards were down by about two percent, compared to this time last year. His office has not projected year-end figures, but data for the first seven months of the 2006-07 academic year indicate that research awards and grants have declined.
Yedin gave a report to the council that plans for a University Heights forum have fallen flat.
"The student enthusiasm wasn't as high as mine, so we'll have to put it off to a later date," he said.
"I don't think students are satisfied, but if they don't want to put time in to make change, they can't complain," he added following the meeting.
Yedin also reported on the limited opportunity to use Campus Cash on South Campus, and said he planned to review the rules concerning this matter with Dennis Black, vice president for Student Affairs. He said students are asking what's going to be done in terms of master planning and a place to stay.
Simpson said those issues will be adequately addressed, and Willis said he anticipates giving the council an official plan for the Master Plan soon.
In other matters, David L. Dunn, Vice President for Health Sciences in the UB School of Medicine, presented an accreditation update before council members. UB's Radiology program is the only medical program that stands out as being threatened, Dunn said.
In interviews conducted with the radiology group at Roswell Park Cancer Institute, residents said they couldn't run the residency just out of Roswell, because they're only seeing cancer patients.
Dunn said that the Residency Review Committee is very driven and that the nature of the problem is that UB's program had too many sites and a less than coherent education program.
To tell the committee there is a great patient volume, enthusiastic students and large training of residents isn't enough, Dunn said.
"You have to show how you participated and (the) level of knowledge obtained," Dunn said. "We weren't explaining it effectively."
Before the council went to executive session, R. Nils Olsen, dean of UB Law School, and sociology professor Robert Granfield, reported on the strategic strength of civic engagement and public policy as part of the UB 2020 academic planning initiative.
