Cabinet Meeting Agenda

Thank you for the opportunity to provide you with information and to answer your questions about Lincoln University and our 2009-2010 Operational Budget Request for Commonwealth support.

Lincoln University has completed its 154th year as the nation’s first historically Black chartered university. We have provided you with information to illustrate and justify that the historic mission of Lincoln University is as necessary today as it was in 1854. The partnership support of the Commonwealth with Lincoln University is crucial in sustaining our ability to provide quality instruction, student assistance and technology innovation; all necessary in assuring that Lincoln graduates are highly competitive in the global marketplace.

With 98% of Lincoln students receiving some form of financial assistance, the University is considered a “best buy”: providing a quality higher education experience to residents of the Commonwealth. We have a proven track record of significantly out producing other universities in graduating Black Americans in the fields of science and technology. Additionally, our alumni data indicates approximately 54% of our graduates remain in the Commonwealth; thereby producing graduates who contribute and participate in the economic vitality of the State.

During the past eight years, Lincoln University has attained high marks that set it apart from peer institutions. In 2000, Lincoln ranked 2^nd in the nation in graduating Black Americans with baccalaureate degrees in the physical sciences; in 2001, Lincoln University was listed among the top twenty universities nationwide where 40% or more of its physics graduates were women. In 2004, Lincoln became one of three historically Black universities to receive an A3 Underlying Bond Rating from Moody’s Rating Agency. Between May 2000 and May 2008, Lincoln has awarded degrees in biological, physical, computer, general sciences and mathematics to an average of 21% of the graduating class; and approximately 10-15% of our undergraduates go on to graduate school.

The aforementioned statements are only examples of accomplishments that substantiate Lincoln University’s ability to provide a quality education to an impressive list of persons of color who have distinguished themselves as doctors, lawyers, educators, businesspersons, theologians and heads of states. All of this has been accomplished through quality management and stewardship of very limited resources.

Since 2001-02 through 2008-09 Lincoln University’s Commonwealth appropriation has increased from $12.55 million to $13.62 million—an increase of $1.07 million during the seven years. The Governor’s recommendation for 2009-10 is $13.62 million. With these very small appropriation increases over the seven years, and since Lincoln’s primary source of operational funding is significantly dependent on tuition and fees, we have had to make some very agonizing tuition and fee decisions while recognizing that 75% of our students come from households earning less than $50,000 per year. Along with these painful tuition/fee decisions, we have managed wisely using strategic planning, cost containment, prioritized programs and spending restraint to maintain increases in our operational budget plus depreciation compound averaging 5.97% a year for the past nine years.

Although the students we serve come from households earning less than $50,000 per year, our admission process is not open. The average SAT score of a freshman student entering Lincoln for Fall 2008 was 847 while the national Black American average was 857 and the Pennsylvania Black American average SAT score was 816.

Lincoln University recognizes and understands demands of accountability in higher education must be met, and we must meet the demands while maintaining a dedication to our primary mission. We believe we meet the demands of educational accountability in the areas of finance, graduation and retention rates and increased faculty productivity. We had no external or state audit findings for audit periods ending June 30, 2002 through June 30, 2007. The University’s six-year graduation rate is 40.0%. The freshman retention rate calculated for Fall 2008 was 69% and the average faculty week student contact hours for our faculty is 12.5, the highest in the state.

Although the University has a very talented and diverse faculty, with 77% holding the appropriate terminal degrees and 54% with tenure, competition to recruit and maintain quality faculty now focuses on markets that place differential values on different skills. The ability to maintain quality faculty, especially in the competitive disciplines, is seriously hampered by the limited availability of fiscal resources to provide competitive salaries.

In Lincoln University’s formal submission, which you have before you, and the attached summary to my testimony, we are seeking $25,000,000 in funding to support three basic areas: Educational and General, Technology, and five designated areas of Academic Excellence. Each area of excellence identified is an area where minorities are underrepresented as graduates; namely, the sciences and mathematics, teacher education, mass communications, business and technology (accounting and finance) and the arts.

In closing, when you examine the records of Lincoln graduates, you will find many that are leaders in their chosen profession. As we continue Lincoln’s “legacy of excellence,” Commonwealth support will allow the University to continue to

On April 29, 2004, Lincoln University, the oldest chartered historically black college in the nation celebrated its 150^th anniversary. On April 16, 2005, the Board of Trustees of the University reaffirmed the vision of the University as a “premier Historically Black University that combines the best elements of a liberal arts and sciences-based undergraduate core curriculum and selected graduate programs to meet the needs of those living in a highly technological and global society.”

It is significant also that the Board reaffirmed the historic mission of Lincoln University in April 2005 to unequivocally state that the present day mission is as important today as it was in 1854. Young people everywhere, especially in the Commonwealth, are still looking for universities that allow matriculation without regard to class, race or socio-economic background. Thus, the partnership between the Commonwealth and Lincoln University is crucial to the accomplishment of the University’s instructional, academic support, retention and technology efforts to provide an education that will continue to make our students competitive in the global marketplace.

Lincoln University is well aware of the worldwide financial and credit crisis that is gripping this country. We know also that this will dramatically affect higher education that had long been considered a recession-proof industry. No institution—public or private, large or small, wealthy or not—has not suffered from the international credit crunch, reduced investment earnings, or rescinded appropriations. Still worse, our students and their families must cope with this same crisis which compels us to be more thoughtful and creative in our responses. Addressing our financial needs by simply raising tuition is not an option.

Lincoln University has adopted cost cutting measures by adjusting our operating budgets, eliminating or delaying commitments on new projects, adjusting payout rates from endowments, and examining what position to take regarding pay raises or cost of living adjustments. Yet, while we aggressively tighten our belts, Lincoln University must be careful to not permanently cripple the University that is a vital part of the Chester County economy and which ultimately will be looked upon to help mitigate this recession.

I have confidence that we will weather this storm and that higher education, as an industry, will respond to these challenges in ways that contribute to the restoration of the economic wellbeing of all Pennsylvanians. It is important that we maintain a commitment to invest in higher education to help lead and sustain an economic recovery.

With 98% of Lincoln University students receiving some form of financial aid, Lincoln University is considered a “best buy” for students and the University is a “best buy” for providing high quality higher education to residents of the Commonwealth. Fifty-four percent (54%) of the University’s graduates remain in the Commonwealth. The University has a proven track record year after year of exceeding many other larger universities graduating Black Americans in the fields of science and technology who go on to become leaders in the Commonwealth, the nation and the world. The accomplishments of Lincoln's alumni continue to contribute to the economic development of Pennsylvania.

Educational and General―$18,000,000. Lincoln’s mission remains unchanged—to offer opportunities in education and leadership development to the descendents of those historically denied the liberation of learning. The University will continue to nurture underserved students, teaching the same curriculum as that offered by mainstream institutions, but applying its historical values and time-intensive mentoring tradition. The success of this approach is more than amply demonstrated by the quality of Lincoln’s alumni. Lincoln is committed to access, affordability and academic excellence for its students. The continuance of Lincoln’s commitment to access and affordability requires a commitment from the Commonwealth to support the University’s Operating Budget. The Educational and General appropriation helps the University keep its tuition and fees competitive, thereby reducing one barrier to access and opportunity.

Technology―$3,000,000. Lincoln’s mission statement stresses “…a commitment to promoting technological sophistication for its students in all academic programs…” Additionally, one of the University’s major goals is “The University will upgrade and maintain its faculty/staff/student use and access to technology." Implementing these commitments has improved significantly over the past two years with special funding from the Commonwealth. However, the University has not realized its full potential as we have not reached the level of technological sophistication necessary to prepare our students for the 21^st century.

Centers of Excellence―$4,000,000/year. In Lincoln University’s Strategic Plan (2008-2012) the University has identified five areas of Programmatic Excellence. Each of the areas is an area where minority students are underrepresented as graduates. Thus, the University has developed a five-year plan to address this under-representation of citizens and seeks Commonwealth funding to specifically target the areas and produce graduates in the following underrepresented areas: GREAT Center of Excellence for Minority Health―$1,000,000/year. The vision of the Center for Minority Health is to offer challenging and exciting opportunities for our students in the field of biomedical sciences, public health, nursing, chemistry, biology and computer science that will adequately prepare our students for graduate and professional training in minority health. This will enable students graduating from Lincoln to proudly and rightfully join their counterparts all over the world in this new science frontier. Teacher Education and Urban Pedagogy―$700,000/year. Lincoln University has identified the preparation of qualified minority teachers in the Commonwealth as a strategic focus. During the past four years, the University has had 100% passage of the PRAXIS I and II Examinations for completers of its Education Program. We are seeking Commonwealth funding to target twenty students each year and make it attractive for each student to enter education as a profession. Mass Communications―$800,000/year. Lincoln University, during the past three years, has identified communications as a strategic focus. During this period, the University has upgraded its television laboratory, its radio station and its curriculum to begin to address this minority shortage. We are seeking Commonwealth funding to target twenty students and at the end of five years to produce a minimum of twenty graduates per year who will have the requirements to seek a position as a writer, producer or director in the communications arena. Business and Information Technology―$750,000/year. The number of minority students choosing accounting and finance as careers and who are able to compete effectively in the private, public and international sectors is very low. We are seeking Commonwealth funding to target twenty (20) students yearly and at the end of five years, to graduate twenty students per year in accounting and finance to address the shortage. The Joint Lincoln University-Barnes Foundation Gallery Visual Arts Major―$750,000/year embraces the idea of the Barnes Gallery as the experiential and laboratory component of a completely new undergraduate Art major which fully embraces the ideas of Alfred Barnes. The program has concentrations in Art Conservation (B.A.) Museum Communications (B.A.), Museum Education (B.A. or B.S.) and Professional Studio Art (B.S.). We are seeking Commonwealth funding to target twenty students yearly at the end of five years to graduate twenty students per year in the Art Program.

Total Request $25,000,000