Future visions

By Editorial

When President Paul Locatelli, S.J., gave his state of the university talk Tuesday, the rhetoric was clear: make the school "great," with great faculty, great students and great classrooms.

While his vision was sound, how to get there was less so.

On the numbers, he touted the increase in undergraduate admissions applicants: 7,600 last year to almost 9,000 this year, in what Locatelli says is a 15-percent increase.

Numbers aside, though, there seemed to be more of a focus on the future than concrete examples of what the university would expect to see in the coming years.

Such visions are in line with Locatelli's goal of being one of the top Catholic universities in the country. Recent, ambitious "Future Directions" meetings, comprised of regents, trustees, students and alumni, opened the door for discussion.

What was noticeably absent at his speech was an explanation of why the $350-million building campaign was lagging -- at least based on the university's original timetable. Orradre Library was to be demolished this month from initial plans; instead, Locatelli said vaguely that construction projects are expected to begin "within a year." Ground hasn't even been cleared for the new business school.

The president's talk was filled with praise for students and faculty, many of whom were recognized by prestigious or national awards. But the shortcomings among student services (tuition costs, food service prices and on-campus housing, for example) were barely mentioned, if not discussed at all.

This term, however, seemed more inclusive and as a time for reflection. Locatelli spent his first three terms in office stabilizing a budget, initiating building projects and drawing in high caliber faculty.

Now, in perhaps his last term as president, it's time to clear the slate for some brainstorming.

"We want to enhance and improve what we do," he said to an audience in the Mission Church.

Let's improve it -- but let's get some sound indicators along the way.