Chancellor G.P. "Bud" Peterson of the University of Colorado at Boulder announced the approval of 25 new faculty positions this morning in his first formal address to the campus since his arrival in July.
In a speech attended by about 200 faculty and staff members in Old Main Chapel Friday morning, Peterson said he has "approved and released funding for 25 new faculty positions along with funds to support the associated startup costs." Peterson said he will work with Provost Phil DiStefano and the deans to allocate the positions, with a focus on meeting "existing commitments in our fundamental core areas," while supporting newly identified initiatives and "special opportunity hires."
"Allocation of these positions will result in the first new centrally supported faculty positions at CU-Boulder in nearly six years," Peterson said.
The chancellor outlined three major goals, resulting from several dozen meetings with groups on, and affiliated with, the campus in his first 100 days on the job. The three goals include reaffirming "our role as a flagship university," focusing on "the people of this university" and embarking on "a strategically driven dialogue about our future directions."
To reinforce CU-Boulder's position as the state's flagship institution of higher learning, Peterson said the campus must "communicate the quality and impact of our programs in a way that will engender passion among our supporters, while at the same time continuing to instill public confidence in how we manage this university."
CU-Boulder also will strengthen its flagship role by continuing to contribute "human capital, through research and innovation" to the region, the state and the nation, Peterson said. In addition to attracting the best faculty, students and staff to the campus, Peterson called on the campus to "create a 'Community of Scholars' based upon intellectual inquiry Â… to understand the importance of scholarship, intellectual curiosity and critical thought."
In proposing a "comprehensive strategic planning" effort for the Boulder campus to begin this fall, Peterson proposed four questions: what must be done to enhance or retain the stature of nationally and internationally regarded programs; what programs are poised to become nationally or internationally recognized; what areas or programs are essential for a flagship research university such as CU-Boulder to maintain and support; and what areas or programs "are we willing to stop doing in order to achieve the first three?"
The process of answering those questions, which some schools and colleges are already reviewing, will lead the campus leadership to "development of an action plan, which I intend to take to the Board of Regents for their concurrence and support this summer," he said. In order to implement the plan, the campus must also "engage in a simultaneous discussion about new economic models that will provide the management flexibility and resources necessary for us to be successful," he said.
Strategic campus planning also will be a precursor to a capital fund-raising campaign at some point in the future, Peterson said.
In the near term, however, Peterson said he will work with the vice chancellors and deans "to determine the best way to distribute some modest, additional base operational funds in selected areas, so that we can assist" campus departments to address pressing funding needs.
"If there is a theme to this message, it is about new beginnings, beginnings grounded in existing values and driven by our internal motivation to achieve greater success for the University of Colorado at Boulder," Peterson said.
Peterson arrived on campus July 17, following his appointment by the Board of Regents on May 19. He came to CU-Boulder from his previous position as provost at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y.
Prior to serving as provost at Rensselaer, Peterson was head of the mechanical engineering department and executive associate dean of the College of Engineering at Texas A&M University.
Peterson's complete campus address is posted on the Web at .