Penn State President Graham Spanier discussed the university's continuing focus on diversifying the student and faculty population in his annual report to the Penn State Board of Trustees yesterday afternoon.
The university status briefing helped kick off the first of two sessions for the board's inaugural 2002-2003 gathering at the Nittany Lion Inn, 200 W. Park Ave.
Spanier took the microphone around 1 p.m. and welcomed everyone in the hotel's crowded ballroom by telling some jokes to liven the mood. He then presented a brief update on the overall status of Penn State.
He praised the university's class of 2002, calling the new students "a diverse and talented group." The 6,000 freshmen that are attending the University Park campus this fall hail from 44 states and 42 countries, he said.
Spanier also touched on the hiring of new faculty members for the 2002-2003 school year, saying, "this year's new faculty are the most diverse in the university's history."
"There are more than 85 new faculty of color and 31 of them are African American, including three academic ad-ministrators," Span-ier said.
The interest in attending Penn State continues to climb among prospective college students, Spanier said. He said the university set all-time highs for applications, receiving a record 79,734 this year -- a 14.5 percent increase since 1998.
"If you weren't already convinced, we now have more proof that a Penn State education continues to be in high demand," Spanier said. "This increase in applications means that we are able to select some of the most academically qualified students from across Pennsylvania and the nation, boosting the overall caliber of our student body."
He also announced that the university awarded nearly 1,200 students $700,000 in aid through the Penn State Tuition Assistance Grant.
"I think it is fair to say we are achieving our goal that no student is prevented from attending Penn State because of their economic status," Spanier said.
However, Spanier conceded that the university's task of keeping low tuition rates would continue to be an area of concern, especially for those students not eligible for financial aid.
"It will get increasingly difficult in the coming years," he said. "It doesn't look like there's going to be enough money in the pool for everyone."
In addition, Gary Augustson, vice provost for information technology, spoke about the university's rapidly expanding technology in areas of learning, teaching, research and personal use.
Augustson referred to one day last spring when 3.3 million e-mails were sent through Penn State's primary e-mail system.
"At Penn State, the sky is not the limit," he said.
Today's meeting will focus primarily on the university's 2003-2004 state budget, new campus construction plans and an independent report that examines Penn State's greek system. The meeting will start at 8:30 a.m. at the Nittany Lion Inn.
