June
8, 2012
Dear
members of the University of Florida community,
Today,
I informed the UF Board of Trustees of my intention to step down as president
next year. As the Board begins the search for my successor, I am
committed to continuing my leadership until the university is ready for a
smooth transition.
My
service at Florida’s top public university and one of the most comprehensive
public universities in the nation has been a privilege. I will have
served as president for almost 10 years, and I have been fortunate to work with
many exceptionally smart and dedicated faculty, staff and students. The
experience has been fulfilling and inspiring for me as well as my wife, Chris,
and we thank you for all your dedication and support for the university
throughout our time here.
You
– the faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends – have a great deal to be
proud of. Amid a very difficult period for higher
education, we have built a stronger, more dynamic, more forward-thinking
university. This is clear foremost in our faculty, whose honors, research
productivity and leadership roles in major scientific collaborations stand out
as major achievements. Six UF professors have joined the National
Academies since 2004, and our faculty have been at the forefront of many of the
major scientific collaborations of our era, from the world’s largest optical
telescope in Spain to the Collider Detector at Fermilab in Chicago to the
National Ecological Observatory Network. Contracts and grants have
climbed from $470 million in fiscal year 2003-04 to $619 million last fiscal
year.
As
we are one of the nation’s land grant universities, much of our research has
been focused on matters of public concern. We have contributed to
environmental stewardship with the formation of the UF Water Institute, to the
nation’s political future with the Bob Graham Center for Public Service, and to
better medical care with the Clinical and Translational Science Institute.
Building on the legacies of Gatorade and the glaucoma drug Trusopt, we have
helped more UF discoveries improve lives, nurturing innovation through
Innovation Square and the Florida Innovation Hub.
Many
new facilities further the university’s endeavors in research, teaching,
athletics, cultural affairs and student life. These include several major
new research buildings: Pugh Hall at the historic center of our campus; the
breathtaking Cofrin Asian Art Wing; and the expansive Southwest Recreation
Center. As our physical presence has grown, our financial foundation has
strengthened. UF’s endowment has more than doubled since 2004 to $1.29
billion, and our donors and friends have helped to secure the university’s
future with the $1.5 billion Florida Tomorrow campaign now reaching a
successful conclusion.
UF’s
students remain at the core of our mission and a particular point of
pride. At the undergraduate level, each class of entering students
eclipses the previous one in academic performance markers. We are proud
that America’s largest corporations are major recruiters of our graduates, and
we are also pleased that our graduates remain dedicated to public
service. This year, UF ranked fourth nationwide in the number of
volunteers who enter the Peace Corps, and last year, UF was fifth in Teach for
America volunteers.
Our
graduate programs continue to set UF apart from other universities, and our
graduate enrollment has climbed, with master’s students increasing 28 percent
and doctoral students 8.5 percent since 2004.
State
cutbacks have prompted tuition increases and accelerated UF’s path to financial
independence, yet the university has maintained its oft-noted status as one of
the best values in the nation. For families in need, UF’s pioneering
Florida Opportunity Scholarship has enabled 2,300 students to attend UF.
Most are minorities, helping the university retain its diversity following the
end of race-based admissions.
The
UF athletics program continues to shine. Over the past eight years, the
Gators won 10 national titles. These achievements build on UF’s enduring
legacy in sports, a legacy never more clear than at the 2008 Beijing Olympics,
where 33 Gators from 20 countries took home 14 medals, including five gold
medals.
UF
has a long tradition of research and service dedicated to the environment, and
we elevated that tradition by making sustainability a centerpiece of campus
life. We grew our commitment to the Gainesville community with the East
Campus, and we increased our presence globally with the Beijing Center for
International Studies.
As
we look ahead, UF faces numerous challenges, but the past few years have tested
and proven this university’s remarkable resilience and resourcefulness. I
feel strongly that UF rests on a firm foundation and has clear avenues for
lasting growth and success. As I plan to remain here as a professor after
I step down, I look forward to remaining engaged with the university and
community. Once again, I want to thank all of you for your dedication and
contributions. Chris and I feel truly grateful to have joined you in
strengthening UF and The Gator Nation.
Sincerely,
Bernie
Machen
President,
University of Florida
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