Witt updates Board about UA's growth

At the UA System Board of Trustees meeting, UA President Robert Witt updated the trustees on the status of his seven-year plan for the University.

After the first four years, the future of the plan - shared by faculty, administrators and students - looks strong, he said.

"When we laid out that vision and plan four years ago, it was a shared plan," Witt said. "I can tell you that it is an even more strongly shared plan."

Enrollment has steadily increased, he said, on track to reach 28,000 by 2010. This year, more than 25,000 students are enrolled at the University. One-third of the freshman class is non-residents, and a quarter of them are in the Honors College.

As part of expanding enrollment, Witt said the University has increased its out-of-state recruiting efforts also. He said the University hired two recruiters for Florida, two for Georgia and another for Tennessee, along with other increases to recruiting.

"We have made out-of-state recruiting a priority, but our top priority remains to Alabama," Witt said.

The Center for Ethics and Social Responsibility is also a major part of the University because of the focus on community service, Witt said.

"I believe community service will be one of the defining elements of this university," Witt said.

Stephen Black, director of the Center for Ethics and Social Responsibility, spoke to the trustees to tell them about the projects that the center has been working on. Students have worked in programs to given elementary school students vision screenings and to help families prepare their tax returns.

"I'm proud to tell you all that we have created a program ahead of any other university," Black said.

To continue the programs, maintenance and construction improvements on campus, the University increased the amount of appropriations it will request from the state this year.

For 2008-09, the trustees approved the University's request for $229.3 million, which is a 15 percent increase from last year's request.