Message from the President

October 29, 2012

We’ve had a great beginning to the school year. On 11 August, we matriculated 779 cadets, the largest freshmen class in more than 50 years. These young men and women are also well equipped for the academic challenges they will face. Their average SAT score was 1080 and high school GPA was 3.5. More than one-third of them were in the top 25 percent of their high school class.

The football team has made the most of its triple-option offense and tough defense. We beat top FCS powerhouses Georgia Southern and Appalachian State – the first time since 1991 that the Bulldogs beat two top 10 teams. We just had a tough loss to University of Tennessee-Chattanooga, but I’m hopeful the team will bounce back.

Speaking of rankings, for the second straight year, U.S. News and World Report selected The Citadel the #1 public college in the South offering master’s degrees. Because of our high academic quality and access to financial aid, The Citadel was also selected a "Best Value."

We don’t pursue these rankings – what plays prominently in the U.S. News calculations are priorities at The Citadel. For example, we put great emphasis on providing a top-notch learning environment. Our student-faculty ratio is just 13:1, and fully 42 percent of our classes have 20 or fewer students. Eighty-six percent of faculty are full-time.

One statistic to which U.S. News gives great weight is the percentage of alumni who give to the college. I’m very proud to report that, at 30 percent, The Citadel boasts the largest portion of alumni who give, not only nationally in our category, but for both public and private colleges. Our #1 ranking is a direct result of your generosity and commitment to our alma mater. The “new normal” for public colleges is reduced state support and increased reliance on fundraising. Fortunately, The Citadel has loyal alumni who have helped us to survive and even grow during the last few years. Thank you, and I hope those who have not contributed will consider doing so.

We recently celebrated our Leaders in Philanthropy weekend, which gives us the opportunity to acknowledge those who have made profound gestures of generosity. New this year was the Order of the Tartan, which gives the college the chance to recognize its most dedicated donors – those who have contributed annually for 25 or more consecutive years. The dedication of these individuals deserves our deepest appreciation.

While we can take great pride in these achievements, we can’t sit back and rest on our laurels. We must be willing to take a hard look in the mirror and identify how we can improve as a college. That’s why I directed the creation of the Institutional Program Assessment Committee (IPAC). Led by University of South Carolina President Emeritus Dr. John Palms, ’58, the IPAC conducted a self-assessment of those risks we face that impede our capacity to realize our vision: excellence in the education and development of principled leaders. This was a campus-wide initiative and I would like to thank the 100 faculty, staff and students who generously gave their time to sit on IPAC panels or offer their perspectives in interviews and focus groups. It was an eight-month project but surely worth the effort.

The IPAC report, available at http://www.citadel.edu/root/ipac, was delivered to me at the end of August for my review and action. As I reported to the BOV recently, I strongly agree the issues raised in the recommendations of the IPAC report must be addressed, and I look forward to conferring with the IPAC panels as we work through the ramifications of the suggested courses of action. The 14 issues raised in the report are:

• Lock cadet room doors according to regulations
• Improve weapons security for both college-issued and private weapons
• Execute administrative and procedural updates to the Honor System
• Ensure Summerall Guards comply with Core Values and regulations
• Execute mandatory background checks and training for those interacting with children
• Develop a plan to govern sponsorship and mentoring programs
• Establish a full-time alcohol/substance abuse office
• Modify, consolidate and promulgate policies for the protection of children
• Strengthen trust and confidence on campus
• Adopt a new plan to diversify the workforce and student body
• Adopt new approaches to improve attitudes toward women on campus
• Reconstitute the night OC program
• Take a new comprehensive look at the Fourth-class System guided by our Core Values
• Review the approach and philosophy of cadet discipline system

I also made very clear to the BOV that we must preserve those aspects of the college that are at the heart of The Citadel. While I am president, there will be a demanding but professional Fourth Class System, a cadet-run Honor System and a rigorous discipline system. Yes, attending The Citadel is tough, but we must not deprive cadets of the challenges and opportunities for growth as principled leaders that we all benefitted from. I will keep you updated on our efforts to address these IPAC issues.

I’m also very proud to report that The Citadel is the first college in the nation to provide training for every student and employee working and living on campus in how to prevent child sexual abuse.

In partnership with Darkness to Light, a national non-profit based in Charleston that is dedicated to the prevention of child sexual abuse, the BOV, all Citadel employees, cadets and graduate and evening undergraduate students, along with campus residents 18 and older, will receive training through the Stewards of Children program, which is designed to teach adults how to prevent, recognize and react responsibly to child sexual abuse.

Every day I’m thankful for the chance to lead The Citadel and work with the fine young men and women who attend our alma mater and will someday join the Long Gray Line. Their many successes would not be possible without the support of our alumni. We’re #1 because you’re #1.

Lt Gen John W. Rosa, USAF (Retired)
President, The Citadel