Moeser set for annual speech

Making resolutions is common for most at the start of a new year. Chancellor James Moeser is no exception.

He will deliver his fifth State of the University address at 3 p.m. today in the Great Hall of the Student Union, outlining his goals for the campus.

"I think it's a healthy thing for people to make a yearly plan and to articulate it publicly," said Judith Wegner, chairwoman of the faculty.

"Some people do it on their birthdays, some people do it on New Year's," she said. "This is the forum in which he chooses to do it."

Moeser gave the first State of the University address in 2001, and it has since become a marker of the start of each school year.

"It gives the chancellor an opportunity to review the state of the University, what we've done in the past year - his joys and his sorrows, if you will," said Provost Robert Shelton. "It also gives him the opportunity to tell his broad plans for the upcoming year, where his direction is going."

Officials said that Moeser will talk about a variety of issues but will focus on the globalization of North Carolina and how this will affect serving the people of the state.

Moeser also traveled to Singapore during the summer, and campus leaders said they expect him to tell of his experiences abroad and describe how students can benefit from such adventures.

"I think the chancellor's big emphasis is making sure our students have international experiences," Shelton said.

In the past, Moeser has used the speech - most of which he writes himself, administrators say - as an outlet to deliver major announcements and goals to the campus.

Two years ago, he unveiled the Carolina Covenant - a nationally groundbreaking initiative that allows low-income students to graduate from UNC debt-free.

Last year, Moeser defined his seven-point plan to direct the UNC's resources toward academic excellence, especially in the areas of faculty recruitment and retention.

"It lets him speak to multiple audiences," Shelton said. "I see him regularly, so I have a good sense of where his priorities are. This is a chance for the faculty and the students to see that as well."

More than anything, however, University leaders said the speech provides a forum for the campus to come together.

"It's a chance for the community to come together and hear directly from him what's on his mind," Wegner said.

Officials said the forum has helped Moeser keep in touch with the community.

"I think he sees it as a tool, one of the many methods of being in touch with the campus," said Lisa Katz, director of UNC News Services.

"It's an opportunity to talk about the big picture, and we're all part of that."

 

Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.