Dr. Witt's speech at the 2010 Faculty and Staff Spring Meeting

<p>[Office</a> of the President - The University of Alabama](<a href=“http://president.ua.edu/fsremarks042910.html]Office”>http://president.ua.edu/fsremarks042910.html)</p>

<p>He is very sanguine about UA’s current status and future. Notice his plans to upgrade UA’s rep in the speech. The Board of Trustees really hit a home run when they hired Dr. Witt.</p>

<p>The Board of Trustees really hit a home run when they hired Dr. Witt.</p>

<p>I completely agree…and I think that every time I’m walking around the campus. :)</p>

<p>*We are dealing with economic conditions that have forced most universities to cut back and retrench or, at best, put all their plans for progress on hold. Thanks to the attitude and commitment of this faculty and staff, The University of Alabama has continued to move forward. *</p>

<p>Yeah!!!</p>

<p>The quality of those freshmen was outstanding. Almost 1,200 of the 5,200 had perfect high school records, and 43 percent of them graduated in the top 10 percent of their senior class. The group included 103 National Merit Scholars, ranking The University of Alabama 10th among the 600 public universities in our country, and 28th among all public and private colleges and universities.</p>

<p>More good news!!!</p>

<p>Graduate enrollment surged 26 percent in one year, and the quality of those students is equally outstanding.</p>

<p>Didn’t know this, but also very good news!!!</p>

<p>Roll Tide! :)</p>

<p>A phenomenal speech by a visionary doer to a faculty and staff of doers. Everyone affiliated with UA, or thinking about becoming affiliated with UA, should read it in its entirety. Bama is going places and so are our kids. What a great time to get aboard the train.</p>

<p>Almost 1,200 of the 5,200 had perfect high school records, and 43 percent of them graduated in the top 10 percent of their senior class.</p>

<p>No one should be thinking that if I go to Bama, I won’t be around smart, academically-oriented kids who care about their grades.</p>

<p>…what is a perfect high school record? No detentions? GPA above 4?</p>

<p>^^Hah, that’s what I was thinking. Yeah, I was very turned off by Alabama because it was the lowest “ranked” school of the 12 I was accepted into by about 30 rankings or whatever. I figured that I would be the only smart kid there and it would be much harder to get into grad school.</p>

<p>Spending a day at Alabama changed my mind in a hurry. The honors college and the personal attention I am going to receive, both by professors and deans, will help me receive and do the extra things that, combined with solid grades, will get me into law school (instead of just good grades at UCLA, Michigan, UNC, etc). Plus, it’s kind of cool to go to a school that still has money in these tough times and that recruits so heavily for out-of-state kids.</p>

<p>LOL…certainly not “no detentions” - those aren’t on anyone’s transcripts.</p>

<p>He’s talking about GPA.</p>

<p>You know, for US News’s rankings, academic reputation among academics is 25 per cent of a school’s score. So there is a certain amount of academic snobbery that causes Bama, and other schools to be ranked lower than other schools. But hopefully, with the plan Dr. Witt has implemented, that will change even more over the next ten years.</p>

<p>Krazie - You hit it right on the nose. UA was barely on the radar until UA’s local reception and he was able to have a “conversation” not a “word” with Dean Sharpe and Dean Karr. His visit a few months later reinforced the opinion that, to quote you: “The honors college and the personal attention I am going to receive, both by professors and deans, will help me receive and do the extra things that, combined with solid grades…” will get him his Masters in less time and into an MBA program. Here in CA trustee’s have been stating that a BA not in 4 years but more like 5 or 6. Pros & Cons UA’s a winner.</p>

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<p>Well, as Mark Twain so aptly put it, “There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics.”</p>

<p>Just got back from Bama Bound. OMG, the Avanti and Parent Ambassadors were amazing. If you think your kid will be going to school with a bunch of idiots, you are dead wrong. If anything, your genius kid who was the star of the school will not be alone. What’s really great is, these kids were not cutthroat, competitive types. They were all working together, having a good time, making the most of their experience at an amazing university.</p>

<p>^^^Thanks for sharing this great news, Montegut. Were you able to get your football tickets?</p>

<p>Montegut, We attended the Thursday, Friday bama bound - just got back, and left with the exact same impression. The bar has been raised, and Bama is on track to be a top choice for top students. If I had any reservations whatsoever they were squashed! D made some friends, had some fun, and didn’t even realize until we were leaving that this wasn’t an honors only orientation. I think across the board bama is pulling in great students!</p>