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Printer-Friendly ModePresident's contract extension much deserved
January 17, 2005 —
There is often much discussion as to how much Saginaw Valley State University has grown, particularly in the last five to ten years. Discussion comes from all sorts of parties, including longtime Saginaw residents, experienced students - both on and off campus - as well as staff and faculty that have been here for as long as forty years.
It seems almost as if SVSU is growing exponentially; it cannot be underscored enough that just five years ago this campus was completely different. These discussions about the progress of this University are more often than not a positive reflection on SVSU and its surrounding community. But with the recent State of the University address, it's also important to look at who has been behind the growth of this campus.
Back on Monday, Dec. 20, the SVSU Board of Control extended the contract of SVSU President Eric Gilbertson through June 30, 2009. It's necessary to applaud this decision, both as a reward to Gilbertson for overseeing the growth of the University, but also as a reflection on exactly what the president spoke of during his speech Jan. 13. Extending Gilbertson's contract four more years guarantees he'll be here to oversee the work that is planned through the University's five-year plan that was outlined last week. At the address, Gilbertson emphasized planning, and having a wealth of ideas. This philosophy has allowed SVSU to become what it is today. And what it is today is something completely different than what it was just five years ago.
The growth of this University has been so dramatic, in fact, that it is hard to remember just what this campus looked like five years ago. Ask a student to recall Fox Drive extending all the way to Curtiss Hall, and he or she will certainly be dumbfounded. What did Zahnow Library look like with only two floors? How were the Library and Science West connected, without a Science East building? More importantly, how did all those Education students fit into the old College of Education building?
It is easy to take for granted what this University can brag about these days. State-of-the-art Regional Education Center. Fantastic fitness center. New bookstore, new student center, new Living Center, new apartments. New, new, new. Careful planning has allowed what has only been up for a few years at the most to seem commonplace on a forty-year-old campus. Thankfully, we won't need a new president any time soon to plan even more.