With all of the hustle and bustle in the last week over the list of potential names being downed to the final five, many people have had their opinions on the list of names at hand and many of them were not too positive. The general public was upset over the fact that the committee said that the public's voice would be heard and accounted for, but when the time came to shrink the list to five, the option of staying UND/North Dakota, which was the public's majority pick, was not in that group it made stakeholders furious.
Reports then came out saying UND President Robert Kelley suggested to the committee that if the UND/North Dakota option was not removed, the committee could be disbanded, leaving another big speed bump in this process. This report was the last straw for the public stakeholders and many alumni and current students sounded off with opinion letters to the Grand Forks Herald and over social media.
As for me, the only option I saw as a suitable fit was to remain staying simply as the University of North Dakota. No name, just the same tradition and history of the university. No matter what name is chosen, nobody will be able to back it. However, a friend and I shared some text messages earlier this week when the news broke, and he said that he would choose the Fighting Hawks because when the PA would sound off before games and announcing goals, they would say "Here's your University of North Dakota Fighting...." and when he says 'hawks' we all could scream Sioux and all would be normal. So just an instance of someone with a positive outlook on a touchy subject in UND country.
Any new nickname will be tough to swallow for anyone. I remember when the Sioux logo was dropped towards the end of my freshman year at UND. That was hard to take and I had just started taking in the history and traditions of the university. I eventually got behind this 'temporary' name/identity for the university and maybe someday I can accept the new name too. Well maybe not if it's the 'Sundogs.'
Showing posts with label UND President Bob Kelley. Show all posts
Showing posts with label UND President Bob Kelley. Show all posts
Friday, July 24, 2015
Tuesday, June 09, 2015
UND President Robert Kelley to Retire in January 2016
This news story is breaking over on Say Anything Blog and the Grand Forks Herald web pages. President Robert O. Kelley will retire on January 14, 2016. Kelley has been seen as a lightning rod by some students. During a UND hockey game on February 28, 2016, UND students displayed a large banner that read: "Fire Kelley". I guess these students will get their wish. It will be interesting to see who replaces Kelley.
From: University and Public Affairs
Date: June 9, 2015 at 11:41:03 AM CDT
To: [REDACTED] Subject: President Robert O. Kelley Announces Retirement from UND
Reply-To:
A message from UND ADMINISTRATION
University of North Dakota President Robert O. Kelley has announced his retirement, effective January 14, 2016. President Kelley is UND’s 11th president and has served in the position since July 1, 2008.
President Kelley noted that he has been considering the possibility of retirement for some time, and that the time is right to plan the transition to UND’s next president. Said President Kelley, “I am honored to have served as the President of this exceptional university for the past seven years. The University of North Dakota has made—and will continue to make—an indelible contribution to the state of North Dakota, the nation, and the world. It has been my privilege to work alongside the faculty, staff, students and alumni who make that happen. I and my wife, Marcia, who has been the University’s ‘First Volunteer,’ as well as First Lady, look forward to continuing that association for the next several months, and we will continue to follow UND’s progress with great interest and support.”
Transition and search plans for a new UND president will be announced by the North Dakota University System (NDUS) in the weeks to come. President Kelley expressed his appreciation for the support of the NDUS during his term as President. Said Kelley, “It has been a pleasure working with Interim Chancellor Larry Skogen, and I regret that I will only briefly have the opportunity to work with incoming Chancellor Mark Hagerott. I believe Chancellor Hagerott will provide excellent leadership to the NDUS and to the cause of higher education in North Dakota. I also appreciate the support of the State Board of Higher Education these past seven years.”
President Kelley added: “I also want to express my appreciation for UND’s outstanding senior leadership team. They have worked tirelessly to advance the Board’s strategic plan and the strategic roadmap for the University, Exceptional UND.”
Interim Chancellor Larry C. Skogen said, “Yesterday, when Bob and I met for his evaluation, he informed me again of his intent to retire. We reflected upon both his accomplishments and the university’s growth in many areas during his time at UND, especially in terms of knowledge and growth in areas such as the law school, medical school, and the research being done at UND, as well as continued educational programming across all disciplines. I thank Bob for ensuring the quality of these programs, and I also thank him for his leadership during the tumultuous sports team nickname change. He showed tremendous fortitude during adverse times, and I wish him the best in his retirement.”
Terry Hjelmstad, Chair, State Board of Higher Education, added, “Under Dr. Kelley’s leadership, UND’s new School of Entrepreneurship highlights the value North Dakota places on innovation. Now UND is in the company of only a few select institutions dedicated to entrepreneurialism. UND has also made great strides in the College of Engineering and Mines and its petroleum engineering program, with a 3,677% increase, which speaks volumes for UND responding to the state’s needs as well as the students. Bob saw where the attention of his programs needed to be focused to meet the needs of UND, the workforce as well as students, and I thank him for his leadership.”
During President Kelley’s term, and under the Exceptional UND strategic roadmap, the University saw unprecedented growth and progress in a number of areas, including: Academic Programs: UND’s petroleum engineering was initiated, and has since increased in size from 7 students to over 300. The nation’s first degree program in Unmanned Aircraft Systems was begun. A number of endowed chair positions were established in departments such as Music, Health Sciences, and Business and Public Administration. Significant class expansion took place in the School of Medicine and Health Sciences.
Buildings: The renovation of the new Education Building and key portions of the Memorial Union, as well as the construction of the Gorecki Alumni Center. The expansion and renovation of the School of Law, as well as construction of the Athletics High Performance Center and the new building for the School of Medicine and Health Science also commenced. Ground was broken for Robin Hall and the renovation of the Wilkerson Commons.
Enrollment: UND saw its highest-ever levels of enrollment under President Kelley’s leadership. The University recruited its most academically-prepared freshman class, with an average ACT score of 23.8 and an average GPA of 3.4.
North Dakota Spirit/The Campaign for UND: This UND Alumni Association and Foundation Campaign was the largest capital campaign in North Dakota history, raising $324 million for student scholarships, faculty endowments, and other support for the University.
From: University and Public Affairs
Date: June 9, 2015 at 11:41:03 AM CDT
To: [REDACTED] Subject: President Robert O. Kelley Announces Retirement from UND
Reply-To:
A message from UND ADMINISTRATION
University of North Dakota President Robert O. Kelley has announced his retirement, effective January 14, 2016. President Kelley is UND’s 11th president and has served in the position since July 1, 2008.
President Kelley noted that he has been considering the possibility of retirement for some time, and that the time is right to plan the transition to UND’s next president. Said President Kelley, “I am honored to have served as the President of this exceptional university for the past seven years. The University of North Dakota has made—and will continue to make—an indelible contribution to the state of North Dakota, the nation, and the world. It has been my privilege to work alongside the faculty, staff, students and alumni who make that happen. I and my wife, Marcia, who has been the University’s ‘First Volunteer,’ as well as First Lady, look forward to continuing that association for the next several months, and we will continue to follow UND’s progress with great interest and support.”
Transition and search plans for a new UND president will be announced by the North Dakota University System (NDUS) in the weeks to come. President Kelley expressed his appreciation for the support of the NDUS during his term as President. Said Kelley, “It has been a pleasure working with Interim Chancellor Larry Skogen, and I regret that I will only briefly have the opportunity to work with incoming Chancellor Mark Hagerott. I believe Chancellor Hagerott will provide excellent leadership to the NDUS and to the cause of higher education in North Dakota. I also appreciate the support of the State Board of Higher Education these past seven years.”
President Kelley added: “I also want to express my appreciation for UND’s outstanding senior leadership team. They have worked tirelessly to advance the Board’s strategic plan and the strategic roadmap for the University, Exceptional UND.”
Interim Chancellor Larry C. Skogen said, “Yesterday, when Bob and I met for his evaluation, he informed me again of his intent to retire. We reflected upon both his accomplishments and the university’s growth in many areas during his time at UND, especially in terms of knowledge and growth in areas such as the law school, medical school, and the research being done at UND, as well as continued educational programming across all disciplines. I thank Bob for ensuring the quality of these programs, and I also thank him for his leadership during the tumultuous sports team nickname change. He showed tremendous fortitude during adverse times, and I wish him the best in his retirement.”
Terry Hjelmstad, Chair, State Board of Higher Education, added, “Under Dr. Kelley’s leadership, UND’s new School of Entrepreneurship highlights the value North Dakota places on innovation. Now UND is in the company of only a few select institutions dedicated to entrepreneurialism. UND has also made great strides in the College of Engineering and Mines and its petroleum engineering program, with a 3,677% increase, which speaks volumes for UND responding to the state’s needs as well as the students. Bob saw where the attention of his programs needed to be focused to meet the needs of UND, the workforce as well as students, and I thank him for his leadership.”
During President Kelley’s term, and under the Exceptional UND strategic roadmap, the University saw unprecedented growth and progress in a number of areas, including: Academic Programs: UND’s petroleum engineering was initiated, and has since increased in size from 7 students to over 300. The nation’s first degree program in Unmanned Aircraft Systems was begun. A number of endowed chair positions were established in departments such as Music, Health Sciences, and Business and Public Administration. Significant class expansion took place in the School of Medicine and Health Sciences.
Buildings: The renovation of the new Education Building and key portions of the Memorial Union, as well as the construction of the Gorecki Alumni Center. The expansion and renovation of the School of Law, as well as construction of the Athletics High Performance Center and the new building for the School of Medicine and Health Science also commenced. Ground was broken for Robin Hall and the renovation of the Wilkerson Commons.
Enrollment: UND saw its highest-ever levels of enrollment under President Kelley’s leadership. The University recruited its most academically-prepared freshman class, with an average ACT score of 23.8 and an average GPA of 3.4.
North Dakota Spirit/The Campaign for UND: This UND Alumni Association and Foundation Campaign was the largest capital campaign in North Dakota history, raising $324 million for student scholarships, faculty endowments, and other support for the University.
Tuesday, March 08, 2011
UND President Kelley on the Fighting Sioux Nickname.
Grand Forks Herald --- UND President Robert and other officials sat through the four-hour morning session, waiting their turn, but time ran out before they and several others on both sides could testify. “We covered a lot of the same ground” as was presented before the House Education Committee, Kelley said, “and I think the chairman balanced the testimony effectively. I had a testimony, but I wanted to give our students a chance to speak. Also, I knew the board (two members of the Board of Higher Education) would testify effectively.”
Kelley said he “would have urged the committee to oppose the bill” because he’s increasingly concerned about the “uncertainty” it raises for the university as a whole.
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