Fall semester kicks off with Opening Faculty Meeting

The state of the economy and its effects on higher education, issues such as parking and university growth, as well as campus construction are all topics Pittsburg State University President Tom Bryant will address this Thursday at the university’s annual Opening Faculty Meeting.

Held each year just before the start of the fall semester, the meeting is the only time during the year the president addresses faculty and staff as a group. It is also one of the few times that faculty and staff gather en mass. This year’s meeting will begin at 9:30 a.m., Aug. 21, in the Crimson and Gold Ballroom in the Overman Student Center. Coffee and conversation will begin at 8:45 a.m., with the program running from 9:30-11 a.m.

The Opening Faculty Meeting is a way to welcome back faculty and staff and to greet new employees. This year, 42 new faculty and 31 new staff members will be introduced. In total, Pitt State is employing 960 faculty and staff members for the 2008-09 year, not including student workers and graduate assistants.

“Our faculty and the service they provide for our students are what drive this university,” Bryant said. “We always look forward to the fall semester and the energy of a new school year.”

In addition to Bryant, faculty members will hear from Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Steve Scott, as well as the presidents of the Faculty Senate, the Faculty Association, and the PSU Kansas National Education Association.

---Pitt State---