Overview of Key Accomplishments of the Newman Era

Dr. Newman’s tenure as president of Shorter College can be defined as an era of growth and positive momentum.

Enrollment Growth & New Programs: Traditional student enrollment has risen steadily from 896 in 2004 to 1,205 in the fall of 2009. The 2009 record-setting enrollment included record-breaking numbers of freshmen, transfers and total student population. The college’s 2010 spring enrollment of 1,141 was also a record-setting number for second-semester enrollment.

Such growth has been a priority under President Newman. During his five-year tenure at the college’s helm, Shorter has fueled growth through the addition of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree program, new majors in sport management and instrumental music, online courses and degree programs, a marching band and several intercollegiate sports, including track and field, cross country, competitive cheerleading and the forthcoming wrestling and lacrosse programs.

As provost, Dr. Newman led in the establishment of Shorter’s Professional Studies programs in the early 1990s, making Shorter the first institution in the state to provide accelerated degree programs for working adults. During his presidency, the enrollment in those programs has grown from 1,651 students in 2004 to 2,170 in fall 2009. Professional Studies students study on four campuses in Gwinnett, North Atlanta, Riverdale and Rome through programs offered in Shorter’s College of Adult and Professional Programs and the university’s School of Education.

Strategic Plan: As president, Dr. Newman led the Shorter community in the development of a strategic plan, which has served as a roadmap for the institution’s planning. The plan has five centers of excellence: (1) a “Pre-eminent Teaching University,” (2) a “Christ-Centered Community,” (3) a “Center for Intellectual and Spiritual Growth within a Global Perspective,” (4) a “Technologically Innovative Campus with Improved Facilities,” and (5) a “Secure Financial Future.”

Pre-eminent Teaching University. A central focus of this part of the strategic plan was the transition to university status, which took place June 1, 2010. As a university, Shorter maintains a strong commitment to providing students with a personalized, high-quality educational experience within a caring, Christian environment. Under Dr. Newman’s leadership, Shorter initiated several programs designed to strengthen student success, including the annual Camp Hawk community-building retreat, the Learning Community Experience at Shorter, and the Center for Learning and Success at Shorter. These programs provide Shorter’s newest students with academic- and social-development assistance to aid in their transition to college.

A long-standing hallmark of the Shorter experience is the interaction of students with faculty members who are instructors, mentors and friends. The excellence in this area is illustrated by a number of national honors received during Dr. Newman’s tenure as president including the 2006 recognition of Scholar-in-Residence Dr. Carmen Acevedo Butcher as Georgia Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching; the 2008 presentation of Grant Teaff National Coach of the Year Award to Head Football Coach Phil Jones by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes; and the 2010 naming of longtime music faculty members William and Mary Ann Knight as national Teachers of the Year by the Music Teachers National Association.

A Christ-Centered Community. Dr. Newman has led Shorter in a period of renewal of its relationship with the Georgia Baptist Convention. The institution has actively sought to integrate Christian faith into the learning experience offered to students. Examples include (1) the addition of the Hopkins Institute for Business Ethics and its emphasis on Christian ethical behavior to our School of Business and (2) the requirement of an international medical missions experience in the nursing curriculum. The university has a commitment to including service learning experiences in the curriculum, providing extracurricular spiritual-growth opportunities, and offering missions opportunities to reach others for Christ locally, nationally and globally.

During his tenure, Shorter was accepted for membership in the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, an international association of intentionally Christian higher education institutions. In addition, Shorter personnel are members of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability, the Baptist Communicators Association, and the National Association of Christian College Admissions Personnel.

A Center for Intellectual and Spiritual Growth within a Global Perspective. During the Newman years, Shorter recorded a dramatic increase in the number of students who took part in study-abroad opportunities. This spring, more than 20 percent of those graduating from the traditional degree programs had studied abroad during their time at Shorter. The institution also has recorded a significant increase in the number of international programs offered and the number of affiliates with which it partners in international study. Shorter now offers study-abroad opportunities on six continents.

A Technologically Innovative Campus with Improved Facilities. Shorter has experienced dramatic improvements to the campus’ technological capabilities during Dr. Newman’s tenure as president. Among those improvements are significant increases in Shorter’s fiber optic capabilities, the creation of a wireless campus, the development of “smart classrooms” and the implementation of technology-based solutions to improve efficiency in staff and faculty responsibilities.

The facilities at Shorter have experienced dramatic renewal during Dr. Newman’s tenure as president. Among the most visible changes are the new sign and fountain at the main entrance to the Rome campus and the renovation of the Front Circle into a pedestrian-friendly plaza. In 2007, Shorter built a new student apartment building, which the trustees named Newman Hall in honor of Dr. Newman’s contributions to life at Shorter. In addition to numerous renovations of on-campus facilities, Shorter expanded its campus by purchasing the property at 408 Shorter Avenue, which will soon house its Development and Alumni staff. A facility for the new School of Nursing was developed at the Riverbend Center, and the university is preparing to move its Robert H. Ledbetter College of Business into a new facility in the MidTown Crossing Shopping Center. Shorter also built an on-campus field named Ben Brady Field, which is now equipped with an artificial turf playing surface. To address the safety of the campus community, Dr. Newman also led in the installation of an on-campus emergency warning siren and the implementation of a text message-based emergency alert system.

A Secure Financial Future. Though not made public at the time, Shorter was in severe financial hardship when Dr. Newman became interim president in 2005. In the ensuing six years, he has led the Shorter community to balance budgets, control expenses, increase revenue through growth and share financial responsibility across the institution. The institution now annually achieves 100 percent giving by members of the Board of Trustees as well as members of the faculty and staff.

Both enrollment and retention are at record high levels, and the university’s reputation for excellence in the liberal arts, fine and performing arts, the sciences, education, and business continues to grow. Shorter also has a growing reputation for excellence in intercollegiate athletics. Since 2008 when high jumper Montagious Brown earned Shorter’s first-ever national championship, Shorter athletes have claimed five individual and two team national championships. Four of those individual titles belong to runner Justyna Mudy, and the team national titles were won in competitive cheerleading in that team’s first and second years of existence.