Six weeks after coming to Metro State as interim president, Ray Kieft presided over Fall 2003 Convocation, providing an update on the college's financial condition and the Board of Trustees search for a new president.

Kieft also offered initial observations about the college and outlined his goals for the coming year. They include continuing to control costs, improving relations between the campus and the Board of Trustees, exploring ways to manage enrollment and working to decentralize decision making functions at the college.

Noting that the relationship between the college and the Board of Trustees had "its share of birth pains," Kieft said he is confident the Board wants the college to succeed. "A goal of mine over the next several months is to help the Trustees become comfortable with the meaning of shared governance and how it operates in an academic community."

Another goal Kieft cited is to develop an enrollment management plan. "The mismatch between enrollment growth and resource stagnation is cause for concern," he said. "I realize in certain quarters, even mentioning enrollment management is heresy. Remaining true to our unique mission as a 'College of Opportunity,' while striving to manage enrollment, appears contradictory. Balancing the two is no easy task. Nevertheless, I believe we must tackle it."

Kieft also proposed moving the college to a flatter, less centralized organizational structure in which decision making is shifted to academic departments, student service departments and administrative function offices. "I suggest a bottom-up process be undertaken with its focus on streamlining administrative procedures and protocols, and possibly decentralizing areas of decision making."

To read Kieft's complete address go to http://www.mscd.edu/%7Ecollcom/@metro/tw@metro_vol1/convocation_fall03A.pdf