Interim President Neil Kerwin discussed the academic progress the university has made this year, including its fourth Truman Scholar in six years on Tuesday, in an open forum for the AU community.
Kerwin also outlined goals for the upcoming academic year.
"We have heard that ... goals were set in a top down way; [We want to] deviate from that practice this year," Kerwin said, explaining the reason for the forum.
AU's endowment is at an all-time high, he said, with 60 percent of the fundraising goal completed. The school needs money to fund new School of International Service and School of Communications buildings. They also want to restore Nebraska Hall in hopes that more seniors will live on campus.
Kerwin identified a few goals such as the question of governance, before opening the forum up to questions from faculty, staff and students.
"The board is in the process of revitalizing itself," Kerwin said. He said governance problems have not been an excuse for the university "not to perform." The board is making a "very concerned and serious effort to change its composition," he said.
A graduate student questioned the university's parking policy, which forbids members of the AU community to park in the streets around campus. Kerwin said the policy was part of an agreement with the District of Columbia and doesn't abridge students' rights.
Another graduate student asked about on-campus housing for graduate students, but Kerwin said that it was not a goal because many graduate programs are professional degrees, and most students are mid-career and don't need housing.
Several people asked about the future of domestic and international diversity at AU. Kerwin said he recognized there is concern that the number of international students has declined even as AU's international support system has gotten stronger.
Kerwin said the university must work to "ensure that gross indicators of domestic minorities are strong." Although AU is not perfect, the Washington College of Law is one of the most diverse law schools in the U.S., he said.
Kerwin said it would be good if AU developed more ethnic studies programs to attract minorities, but the impetus must come from the faculty.
"For years I have wondered why there's not an Irish studies program," he joked.
"You have to fight to get [issues of class, race and gender] on the agenda ... but it's rare that we've avoided a tough issue once it's been brought up," he said.
In response to a complaint that the library is running out of room, Kerwin said part of the new SIS building would be connected to the library underground, providing a little storage room, but he offered no real solution.
Kerwin also discussed the importance of technology on campus. The university's Web site must be revitalized to ensure that links are easily navigable and current since the site is what first attracts prospective students to AU, he said.
