March 16, 2006
A Message to the Case Western Reserve Community
President Edward M. Hundert, M.D.
March 16, 2006
Dear Members of the Case Western Reserve University Community,
Last night I informed our Board of Trustees that I will step down as President of the University effective September 1, 2006. I have been tremendously grateful for the Board's support throughout my four years; they are an extraordinary group of people. There is much I would still like to accomplish for our university, but I have reluctantly concluded that the continuing tension on campus is too distracting to the advancement of our university. I believe a change in leadership will provide the best opportunity for the many important groups across our community to come together and build on the progress we have made in recent years. I would like to call on everyone to take this moment to join together to advance Case Western Reserve as one great university.
I particularly would like to call on the faculty to use the many scheduled forums to work within their schools and with their Deans to develop plans and solutions that will assist Provost Anderson and me in developing a plan that will bring us out of our period of major investment in the university with a sound budget while continuing to enhance our academic excellence. It is particularly important for everyone to unite immediately around the recruitment of students and faculty who have been given offers to join our community of scholars, so that the timing of recent events will not distract them from becoming part of a university as remarkable as Case Western Reserve.
During these last four years, we have faced all of the challenges that our university has experienced since it came into its modern form in 1967, along with the considerable additional challenges confronting 21st century research universities. But I will step down at the end of this summer with many wonderful memories as well, along with lifelong friendships with many incredible people. Teaching an undergraduate SAGES seminar each year has been a particular joy. I would compare our students to any in the world. I want to thank the faculty members who created and implemented the SAGES curriculum. Every research university debates its curriculum constantly, but our faculty engages on the issue of undergraduate education like none other. While some of our most successful investments were made in the area of the undergraduate experience, this passion for undergraduate teaching by a research faculty is the real reason our applicant pool has increased by 70 percent and become so much more nationally competitive over these past four years. As I have said throughout recent weeks, I continue to have confidence in our faculty, and I continue to celebrate the commitment to free and open debate that universities uniquely provide.
The investments made in our research programs, although they occurred just as the federal National Institutes of Health budget flattened, have put Case in a much stronger competitive position. While research revenues have not met original projections, these investments also were meant to attract other sources of support and raise our international stature—and they have had positive results. For example, the investment made in biomedical engineering did not just generate research grants; it also represented an institutional commitment that helped attract the Coulter Foundation award that clearly establishes Case as one of the elite programs in the world. The investments in our academic medical center have attracted some of the top researchers in the world whose discoveries will cure and prevent disease, as well as helped bring the federal funding to designate the National Center for Regenerative Medicine here in Cleveland. The investments that have dramatically improved our campus environment will likewise have positive impact for many years, from our new residential colleges and athletic fields, to catalyzing the creation of a vibrant retail-residential district that has been discussed for decades, to creating one of the largest broadband wireless clouds on earth right here in Cleveland (and, yes, we did get the Baker Building down).
Since there is still a lot of hard work to be done over the months ahead, I will wait for this summer to do most of my thank you's. But in making this announcement, I do want to thank the thousands of alumni and friends who collectively have contributed over $250 million to Case Western Reserve University thus far during my service as president. I am in awe of the benefactors who have given us transformational gifts, such as Bert and Iris Wolstein, Don and Ruth Goodman, and Kazuo Inamori, but I am equally grateful to the alumni who have sent us sums of $100 and $1,000, saying it was all they could do, but that they wanted us to know how important this university is to them.
It is clear that the future of Case Western Reserve University and Greater Cleveland are inextricably linked. That means we can never lose sight of the mutual commitment the community and the university must make to one another. It is the world class discoveries of our faculty that ultimately set us apart as a research university—from new galaxies to new international legal statutes, from new art forms to new ways to reap the social benefits of business, from nanoscale therapeutics to innovations in flight nursing. But we must never forget our social responsibility to our community. This can manifest itself through curricular initiatives, such as the direct service provided by our novel social work curriculum or our dental school's outreach programs in the Cleveland school district. It can also be demonstrated in our business practices, such as our supplier diversity initiative or our homebuyer assistance program. In the end, I am confident that the linking of collaborative research programs across all of this region's healthcare institutions will have the most transformative impact on the university and Northeast Ohio, and I am dedicated to spending these next months continuing to help ensure this effort moves forward.
I have pressed hard for a considerable number of simultaneous changes, which many people agree are needed, but which we have to accept cannot all be implemented at once. Case has remarkable people and programs, and a unique set of assets in University Circle. We are a great university. But I still believe we have even more untapped potential than realized potential. It is clear that fully achieving the vision for our university cannot happen as quickly as I would have liked, but I can only urge everyone not to lose sight of the ultimate goal, because my resignation is not meant to signal a diminishing of our university's bold vision. Rather, it is intended to provide a new opportunity to realign our many important constituencies to achieve this extraordinary potential. We will get there in a different way and in a different timeframe than I had hoped, but I know we will get there.
I am committed to leading Case through the months ahead and leaving the university with a sound financial plan that continues to support academic excellence. Of course, the best budgetary solutions continue to be creative ways to increase revenue, and I want to encourage the discussion among faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends who are prepared to take action that will generate additional private and research support. But we clearly need to reduce next year's budget, and, in these next two months, we will develop and implement a plan for doing so. The Chair of our Board, Frank Linsalata, and I have asked Peter Hellman and David Hunt, the chair and immediate past chair of the Board's Finance Committee, for their assistance as our leadership team works with each of the four schools and all of our central administrative units that require budget reductions. I am very grateful for their willingness to help review and critique proposed plans as these emerge from each school and unit, to help challenge assumptions, and to help us balance objectively the many competing factors that must be taken into account in such a process.
The presidency of a great research university like ours is a rare privilege, responsibility, and burden—and these four years have placed a burden not just on me but also on my family. After spending my entire life in academia, I am looking forward to a sabbatical beginning in September. For the immediate future, I will be taking a long weekend to be with family and will return Monday ready to join with our faculty, staff, students, trustees, alumni, and friends to lead the university through these next critical months and assist in the transition to new leadership. I will do so in the spirit of humility and leadership that I believe will enable our community to come together to work with Provost Anderson and me to move our great university forward.
Thank you for the opportunity to serve as president of Case Western Reserve University. I look forward to our continued success, as I look forward to the many continuing friendships with my wonderful colleagues here.
With gratitude,
Edward M. Hundert, M.D.
A Message from the Chairman of the Board
From: Frank N. Linsalata ('63), Chairman of the Board
To: Our Campus Community
It is with reluctance and sadness that the Board of Trustees of Case Western Reserve University has accepted the resignation of Dr. Edward Hundert. Since his arrival in 2002, he has helped us elevate our aspirations for the university. His vision has inspired us all to believe that we truly can bring Case Western Reserve University to the level of excellence of top research universities in the country. Even though Dr. Hundert will leave the presidency, the Board is still committed to achieving that goal.
We will continue our reassessment of the financial projections incorporated into the vision plan and will reprioritize as is prudent…but the goal remains the same: achieve the greatness which this university and this community so deserve. The immediate task of working to balance the budget continues in earnest. The university remains financially very strong and bringing the budget in balance will only serve to preserve this strength.
Because Dr. Hundert will remain president until September 1, 2006, we will be able to make the transition to new leadership in a planned and stable manner. The Board will take the necessary time to select the best person to serve as President.
We have heard many voices of support as well as concern regarding Dr. Hundert's presidency and have paid attention to all of those views, but the Board did not ask for his resignation. We do, however, recognize the incredible pressure that has been placed upon him and the stress that this has brought upon his family. We respect his reasons for making this personal choice and would ask that those voices within the university who have been so vocal in their criticism turn their energies to working together to move the university forward and to respect the opinions of all constituents.
We will keep you informed as the next steps that we need to address are accomplished.
Posted by: Heidi Cool, March 16, 2006 09:36 AM | News Topics: Frank Linsalata, President Hundert, President Hundert