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Times may be tough fiscally here at Fresno State, but Dr. William A. Covino, who recently became provost, says the university is still putting its priorities on meeting student needs. Covino says he was attracted to the university by its regional, statewide, and national reputation as a standout university — especially the areas of community engagement, dedication to student success, and research.

"I was really eager to come and find out what’s going on here and I have been impressed every step of the way," he says. "Over the last few months, I have visited all of the schools and colleges for hours at a time, our centers and institutes, and the offices in Academic Affairs, and I found that what I suspected was going on here, really is going on here."

What he found is that the university lives up to its reputation for having a dedication to student success and a commitment to education that really changes lives. "That commitment and that dedication and that sense of transformation and possibility — a really exciting sense — is precisely what I have found here and what I continue to find every day," he says.

Aside from having an office that is directly two flights above Starbucks, Covino says his favorite thing about Fresno State is the extraordinary extent to which everyone works together. "What I find here are people trying to find ways to get some common ground, to work for common causes, and in the wake of challenging conditions to find solutions," Covino says. "I will tell you, I’ve been at a number of other institutions and you just don’t find that everywhere."

The university continues to look at the ways in which it can create more access for its students even while the budget is decreasing, including summer sessions, winter sessions, and continuing education programs, Covino says.

"We are in a state with a budget deficit that is in the billions and the many billions," says Covino. "The CSU system is certainly suffering the effects of that deficit. And we’re in the process of down-sizing at the same time. Well, this is unfortunate and painful in its way, but also raises some interesting options and opportunities that are worth considering as we move along. We have to look at not only what state funding will bring us, but what our own energies and efforts in other areas will bring as well."

Covino notes that in the areas of sponsored research Fresno State earned 35 million dollars last year. "We are continuing to grow and do research that is benefiting a whole range of people, industries, and institutions across the region and around the country," he says.

He also notes that the university needs to make sure its successful capital campaign continues to move forward.

"I think that the challenges have been to address a shrinking budget but growing enthusiasm, potential, and possibility," Covino says. "We do that by looking at other avenues for increasing revenue, increasing access, and making ourselves more visible to the larger community and asking for their support."

Although the university is in a transitional period now, it can look toward a time at which the budget has stabilized and it can move forward with greater confidence and certainty, according to Covino.

"What kinds of needs do our present students and future students have that we should be addressing?" he asks. "What do we want to look like two, three, four, five years from now? Can we all get together and generate some excitement in envisioning that future? I know that we can because we already have. So what I’m looking forward to most is the process of planning for the future and envisioning the future here at Fresno State and working together to make it real."

 

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