BY JACK NDOMBI

aculty and staff of the University of Bridgeport met recently for a one-day retreat to share ideas on how to make the University of Bridgeport more conducive for students. The last time such a meeting was held -- a two-day undertaking -- was in 1992, after UB and the city of Bridgeport had both undergone difficult times.

  English Professor Dick Allen said that much was accomplished in 1992's retreat. It helped boost morel among faculty and staff and it was decided then that UB would be an international University, as is evident now. It also established that UB would be a non-sectarian University.

  According to Prof. Allen, much more needs to be accomplished from the proposals set out in the last meeting, especially in the areas of Public Relations and advertising. The last retreat called for immediate raising of the education standards in UB. Although this has not materialized enough, said Allen, it halted a slide into lower academic standards.

  This year the faculty had a different task from that of 1992. Then, UB was re-building from shambles. Now we are ranked 5th in the state of Connecticut according to the 1999 Gourman Report. In his opening remarks to the retreat, UB President Neil Salonen emphasized to the faculty and staff that when making their decisions, they should come up with goals that will help educate the students' minds as well as educate them to be community builders.

  President Salonen also added that UB has some key competitive advantages that other colleges and Universities do not have. UB has the most internationally diverse student body of any school in the United States. UB's programs and affiliations give us the possibility to tap into an international network that is not available to other universities. Our affiliation with the PWPA can be used for many purposes not only in recruiting students, but also job placement and faculty recruitment, he said.

  President Salonen also mentioned that UB had some disadvantages. "It is hard to measure what we may try to do because it has been obscured by substantial dysfunction in the University," he said. He also added, "UB is situated in a challenging area. The nation's unemployment is about 3%, in Bridgeport it is 6% and in the south end where UB is located it is a staggering 12%, most of it being stubborn unemployment."

  The retreat also got input from the students' perspective. Jee-un Lee, the new Student Congress President, and Geetha Thamaratnam, the recent former editor of The Scribe, mentioned some of UB's advantages, including a very mature and international student body, making UB a unique experience. Students have an opportunity to grow and realize their potentials through the numerous activities available at UB. Being a small school, UB provides the students with personalized attention and a family atmosphere, "You do not feel like a number or a face out of a hundred in a lecture hall," added Ms. Thamaratnam.

  However, they felt there was a need for improvement. The registration process in the beginning of the semester is frustrating and unfriendly, they said, and the facilities in the school need better general maintenance and upkeep as they serve as major distractions for student growth.

  After hearing presentations from President Neil Salonen, Professor Allen and the students, the retreat participants divided into seven smaller groups to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of UB.

  Some of UB's strengths are the quality of teaching, a low professor/student ratio, a caring and committed faculty and staff, an international student body that is exceptional and dedicated and whose quality is increasing every year. There were some weaknesses found by the faculty on which they discussed solutions and action plans to help curb them.

  On student recruitment issues they called for clarification on UB's Vision/Mission. A group member will obtain input form all constituencies by mid-semester and issue a clarified and specified report on the university's vision and mission. This restated mission will appear by the 2002 catalog.

  On Public Relations and Alumni outreach issues, a group member will explore activities that could be planned UB's 75th Anniversary celebration, coming in 2002, and the creation of an alumni directory and club.

  The Administration will be asked to hire a Scheduling Directory to help in the smoother running of bursar and registration procedures and systems. They also planned to get the new computer system up and running as soon as possible. Concerning the state of facilities in the school and their maintenance, a group member will request that administration establish a long-term facility improvement plan.