President Bids Farewell

Working with and for you to make your alma mater shine has been a great pleasure! Together we have accomplished a great deal. Building on the successes of the talented leaders of the past, we have added dozens of buildings, raised millions of dollars, supported the faculty who created fine new programs and engaged in cutting-edge research, recruited wonderful students, enjoyed the support of outstanding staff and raised the profile of Old Dominion University.

Indeed, everywhere I go, I hear, “Old Dominion, what a fine research university!” We are known for our contribution to economic and community development. We have become a pillar of Hampton Roads through our work with Jefferson Lab, NASA-Langley, JTASC, SACLANT, the Botanical Garden, Virginia Symphony, Virginia Arts Festival, Chrysler Museum, Virginia Stage Company, the regional schools and many volunteer organizations. We have attracted many businesses to the region, diversifying the economy and providing employment for our graduates.

One of our greatest accomplishments is the increased sense of community identity, of school spirit both on and off campus. Seven years ago it was hard to find an Old Dominion T-shirt in the local stores or on campus. The Homecoming Parade lasted all of 10 minutes. We did not have traditions like the graduation procession across the seal on Kaufman Mall, the campus illumination, Community Care Day or Cultural Explosion, to name a few. These events have taken on ever greater dimensions. As the campus becomes increasingly residential and as football becomes a part of our lives, these events and others will establish themselves as part of the heritage students and alumni will pass along to the next generation.

Despite our size we have not forgotten the importance of individuals and of caring. Our university community, both on campus and at our distance sites, is known for its friendly nature. Students in distance learning classes worry about an absent classmate from Athens, Ga., just as the students on campus share umbrellas during the occasional shower which makes the crape myrtles blossom but does not dampen spirits!

I would like to thank you for the privilege of having shared dreams and visions. Thank you for your hard work, your outreach, your volunteer activities, your help in recruiting and mentoring students, your donations of time and resources, and above all, for your love of your alma mater.

I will leave Old Dominion on June 30 for Carleton University in Canada, but I will always keep you in my mind and heart. And I will keep the promise I made to Bobby Wilder when he signed his contract as football coach. I will return to Old Dominion and run with him through the arches onto Foreman Field at the Monarchs’ first home game next year. I look forward to seeing you there and invite you to visit the campus often in the meantime.

–Roseann Runte,
President