It's been a great run and one I would not trade for anything. Perhaps the most visible changes in the university over the past decade relate to our many new buildings and the vastly improved appearance of the campus. Of course, I'm proud of our new construction, as well as our new campuses in Virginia Beach, Hampton and Loudoun County. And, I'm delighted with what will be our signature development, the 75-acre University Village east of Hampton Boulevard, and the Maglev transportation system that will connect it to the remainder of the campus.

These physical developments are impressive. Nonetheless, I'm especially proud of our academic advances. Innovations such as TELETECHNET, the Career Advantage Program, e-commerce degrees and designation as a Carnegie Doctoral "Extensive" institution are signposts along the way. But, so also are the three degree programs (oceanography, physics and physical therapy) we now have ranked in the Top 25 of the nation. Plus, our significantly enhanced admissions standards must be included on the list of academic achievements.

The decade of the '90s brought dramatic and deliberate increases in the diversity of the Old Dominion student body. We now enroll approximately 4,000 African-American students, 1,500 international students and 1,000 Asian-American students. Our university has become an institution of choice for many highly talented students, regardless of their race or ethnic background. We are the envy of many other campuses, for simultaneously we have become more selective, more diverse and more welcoming.

Old Dominion's economic impact on the Hampton Roads region now exceeds $600 million annually. We are the region's leading creator of new jobs, and the campus is a beehive of activities that attracts citizens to it. The national award-winning President's Lecture Series, the Diehn Concert Series and our national championship athletic teams are among the reasons why the number of guests we entertain on the campus has skyrocketed.

My successor, Dr. Roseann Runte, has most recently served as president of Victoria University in Toronto, Canada, and will assume her duties at Old Dominion on July 1. She is an extremely capable, energetic and experienced administrator who is going to be an outstanding president for Old Dominion. She will have my unqualified support, and I urge you to give her the same as she continues to wage several battles (for example, over the still-too-low level of the university's tax-supported funding) that have not lessened in importance.

In closing, I want to thank you for your support and encouragement during my presidency. Donna and I will see you in a year when I return as Board of Visitors Professor of Economics and she as an instructor of history at Tidewater Community College.

Sincerely,
James V. Koch