WHEREAS Joseph A. Caputo is retiring on June 30, 2003 after more than 22 years as President of Millersville University, having begun said service in January of 1981; and

WHEREAS Under Dr. Caputo's leadership, Millersville University was transformed successfully in 1983 from a State College to a University, completed the first capital campaign in its history after raising $27.5, $3.5 million over the original goal, and initiated its second capital campaign with a goal of raising $35 million by 2005, having to date already raised $32 million; and

WHEREAS President Caputo strengthened the academic and student affairs programs at Millersville University through the renovation and expansion of 18 campus facilities totaling $65 million, including the McCullough Communication Complex, the Science and Technology Building, the Roddy Hall renovation, Myers Auditorium, the McComsey Hall renovation and the Osburn Hall addition; and

WHEREAS Dr. Caputo presided over a reinvigoration of the curriculum, in particular leading to an emphasis on the liberal arts; and

WHEREAS President Caputo fostered a collegial atmosphere of mutual respect that has attracted and retained faculty and staff members of high quality; he was able to accomplish this through his genuine concern and dedication to making everything better, his accessibility, his gentle, but firm demeanor, his intelligence and engaging wit, his willingness to listen to the concerns of faculty staff, and students, and the fact that he is simply a heck of a guy; and

WHEREAS Dr. Caputo led the efforts to make the University more accessible to low income students and more diverse with respect to its students and staff by encouraging programs like the Lancaster Partnership; and

WHEREAS Under President Caputo's leadership, the University's image as a valuable asset to regional business and governmental communities was enhanced and its national reputation as a high quality institution of higher education was established with recognition and high ratings in such publications as U. S. News and World Report and Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine: and

WHEREAS Dr. Caputo guided Millersville University to economic stability through a well-designed budget process and other resource development programs and often drove the efforts to infuse state-of-the-art technology into all facets of day-to-day University life, enhancing the quality of teaching and learning and greatly benefiting students, faculty and staff; and

WHEREAS Through President Caputo's leadership, the University established institutional partnerships and student and faculty exchanges with international universities and course collaboration between Millersville University faculty and their colleagues at those universities, accomplishments for which he was awarded in Fall of 2002 an honorary doctorate from the University's British partner university, London Metropolitan University; and

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: That the Faculty Senate of Millersville University bestows upon Dr. Joseph A. Caputo the honorary title of Faculty Senator Emeritus and, in appreciation for everything they have done for the University, the Senate also wishes Joe and Linda Caputo a healthy, contented, fulfilling and invigorating, yet relaxing, retirement doing anything and everything that they wish to do.

Passed by the Millersville University Faculty Senate
15 April 2003