When Dr. Don Betz left Northeastern State University in 1994 to become vice president for academic affairs at Palmer College in Iowa, he made a promise: “We’ll see you soon.”

A video clip of that statement was shown to hundreds in the NSU Center for Performing Arts on Monday morning. Then, Betz came onto the stage to thunderous applause. He smiled and thanked the crowd.

“Well, we took the long way home,” he said.

Betz told students, faculty and staff it is time to write the next chapter in NSU’s history.

“Our predecessors are our foundation,” said Betz.

But this, he said, is a new time – a time to re-evaluate the responsibilities of the university.

“What was, was,” he said. “When I arrived in July, I did a lot of listening. I had two lingering questions in my mind: What are we doing here? How do we proceed?”

The university, he said, must invite students to a life that is prosperous, full of engagement and exploration of critical matters. Students must graduate NSU with an awareness of global issues and a knowledge of how to address those issues.

“There are no tricks, no shortcuts or magic tricks to quality,” he said. “Do we, in fact, walk the talk? We are a vital component in this society’s quest to build a brighter future.”

That, he added, will require fresh foundations and a push to change the “failure to communicate” he has observed.

Vice President of Administration Kim Cherry said NSU must find a way to lessen the burden of tuition costs that have been shifted to students. She mentioned a new initiative that will allow first-time freshman dedicated to attending NSU for full four years a guaranteed tuition rate each academic year.

“This is a very important program for our students,” said Cherry, who admitted that at first, she herself was not in favor of such a program.

But because tuition costs have increased substantially in recent years at universities across the nation – including NSU – Cherry said the program will benefit incoming freshman and the university. And while NSU is retaining and graduating more of its students, attention must be turned to local enrollment numbers.

“There will be serious ramifications if we don’t stop the enrollment decline in Tahlequah,” said Cherry.

Betz said there are many reasons for a declining enrollment, including smaller classes of graduating high school students, and competition from other universities. Betz will soon appoint a task force to study these issues and address the problem.