[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 16]
[Senate]
[Pages 23132-23133]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



             MR. LEONARD E. AND MRS. LOUISE A. PLACHTA DAY

 Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, November 11, 2000 is a very 
special day on the campus of Central Michigan University in Mount 
Pleasant, MI. The day has been proclaimed Mr. Leonard E. and Mrs. 
Louise A. Plachta Day, in honor of the former President and First Lady 
of the University. I rise today to recognize this occasion and to pay 
tribute to the magnificent couple being honored.
  The couple arrived in Mt. Pleasant in 1972 when Mr. Plachta took a 
job as Professor of Accounting. He served as Assistant Dean of CMU's 
College of Business Administration from 1977 to 1979, when he took over 
the position of Dean. In January of 1992, he was appointed to serve as 
President of the University, and he served in this position until his 
retirement in July of 2000.
  Mr. Plachta's 8-year tenure as President stands as one of the most 
productive stints in the history of the University. His financial 
restructuring of CMU has allowed it to remain one of the most 
affordable public universities in the State of Michigan. He initiated a 
number of programs to give students real-world experience to help 
prepare them for future employment, including developing a state-of-
the-art Career Services Center and expanding internship opportunities 
for students.
  He drew national attention for the Degree Partners Program, which is 
a guaranteed four-year degree agreement with students designed to save 
them money as well as get skilled professionals into the job market 
quickly. He also initiated one of the first leadership scholar programs 
in the country, a four-year educational protocol designed to help 
students develop ethical leadership skills they can apply in their 
professions.
  Mr. Plachta oversaw significant upgrading of classrooms and 
facilities during his tenure. This included new, highly technological 
music and science buildings; new and renovated athletic facilities; and 
a pending Library and Information Services Center that will incorporate 
technology to link students with academic resources from around the 
world.
  He also oversaw a complete reorganization of CMU's academic programs

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in order to increase interdepartmental cooperation and draw attention 
to the University's strengths. This reorganization included a new 
College of Communication and Fine Arts, a new College of Health 
Professions, redefined science programs through a new College of 
Science and Technology, and a revamped College of Business 
Administration, College of Education and Human Services, and College of 
Humanities and Social and Behavioral Sciences.
  One of the greatest accomplishments of his tenure, though, has been 
the leadership role CMU has taken in terms of the chartering of public 
school academies, charter schools. More than 17,000 K-12 students, 
approximately 50 percent of whom are minorities or at risk children, 
are enrolled in 59 CMU-licensed schools throughout the State of 
Michigan, with families on waiting lists at nearly every school. In 
addition, the national Charter Schools Development and Performance 
Institute, housed at CMU, had its grand opening earlier this year, on 
May 1, 2000.
  Mrs. Plachta has also greatly contributed to the CMU community. For 
twelve years, she worked as a member of the clerical staff. She 
provided superior guidance and caring support to nontraditional 
students as the nontraditional student services liaison, which is a 
volunteer position. Her knowledge in this position came honestly, as 
she earned a master's degree herself as a nontraditional student. And, 
as First Lady, she has been a much-loved ambassador for CMU and an 
outstanding member of the Mount Pleasant community, volunteering with 
numerous organizations and strongly supporting adult literacy programs.
  Central Michigan University stands where it does today, poised for 
success in the 21st Century, in large part due to the efforts of Mr. 
and Mrs. Plachta. They have worked together to bring about positive 
change not only for the University, but also for the State of Michigan, 
on many different fronts, and I thank them for their extraordinary 
efforts. On behalf of the entire United States Senate, I congratulate 
Mr. Leonard E. and Louise A. Plachta on having a day designated in 
their honor, and I hope that they enjoy every minute of it.

                          ____________________