During his seventh address, Chapman said the university is attracting and retaining young people, is creating jobs through economic opportunity and has taken its place among its land-grant peers. "Collectively, we have become a powerful group and we routinely accomplish remarkable things," Chapman said of NDSU faculty, staff and students. "We are very good at doing what our mission statement calls for us to do; which is to address the needs and aspirations of people in a changing world." NDSUʼs transformation, he said, has economic benefits for North Dakota. "Since 1999, we have leveraged $45.2 million in new state funding to generate more than a $1 billion impact on our stateʼs economy," Chapman said. "What other public entity has offered such economic expansion?" Chapman explained that NDSU has met or exceeded many university goals, and he used the campus themes to emphasize that point.