March 5, 2024

Dear Colleagues,

As we march into the month of March, it’s hard to believe that we are already halfway through the spring semester, with student midterms upon us and spring break just around the corner. 

March also means we are more than halfway through legislative session for the state of Georgia. I want to take a moment to express our deep gratitude for the support from our legislative delegation and alumni. It’s thanks to the efforts of our advocates, as well as House and Senate leadership and the Governor’s office, that the FY2024 amended budget, which includes some significant wins for us, passed and was signed into law by the Governor last week. Highlights for the University System of Georgia and Georgia Southern include:

• $66.0 million to restore the formula reduction
• $52.0 million for a one-time pay supplement for full-time, benefit eligible employees
• $88 million to support a Unified Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system
• $80.0 million for major rehabilitation and repair (MRR)
• $178.0 million for the Dental School at Georgia Southern University, Savannah, Chatham County 

The remainder of the session will focus on the FY2025 budget with the final day of session when the legislature adjourns “sine die” on March 28. Several funding items we will be tracking are the $66M recurring restoration of formula funding, the proposed 4% (not to exceed $3,000) cost of living adjustment for USG employees, and $5M of capital funding for the renovation/addition of our Parker College of Business Building on the Statesboro Campus.

This week, we submitted our Spring 2024 enrollment census report to the University System Office. We are excited to report a 4.4% enrollment increase for Spring 2024 over last year, including a 7% increase on the Armstrong Campus. Summer 2024 enrollment registrations continue to track 7% up with 10 weeks out from the start of the summer term and Fall 2024 enrollment freshman applications and admits continue at record levels. 

We are encouraging all new and returning students to complete the new simplified FAFSA application understanding that due to delays in processing from the U.S. Department of Education, institutions will not receive student-level FAFSA information until mid-March. Once we receive this information from the federal government, we will expedite all financial award packages to students. Students will start receiving financial aid packages in mid-April, pending no further delays. Our office of Financial Aid has created a plan to mitigate the impact and is actively communicating with current and prospective students to keep them informed. Please direct students to our FAFSA landing page for additional details.

Last week, on March 1, you received an email inviting you to participate in our 4th iteration of Georgia Southern’s Employee Engagement Survey. The survey should take you 15-20 minutes to complete and will be open through March 18. Remember, the purpose of the survey is to provide all employees with an opportunity to share feedback that will help supervisors and leadership ensure that Georgia Southern fosters a workplace environment where employees feel engaged and valued. Our leaders will use the feedback to compare results from last year and to assess results specific to their action plans, engage in conversations with their employees to focus on improvement, outline ways to improve by focusing on the highest priority areas, and update/revise their action plans based on this year’s results. See this webpage for more information.

Finally, I want to highlight the outstanding achievements of three of our outstanding Honors College seniors who have been selected as semifinalists for the highly competitive Fulbright U.S. Student Program. James Landers, Rylee Stanton, and Lilly Thompson were selected by a national screening committee and now move to the final round of consideration. If chosen, our students will receive a grant to pursue graduate study, conduct research, or teach English in their host country while immersing themselves in the rich culture and experiences of living and learning abroad. Congratulations, James, Rylee, and Lilly on this milestone accomplishment. Eagle Nation is cheering you on!

We have much to be grateful for! Go Eagles!

Sincerely,

Kyle

People. Purpose. Action: Growing Ourselves to Grow Others!