February 17, 2025 – February Letter to Campus

February 17, 2025

Dear Colleagues,

I hope this message finds you well and energized for the exciting months ahead. I want to take a moment to update you on several key initiatives that will continue our trajectory to soar beyond in the coming months. Your dedication and commitment continue to be the driving force behind our success, and I am grateful to each of you!

FY2026 Budget Process

The 2026 legislative session is in full swing in Atlanta. Governor Kemp released his recommendations for the Amended Fiscal Year (AFY) 2025 and Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 budgets. The Governor’s budget contains incredible support for our USG institutions. The USG FY26 formula growth request of $199.9 million is being recommended in full. These funds support increased enrollment across the System (including Georgia Southern’s estimated formula increase of $4.1 million), maintenance and operations costs, and health and retirement benefits. We will continue to monitor the budget and legislative bills that impact Georgia Southern and the USG. Remember, the next step in our budget process will be in April when we receive our allocation from the System and have a more confident assessment on enrollment trends for Fall 2025. All of our budget prioritization documents can be found in the portal outlining the specific investments we are prioritizing based on estimated formula increases.  

Leadership Searches Update
We’ve advanced our search for the next Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, with four finalists visiting our campuses February 3-14. Thank you all for participating in the search process and providing your valuable feedback. Looking ahead, we anticipate an offer will be made at the end of the month, and the new Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs will assume responsibilities at Georgia Southern University in July 2025.

Three finalists for the Vice President for Enrollment Management position will be on campus February 17-26,engaging with faculty, staff, and students. We expect that search and an offer to be finalized by early Marchas we continue to enhance our enrollment strategy.

With regard to Dean searches, the search committee for the Waters College of Health Professions Dean position has selected four finalists, with on-campus interviews scheduled for late February and early March. The search for the Allen E. Paulson College of Engineering and Computing Dean has been temporarily suspended after the top candidate accepted a competitive offer, and discussions are underway to determine next steps. Meanwhile, we are grateful for Dr. Rami Haddad’s leadership, currently serving as Interim Dean. The search committee for the Parker College of Business Dean search is working with Parker Executive Search Firm to develop the college profile and progress the search process.

Website Redesign
Phase II of our web migration is scheduled for March 20, 2025. This phase includes updates to the GS Online site, Adult Student site, Student Support Services, and Research Centers, covering approximately 3,000 pages. Additionally, the Student Life Overview page is being revamped to provide a more student-centric experience, with a completion date set for March 31, 2025. A new web governance guide will also be published, ensuring better content collaboration, streamlined processes, and effective storytelling aligned with Georgia Southern’s brand identity.

Strategic Planning

Georgia Southern’s next strategic plan, Soaring Beyond 2030, is taking shape as we move toward finalizing our institutional priorities. The Strategic Planning Steering Committee has developed an initial draft guided by our vision — People. Purpose. Action: Growing Ourselves to Grow Others — and informed by extensive campus engagement. A recent feedback survey gathered faculty, staff, and student insights on the draft framework, providing valuable perspectives to refine our goals and actions. The committee is honing the plan’s strategic focus, defining measurable actions and outcomes, and preparing the final draft toward a July 1 launch date. This next phase of the strategic planning process will ensure the framework captures Georgia Southern’s full impact and demonstrates how we soar beyond.

Performance Excellence Awards
We are proud to celebrate the dedication and achievements of our faculty and staff through the Performance Excellence Awards, recognizing outstanding contributions to Georgia Southern’s pillars and values. This year, we received nominations across 19 different award categories, with the strongest participation in key areas aligned to Student Success, Teaching, Leadership, and Collaboration.

These awards showcase the remarkable efforts of our faculty and staff who go above and beyond to elevate Georgia Southern’s impact. We will honor award recipients, as well as recognize years of service milestones, during the Performance Excellence Awards Ceremony on April 18. This event provides an opportunity to celebrate the hard work, innovation, and dedication that drive our University forward. We encourage all members of the Georgia Southern community to join us in recognizing and appreciating the contributions of our colleagues.

As you can see, we have a lot to be proud of and to celebrate! Your hard work, innovative spirit, and collaboration continue to propel Georgia Southern forward, ensuring that we not only meet but exceed our goals. Thank you for your dedication to our students, our community, and to one another. I look forward to the months ahead as we work together to implement these initiatives and continue shaping the future of Georgia Southern.

Sincerely,

Kyle

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