July 3, 2024

Dear Colleagues,

I hope everyone is planning for a restful and fun July 4th with family and friends. I also hope to see you at our Summer Celebrations this coming Monday (Statesboro), Tuesday (Liberty), and Wednesday (Armstrong), each starting at 10 a.m., where we will enjoy some fresh fruit and ice cream and time together!

The summer is moving quickly, with now six weeks until the start of the fall semester. Enrollment continues to look positive with projected growth in our incoming freshman, dual enrollment, transfer, out-of-state, and international students. The remarkable success in our upcoming fall enrollment can also be attributed to the near-record level retention of our current students. This is a testament to the welcoming environment, student support, and the dedication of our faculty and staff to their success! 

It’s hard for me to believe that July 1 marked the beginning of my 12th year as a President in the University System of Georgia. I couldn’t be more grateful or more excited to be with you at Georgia Southern, particularly during this time of growth, innovation, and impact. To that end, summer represents the time when we assess where we are and define how we will ensure success into the future. 

This academic year, while we will be reaffirming our accreditation with SACSCOC, we will be embarking on a new institutional Strategic Plan. This plan will be informed by our Armstrong Taskforce work, our new Strategic Enrollment Plan implementation, our Regional Academic Plan progress, our brand refresh and website redesign implementation, our ongoing Public Impact Research Agenda and Soaring to R1 goals, our Ready Day 1 QEP preparing each student for successful careers, and our critical role in the economic growth of the region. 

More information and details on this planning process will be communicated throughout the fall, at the State of University addresses (September 4 & 5); meetings of the Faculty Senate, Staff Council, and Student Government Association; and workshop forums. We look forward to involving and engaging with faculty, staff, students, and our community as we set our path for the future.

With each monthly letter, I swell with pride as I have the opportunity to acknowledge the great work and accomplishments of our faculty, staff, and students. This month, I want to highlight Associate Professor of Special Education Karin Fisher, Ph.D., who was most recently awarded a Fulbright Specialist Program grant to collaborate with the Dyslexia Association of Sarawak in Malaysia. She is one of approximately 400 U.S. citizens who, through their expertise, academic and professional achievement, and demonstrated leadership, were selected. 

The remaining weeks of summer will go quickly…I couldn’t be more excited about who we are, where we are, and where we are going – soaring beyond expectations!

Sincerely,

Kyle

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