October 9, 2024

Dear Colleagues,

The last several weeks have been extremely difficult for many in our region, and the road to recovery continues to be a challenge for our communities in the wake of Hurricane Helene. Several of our sister institutions in the state continue to remain closed, grappling with both facility damages and the devastating impact on their communities. As our state continues to rebuild, please keep our USG colleagues in our thoughts and prayers.

Last month, in my monthly letter, I introduced a new section titled Soaring Beyond, Because of You!  

As Georgia Southern returns to full operations and curriculum delivery this week, I want to reflect on and laud the incredible efforts of Eagle Nation by shining a spotlight on the remarkable colleagues we refer to as “essential personnel.”  These dedicated individuals were back on campus almost immediately after the storm passed—UPD, Facilities, Grounds, Custodial, Dining, Housing, and many others. Hundreds of our very best worked tirelessly to assess the damage to campus, care for students in housing, prepare meals, remove fallen trees, and clear debris from roadways and walkways across 1,600 acres of campus. They worked with Georgia Power to restore electricity and then immediately redirected those efforts to address the needs of our community.

Here are just a few highlights:

• We provided meals to Georgia Southern students, faculty, staff, their families and community members at Statesboro Dining Commons and the Armstrong Galley from lunch on September 30 through dinner on October 6—28,846 total meals provided!
• We sent buses to East Georgia State College to transport and then housed 70 students displaced by the storm.
• We provided lodging and staging for up to 500 Georgia Power lineworkers at the Armstrong Recreation Center.
• We offered UPD support to the Bulloch County Sheriff’s Department, assisting lineworkers in the field.
• We provided 3,000 pounds of ice to the community.
• We made showers available at the Statesboro Recreation Activities Center.

In addition, many of you—our faculty, staff, students, and student-athletes—contributed thousands of hours of volunteer support to our community in need. 

This Saturday, during the football game against Marshall, we will honor and recognize these essential personnel and their families who coped with the storm’s impact at home while their loved ones came to campus to serve and help us recover.  I hope you will be able to join us!  

Remember, next week, October 13-19, is Homecoming Week! And, the following week, October 19-25, on the Armstrong Campus, we have Celebrate Spirit Week culminating in the “Celebrate Together,” Thursday, October 24, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. 

Because of our dedicated colleagues, Georgia Southern is Soaring Beyond expectations!

Sincerely,

Kyle

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