September 11, 2024 – President’s Letter – September 2024

September 11, 2024

Dear Colleagues,

We are already into the fourth full week of the fall semester and our campuses are vibrant with record post-consolidation enrollment and faculty, staff, students and community actively engaging, learning, and growing.

Last week, I presented the State of the University address at both the Statesboro and Armstrong campuses. We had well over 500 faculty, staff, and students attend as we assessed our challenges and opportunities; lauded our successes and accomplishments; and launched our new brand campaign, Soar Beyond. I also outlined the major initiatives that will inform and chart our course for the next five years.  In case you were unable to attend, you can view the presentation here.

This academic year, we’ve launched several of key initiatives. The Strategic Planning Steering Committee and the Provost Search Committee have held initial meetings and are moving forward. You can stay updated by visiting the website pages for these efforts (the Strategic Planning Steering Committee website will be shared in a future “Few Things” email). 

Additionally, we submitted our offsite reaffirmation of accreditation report to SACSCOC last week. I am so proud and grateful for the work of our faculty and staff as this report documents our commitment to continuous improvement and accountability. I want to give a special thanks and acknowledgement to Dr. Delena Gatch, AVP for Institutional Effectiveness, and the entire team who led these efforts. Please remember that we will be welcoming our SACSCOC colleagues to campus in March for the onsite visit. 

During the State of the University Address, I also highlighted our FY2026 Budget Prioritization Process. I believe what distinguishes us in the University System of Georgia (USG) is the transparency and collective engagement that this process demands. As you know, enrollment directly impacts our budget. And because of our enrollment growth success, we will be modeling our process this academic year to prioritize investments. This includes investing in our people (faculty and staff positions deemed critical to our continued growth and student support); identifying operational and process improvements to ensure efficiency and effectiveness; continuing investments in our strategic enrollment plan to ensure future growth; and supporting our salary market equity increases to help retain our people and recruit top talent. This prioritization process will continue through October as we begin crafting drafts of the institutional budget narrative for our annual submission to the USG, which is due November 1. Updates will be shared through Faculty Senate, Staff Council, campus emails, and the website. You can also expect to receive information from your supervisor and/or divisional leadership.

Soaring Beyond, Because of You!

 As we launch our new Soar Beyond brand campaign, I’m going to include a highlight section in each of my letters to campus as “Soaring Beyond, Because of You!”  This is my opportunity to brag about our students, faculty, and staff and thank you for making Georgia Southern University extraordinary! Today, I’d like to celebrate the incredible achievements of three Honors College graduates—James Landers, Rylee Stanton and Lilly Thompson—who were recently selected as Fulbright Scholars. They will be serving in Taiwan, Colombia, and Latvia, respectively. You can read more about their inspiring accomplishments here. Thank you to the faculty and staff who have supported these students and their journeys to great success!

I am also proud to share that Georgia Southern has been recognized by Forbes as one of America’s Best Employers. This recognition, based on employee evaluations, speaks volumes about the collective commitment and dedication of our entire community. It is a testament to the strong culture of care and growth we have built together—ensuring that as we support and uplift one another, we also create an environment where our students are empowered to achieve their fullest potential.

Because of you…our students are Soaring Beyond expectations!

Sincerely,

Kyle

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