Welcome to the first day of classes!
August 10, 2022
Dear Colleagues,
Welcome to the first day of classes for fall semester 2022! All of our campuses and communities are activated and filled with excitement for the new academic year. From move-in last weekend, to freshman Convocations, to Eagle Experience Events – we welcomed more than 4,300 freshmen and nearly 26,000 students to Georgia Southern University. My spirit is renewed and lifted up this time of year…it is our mission of education, its transforming power, its promise of hope, that elevates communities and prepares future leaders. We are truly growing ourselves to grow others!
I want to encourage everyone to continue engaging in our Eagle Experience events, our campus and community gatherings, and the start of our fall athletic season – soccer, volleyball, and football (Go Eagles!). You can check out the calendar of events here. Experiencing all Georgia Southern has to offer, engaging with our faculty, staff, students, and communities is what makes this university and its three campuses so special.
As you experience our campuses, you will notice several of our major facilities projects in various stages of construction and/or renovation. Please pardon our progress on the Statesboro campus – William Center renovations, the construction of our new Anthony P. Tippins Indoor Practice Facility, the demolition of University Villas to create new parking, and then later this fall the beginning of construction of the new Jack & Ruth Ann Hill Convocation Center. On the Armstrong campus – the Memorial College Center renovations, the former GBI building conversion to research labs, and the opening of the new Student Success Complex are additional tangible signs of progress and improvement.
As we celebrate the start of semester, we will continue to monitor the continued impact of COVID-19 and continue to provide free testing and vaccinations to faculty, staff, and students at the Statesboro and Armstrong campuses. These continue to be the best steps to mitigate the spread and reduce the chance of severe illness. Further campus guidelines and protocols can be found at https://auxiliary.
Please plan to join me in person or via livestream on August 23rd (Statesboro) or 24th (Armstrong), at 3:30 p.m., for our annual State of the University Address. I look forward to sharing institutional successes, updates, and future plans with you as we set the stage for the upcoming academic year and beyond. More details on the State of the University Address will be emailed on the morning of each event.
As we welcome our new faculty, staff, and students to campus and continue our journey of solving and evolving, I hope you will take a moment to reflect upon our successes and be proud of all that you have accomplished. Record graduation rates, record research, record fundraising, athletic success on the field, course, and court, musical success winning international competitions, faculty and staff national and international accomplishments, and student successes on campus and beyond our doors. These are outcomes of our environment – caring, committed colleagues, evidencing our values, welcoming all to the Georgia Southern family – dedicated to student success! It’s a new semester – let’s continue to grow ourselves to grow others!
Sincerely,
Kyle
Last updated: 8/10/2022