August 7, 2023 – Kicking off the academic year…
Dear Colleagues,
The fall semester is fast approaching as we look forward to kicking off the academic year and welcoming our new and returning students to Georgia Southern!
Upon closing out the fiscal year and assessing our progress toward meeting our Performance Excellence scorecard goals, I am thrilled to announce that we have achieved a fundraising record for the third consecutive year with $23.8 million in private funds raised in fiscal year 2023! This signifies immense support by our alumni, donors, and friends who endorse our path forward and are stepping up to ensure our success! Congratulations to each and every one of our faculty and staff who have contributed to this great outcome.
Last week, we signed an MOU with Ft. Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield to deliver new graduate programs at Ft. Stewart’s education center. We are proud of our continued commitment to our military families, and we look forward to expanding our public impact through the delivery of accessible and high-quality master’s degree programs on post.
As we look ahead with excitement for the fall semester, I hope you will participate along with our students in Eagle Experience events, Operation Move-in, our campus and community gatherings, and our fall NCAA athletic events as our soccer, volleyball, and football teams gear up for a great season ahead. Go Eagles!
We have partnered with Carnegie, an industry-leading higher education marketing firm, to strengthen, elevate and expand the reach of the Georgia Southern brand. Your active involvement in this endeavor is critically important. Please mark your calendars for the branding and messaging workshops on Sept. 12 and 13. Further details and invitations will be provided soon.
Our fall enrollment numbers continue to look promising as we are expecting growth over last year in our new freshman class, new graduate, and dual-enrolled students, with our largest area of growth being fully online learners. I continue to be grateful to each of you for going above and beyond to create a welcoming and supportive environment for our students!
At the start of the new fiscal year, we begin our annual budget prioritization process in preparation for our fiscal year 2025 budget request to the University System Office. As a reminder, this process requires engagement across the institution and consistent communication from institutional, divisional, college, and department leaders. Please be on the lookout for information to come from your supervisor and/or divisional leader. We will also share information via Faculty Senate, Staff Council, campus emails and website postings. Please reach out to your supervisor if you have any questions throughout this process.
Please plan to join me in person or via livestream on August 29th (Armstrong) or 30th (Statesboro), at 3:30 p.m., for our annual State of the University Address. I look forward to sharing institutional successes, updates, and our Vision 2026 (and beyond!) goals with you. Look for further information in the midweek memo, and streaming information will be emailed on the morning of each event.
Finally, you received an email announcement that all employees will have free access to university recreation facilities, the Grube Recreation Activity Center (RAC) and the Armstrong Recreation Center (ARC), beginning on Saturday, August 12. This decision comes in response to your valuable feedback provided in the employee engagement survey where you expressed a desire for possible additional employee benefits. Your dedication and your continuous engagement have contributed significantly to our growth and success, and your hard work is much appreciated. I look forward to seeing you there!
Have a great semester and Go Eagles!
Sincerely,
Kyle
People. Purpose. Action: Growing Ourselves to Grow Others!
Last updated: 8/7/2023