Summer Updates from President Marrero

June 30, 2022

Dear Colleagues,

I hope everyone is preparing for the Fourth of July weekend and the celebration of Independence Day. I’m planning to run the Peachtree Road Race on the 4th in Atlanta…this will be my fifth time. I know two things for sure – it’ll be hot and I will be running very slowly!  

This past month, we also observed the official state holiday of Juneteenth with a celebration at the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Center, where our faculty led discussions and reflection on the importance of this date in history. 

A few weeks ago, we had the opportunity to host Chancellor Perdue and members of the Board of Regents for a campus visit and discussion on our strategic initiatives. They also heard from some of our students who are doing impressive work in areas of logistics/supply chain and engineering. 

I was proud to witness Georgia Southern host its first NCAA regional baseball tournament at J.I. Clements Stadium. Not only was this a historic occasion for Georgia Southern baseball, but we also saw the largest crowd in attendance in the history of our baseball program! Thank you to all who were a part of a great weekend and to all who worked countless hours to pull it off seamlessly. 

Summer continues to steam along as we welcome our new students during SOAR sessions and prepare for fall classes to begin on August 10 with move-in August 5, 6, and 7. As you see and welcome our new students and their parents on campus, please say hello and ask if they have any questions or need anything. What makes Georgia Southern special is our caring, nurturing, and student-centered environment. It is our people (faculty and staff) who make this daily commitment – thank you! 

Speaking of our people… June was full of strategic planning, meetings, and activities to help us prepare for the new academic year. As you know, July 1 marks the beginning of a new fiscal year for Georgia Southern. With that comes the implementation of our FY23 budget, which includes the permanent Cost of Living (COLA) salary increase of $5,000 to all full-time eligible faculty and staff, along with growth formula funding that allows us to invest in new critical faculty and staff positions. We will utilize a conservative approach to funding strategic needs as we work through fall semester enrollment and await final enrollment census data that will inform our operating budget.  

And yes, it is time to begin planning for next year’s budget (FY24). Starting next month, we will initiate our annual budget prioritization process that invites involvement at all levels of our institution. I believe increased engagement and transparency provides for clear communication and understanding of how and why strategic budget decisions are made and ensures we are good stewards of our resources. 

This month, we will be taking time to bring back the Summer Celebration event to all three campuses. This tradition began in 1948 when late President Zach Henderson wanted to provide a cool treat to the students, faculty and staff who were still on campus during the hot summer months. So – I invite everyone to join me and my family for a Summer Celebration where we will serve Leopold’s ice cream and fresh fruit to our on-campus family and to our community friends and partners on each of our campuses.

Summer Celebration will take place at 10 a.m. on the following dates and campuses: 
July 12:  Liberty Campus
July 13:  Statesboro Campus
July 14:  Armstrong Campus

As we begin this new academic year, I want to acknowledge and thank Dr. Patrice Jackson for leading us as Interim Associate Vice President/CDO this past year and congratulate the search committee for their successful efforts in identifying our new incoming AVP/CDO, Dr. Dominique Quarles. Dr. Quarles will start with us on August 1, returning to his alma mater to help build upon the framework and implementation of our Inclusive Excellence Action Plan. We are excited to have Dominique back home and know that he will be an effective partner in this journey of Inclusive Excellence.  

In addition, I want to announce that Ron Stalnaker, effective July 1, will become our permanent Vice President for Business and Finance. Ron has done an outstanding job this past year as Interim Vice President and has tremendous support within the division, the leadership team, and the System Office. Please join me in extending congratulations and thanks to Ron.

As you can see, we are busy with lots going on! I appreciate all you do to make Georgia Southern a place where students want to learn and grow!

Sincerely, 
Kyle

Last updated: 6/30/2022