Dear Colleagues,
Congratulations on a great fall semester. Your dedication, hard work, and support have made this a satisfying and successful time for the campus.
Our focus on student success and community connections has proven to be a strategy for achievement.
We started this academic year with another record enrollment. The campus and city communities came together to dedicate the beautiful new Chamberlain Pavilion and the transformation it brings to the heart of our campus.
Students and faculty members distinguished themselves and the campus through their efforts, earning state, regional, and national honors. Student outreach in our community included providing healthcare to the homeless, mentors to young people, and innovative educational opportunities to the young and the elderly.
We came together to celebrate our Football Mocs’ most successful season in 30 years.
And we shared grief in the loss of our dear friend, Dr. Grady Bogue.
As we close this semester and enter a much-deserved holiday break, it is appropriate that we take a moment to reflect on our achievements of the semester as well as look forward to the future. The new year will bring exciting opportunities for our campus. We will enter a development stage for our next strategic plan and each of you will be invited to participate in the planning discussions.
Important considerations and decisions lie ahead for us. How do we bring clarity to our budgeting process? How do we match our space-planning to our enrollment growth and programming demands? How do we align our programs and services to best support student success? We must answer these and other critical questions.
By working together and maintaining our focus on the strategic priorities of student success and community connections, I believe we will continue on the path of achievement.
Enjoy your holiday season and I look forward to another great year in 2014.
Sincerely,
Steve