From the President: Welcome to the New Academic Year

August 28, 2024

Dear Southern Community,

Greetings and welcome to the 2024 academic year! I hope that all of you have had a restful and enjoyable summer and are feeling reinvigorated as classes begin and a host of Week of Welcome activities engage our new and returning scholars.

During the orientation sessions and on move-in day this past weekend, I had the opportunity to greet many members of the incoming class, and they are clearly excited to be joining our diverse and vibrant university family. I appreciate that all of you are deeply committed to our scholars’ academic and personal success and want to see them flourish and excel during their years at Southern. A huge “thank you” must also go to the many employees who worked long and hard this summer to prepare campus for the start of the fall semester. Your Southern pride is evident in everything that you do, and our scholars will benefit as a result.

On Monday, it was my pleasure to induct the members of the Class of 2028 at the New Student Convocation and Rite of Passage.  They pledged their commitment to our university’s core values: excellence, social justice, and service for the public good. Convocation was a truly joyous event, with our new scholars receiving empowering messages of support from campus leaders, CSCU Chancellor Terrence Cheng, “Mrs. Top Owl” my wife Antona Smith, and our champion javelin thrower, Jordan Davis, who carried a season of outstanding achievement to the brink of Olympic selection this summer.

This year’s incoming class is again racially and ethnically diverse, with 55 percent of scholars identifying as students of color. In addition, 52 percent are first-generation. Many of these new scholars may be nervous about what the immediate future holds as they begin their college journey. But I know that we will all do our very best to ensure that they belong and are connected, while helping them to reach their full potential. During these first few days and opening weeks of the fall semester, if you see a scholar who appears a little lost, simply say hello and ask if they need assistance – a friendly greeting will go a long way.

On an institutional level, we are introducing initiatives to help new scholars navigate the path to earning their degree. For example, the inaugural Owl Flight to Excellence Mentorship Program matches 30 incoming undergraduates with an equivalent number of upper-class mentors, who will provide personal guidance and support. This multi-year initiative seeks to help scholars who have expressed uncertainty about the college experience to feel more comfortable and confident, learn new skills, make new friends and gain experiences that will boost their success after graduation.

The past academic year at Southern was one of achievement in many ways. Our enrollment maintained an upward trajectory, and continues to do so this fall, with census day approaching next month. We established new regional partnerships in the arts and healthcare and set records for grants from major institutions such as the National Science Foundation and the Centers for Disease Control. Members of our extended community earned accolades throughout the year, from CSCU system-wide teaching awards to conference and national titles for our athletes. And we continued to enhance our focus on specific populations, earning national recognition as a “Military Friendly School” and ranked ahead of all our Connecticut peers for services to veterans.

This new year promises to continue that momentum, even as we navigate the fiscal challenges that still remain.  Stay tuned in the coming weeks for announcements about new, impactful collaborations and innovative academic programs that will boost Connecticut’s workforce.  This year we will also begin the full implementation of “Leading the Way”, the five-year strategic plan that was finalized last spring. And we have begun the exploratory phase for a $100 million comprehensive campaign – the first in our institution’s history.

During the fall, I will continue to be active and engaged on campus and in the wider community, building on many of the excellent relationships that Southern already has in place. I have used the summer months to meet with key elected officials at local, state and national levels, to ensure that Southern remains a focus of their support. I also plan to meet many of you in your departments or out on campus - please say hello and let me know your ideas and concerns.

Again, I thank you for your hard work, dedication and creative ideas. I look forward to greeting you in person at our fall Community Meeting (Tuesday, Sept. 24 at 2 p.m. in the Adanti Student Center Ballroom) - and joining you as we advance our shared commitment to the success and well-being of our Southern scholars.

Sincerely,

Dr. D