May 12, 2021: End of Year Message

Dear Faculty,

As the academic year draws to a close, I want to congratulate you all on your accomplishments. Despite the challenges of this year, a year unlike any other we’ve experienced, we achieved many impressive feats, including welcoming a record-setting freshman class to campus, remarkable advancements in research and scholarship, maintaining continuity of instruction during the pandemic, and the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccination. I want to extend a personal thank you to all of you for your hard work and efforts.

This week, we will confer 4,200 degrees and celebrate our students’ success. Commencement is one of my favorite times of the year. I’ve now been at Georgia Southern University long enough to have personally known students from their freshman to senior years. Seeing their progression from college freshmen to college graduates is one of the most rewarding aspects of my job, as I’m sure it is for you.

Their academic journey would not have been possible without you. Georgia Southern University faculty members are world-class teacher-scholars, and your dedication to student success is our university’s hallmark. I am deeply grateful for your commitment to excellence, and I’m honored to serve alongside you.

I would also like to express my thanks to the faculty members who have taken on the work of building ideas and recommendations for our mental and emotional well-being. The Faculty Senate Welfare Committee provided several points of concern during the fall semester. Our Associate Deans brought forward a fantastic idea on how we might build support networks, and an ad hoc committee took on additional work throughout the spring to provide some actionable recommendations for us all. We’ve already been able to, in conjunction with the Office of Inclusive Excellence, join the National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity (NCFDD) as an Institutional Member. Thanks to Joseph Telfair, Dustin Anderson, Brenda Sims Blackwell, Beth Durodoye, Trina Embrey, Doug Frazier, Jacque Kelly, Brian Koehler, Raymona Lawrence, Tracy Linderholm, Nandi Marshall, Britton McKay, Faith Parks, Norton Pease, Sara Plaspohl, Rand Ressler, Pam Wells, David Williams, and Thresa Yancey (and special thanks to Lauren Patterson from the Counseling Center). We will be sharing those ideas, changes, and support practices through the department chairs throughout the summer.

Thank you all again and please enjoy some well-deserved time off.

Sincerely,

Carl L. Reiber

Provost & Vice President Academic Affairs

Last updated: 8/13/2021