Dear Colleagues,

The beginning of November means we are in the homestretch of the semester, with Thanksgiving Break just around the corner. As we turn our clocks back this Sunday (November 5), we get an extra hour to plan the last few weeks before final exams and the holiday break. 

October was a busy month for the university’s strategic planning process, in which the steering committee did a lot of listening. Following the conclusion of more than 20 small group listening sessions, the committee is assessing the feedback provided by a broad cross-section of our campus. These sessions focused on institutional opportunities and potential new directions that support Auburn’s mission and aspirations and ways to advance faculty, student, and administrative staff success. To date, we have heard from more than 350 individuals in the campus community and look forward to continued dialogue in the coming weeks and months. 

As the committee carefully reviews the feedback, we are also evaluating the data and key themes to help develop the future goals, strategies, and metrics that will support them. It is evident that our campus community believes in and values many of the strengths that make Auburn a unique place to live and work – including employee benefits, our shared governance culture, and our academically strong students. 

However, we have just as many, if not more, areas of opportunity for growth, including providing increased support for recruiting and retaining outstanding faculty and graduate students, as well as articulating a path to expanding interdisciplinary research and the future of our student enrollment, among others. Better understanding the complexities of these and other issues as they relate to faculty remains a priority for my office, and I appreciate the time that many of you have already taken to contribute to this important process. I am committed to a culture of continuous improvement, and this can only be accomplished with your candid and constructive feedback.

The strategic plan, setting a vision for Auburn’s next decade, will be drafted during the spring semester and submitted to the Board of Trustees for final approval next June. If you were unable to attend a session, there will still be opportunities to contribute. In a University Senate survey, many of our senators indicated that those who could not participate in a listening session would be willing to express their thoughts through a survey. We will, therefore, distribute an emailed survey to all faculty, staff, and A&P colleagues in the coming weeks to ensure that all perceptions and ideas are considered in the committee’s work. 

As we identify and assess key performance indicators that measure our institution’s progress and impact, I was pleased to see the release of the latest Economic Impact Study from the Office of University Outreach last week. Every three years, the study highlights the impact of Auburn faculty, staff, and alumni on Alabama’s communities and details the university’s significant contributions to the economic growth of our state. While generating more than 30,000 jobs, Auburn supports industry, research, extension, and community engagement through our initiatives, as well as work with external partners. 

Congratulations to the recipients of the 2023 Faculty Awards, which will be presented during our annual ceremony next week. These honors recognize exceptional instruction, research and creative scholarship, and outreach that are emblematic of the level of excellence at Auburn in which we all take pride. If you have not done so, I encourage you to congratulate this year’s awardees. During this month’s listening sessions, we heard a desire for increased recognition of the impressive work of our faculty. As we focus on honoring this year’s awardees, we will explore additional opportunities to acknowledge and reward the excellent work of Auburn faculty who work to advance our mission and go above and beyond for our students. 

Of course, the true mark of student success occurs during commencement when our students graduate. As a reminder, Auburn’s fall commencement ceremonies will be held on December 9 in the Neville Arena and will recognize 1,900 graduates. Auburn alumnus Thomas Dempsey ’89, founder and CEO of SylvanSport, will provide the commencement address. Tom is a graduate of Auburn’s industrial design program and has become a noted outdoor industry and policy expert.

As we look forward to Thanksgiving at the end of the month, I am grateful for the opportunity to work with an outstanding faculty who are committed to the success of our students and to realizing the potential of our university. As always, I thank you for all you do to support our institution. 

War Eagle,