Dear Colleagues,
It's hard to believe that next week marks the mid-semester point, and we are already halfway through the term. With spring in the air, we are just one week away from spring break—a much-needed opportunity to pause before we enter the homestretch of the semester.
During last week's Senate meeting, President Roberts acknowledged our keen and continued attention to recent executive actions and orders that may alter federal priorities and potentially impact current and pending projects funded by federal agencies or other sponsors who support our research enterprise and other programs.
Federal support plays a vital role in the work of our faculty, students, and staff, affecting countless lives daily. As we evaluate the potential impacts of federal actions, we will keep you informed with the latest updates and provide guidance to help you navigate any changes. While there is still much we do not yet know, our Office of Government Relations team is carefully monitoring and evaluating executive orders and other directives. They remain in close contact with our Congressional delegation to ensure they understand the impact of these developments on our university, our state, and the people we serve, as well as how they may affect our ability to serve our students, conduct impactful research and scholarship that contributes to the quality of life, and drive economic growth.
Concurrently, our Office of Sponsored Programs is working with each college to conduct additional ongoing analyses and scenario-building for programs funded through soft funds or indirect revenues from other sources. For the immediate future, additional expenditures will be assessed on a granular level at the university level, with emphasis given to those mission-critical priorities. While many capital projects have already been funded and will continue to be supported through designated funds, we will continue to monitor the impact of any changes on other parts of our mission, particularly instruction. Please work with your departments, deans, and the OVPRED if you have any questions or concerns.
In last month's letter, I mentioned that the Steering Work Group for the analysis of Faculty Compensation, Workload, and Productivity is evaluating potential external consulting groups to help develop short- and long-term recommendations. I'm pleased to share that the committee completed interviews with four firms last week and will provide recommendations in the coming days. Moving forward, the group has decided to prioritize the compensation component of this process first, with the workload and productivity analyses to be folded into their work later this year.
Over the last two weeks, we welcomed two of our three finalists for the next dean of our College of Nursing, and the third finalist will be on campus next week. We have also broadened the internal search for an Assistant Director of National Prestigious Scholarships in the Honors College. This role is now open to both associate and full professors and has been adjusted to a nine month position with summer funding provided.
Finally, I want to extend my heartfelt congratulations to several programs and individuals who have recently earned prestigious accolades, including the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering and the College of Architecture, Design and Construction's Rural Studio. Earlier this month, Dr. Alice Smith was elected to the 2025 Class of the National Academy of Engineering for her groundbreaking advancements in computational intelligence applied to the modeling and optimization of complex systems. She is one of 128 new members elected to the Academy and the first Auburn faculty member to be recognized by the NAE for her work in Auburn's Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering.
Additionally, we are proud to announce that Auburn has been designated as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Research for the Computer Science and Software Engineering doctoral program through 2030. This designation places Auburn among an elite group of only eleven institutions currently recognized with all three CAE designations: Cyber Defense, Cyber Operations, and Cyber Research.
Furthermore, Rural Studio has once again been selected to represent Auburn on the international stage at the 2025 U.S. Pavilion at the 19th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia. Rural Studio is one of 52 projects chosen from over 400 applications, highlighting the significant role that front porches play in American culture.
We also celebrated several members of our advising community during this month's Provost’s Advising Awards, and we will conclude our SHOWCASE faculty exhibition at the Gogue Performing Arts Center this week.
I hope you find time during spring break to relax and rejuvenate. As always, thank you for all you do for Auburn! |
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