Publication Date
1-19-2023
Abstract
Welcome back, students! It is a joy to see you return to campus after the holiday break. As we begin the spring semester and a new calendar year, I am excited to sustain and grow the momentum we achieved in 2022. Over the past six months, our institution celebrated major milestones related to increases in enrollment, graduation rates, research activity, and employee satisfaction rates. These historic accomplishments are only the beginning. I believe we are entering what will be one of the most exciting periods in our university’s history.
I have long said that our university — and our region — are among the nation’s best-kept secrets. It is time for this to change. So, as we kick off the spring semester, I would like to issue a challenge to our entire campus community: to go beyond. Go beyond ideas to innovation and invention. Go beyond regional recognition to the world stage. Go beyond the self-centered pursuit of your passion to the selfless pursuit of your purpose.
This spring, our campus will undertake a series of initiatives that will help us go beyond barriers to achieve new heights. We will implement an academic Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) focused on community-engaged learning. Through this effort, we will go beyond classrooms and into our communities. We will expand upon the Moon Shot for Equity effort, which aims to go beyond merely closing equity gaps to eliminating them. Our provost, Dr. Kimberly McCorkle, is working with faculty members and stakeholders from across our colleges to redesign our general education curriculum, helping us go beyond the basics to build programs of study that keep pace with our modern knowledge and innovation-focused world.
Also, this spring, we will begin the most extensive construction and renovation projects our campus has ever experienced. Brown Hall, Lamb Hall, and several residential spaces will be updated and upgraded. Additionally, work will begin on two major new facilities to be built, a new academic building and a new integrated health sciences center, both of which are scheduled to open in 2025.
Change is not often easy. At times, it can be intimidating, stressful, and frustrating. But it can also be exhilarating, rejuvenating, and inspiring. As we begin this next era at ETSU, I encourage you to embrace the opportunity to take our work to the next level. I encourage you to go beyond.
Sincerely,
Brian Noland
President
Document Type
News Article
