Ö÷²¥ÓÕ»ó

Dear Lynx community,

Last month, I had the honor of attending the . The luncheon honored 73 incoming high school seniors who completed a rigorous five-week, multi-course curriculum, which included accelerated pre-college math courses and the completion of either English 1020 (composition) or English 1010 (writing workshop).

In my first six months as chancellor, I continue to believe our greatest strength lies in our commitment to our students. Our pre-collegiate programming is just one example of the existing pockets of excellence at Ö÷²¥ÓÕ»ó—some of which I’ve highlighted in previous messages. The pre-collegiate approach provides community-based pathways to our campus, offers support during the college transition period, and guides students through academic exploration once enrolled. Over the past five years, the first-year persistence rates of pre-collegiate students is 89% (16 percentage points higher than our campus average).

As I’ve studied our campus and listened to a broad cross section of students, faculty, staff, alums, and external partners, I've found that our pre-collegiate program exemplifies where we have found the greatest success: a student-centered approach that favors simplicity over complexity. It meets students where they are, listens to identify what matters most, and responds by implementing practical solutions (like the ) that close real gaps.

This impact and the outcomes of the students are a testament to the transformative power of higher education. This is personal for me as access to college changed my life. I’ve also seen it change the lives of my students and I’ve seen the impact it has within larger communities.

And yet, recently reported that, nationwide, confidence in higher education remains underwater at 42% (although that is up slightly from recent all-time lows). The looming perception is that college is too political and offers a low return for the investment. Once viewed as a model engine for upward mobility, college is too often associated with rigidity, misalignment, and learner disconnect.

Although not every program on our campus can or should mirror our pre-collegiate programming, I remain confident that our best course forward is one rooted in the same public service mission. We prepare our students for success and support their development as engaged citizens. Through this collective action, we can demonstrate that higher education can still deliver on its promise to drive social mobility and advance common good.

As we broaden the implementation of this approach, and as we’ve begun to demonstrate through our , it will be essential that we resist the appeal of short-term wins. The needs of our student base have never been so varied, meaning one-size-fits-all approaches that may have achieved success in the past cannot be the foundation of our future. Meeting students where they are and understanding their current needs is our core responsibility and must be the cornerstone of our evolution if we are to meet our moment.

Since I first arrived on campus, the cause for change has been a central topic of many conversations. I've heard the frustration that exists amidst the amount of change that has occurred over the past several years. I’ve also heard from many who fundamentally recognize what is at stake and understand the need for action. I acknowledge and empathize with both sentiments. This is why we will be clear-eyed and deliberate in our path forward, focusing on the most critical needs of our university as we strive to meet our public service mission and reestablish our financial sustainability.

Too many students currently leave or transfer from our campus without a degree, some in real and deserved frustration. Our stop-out rate of 22% is untenable if we are to reach the heights for which I know our campus aspires to. The same is true of our 27% transfer-out rate.

It is now time that we move beyond recognizing the need—and begin taking the steps necessary for lasting action. I ask that you embrace this opportunity, not just for our students, but also for each of you in service of our collective purpose and success moving forward.

As our community returns to campus this fall, we’ll have reached the midpoint of our 2030 Strategic Plan. Together, we will use this opportunity to both reflect on the lasting impact of the plan and set our intentions for the next five years (and beyond).

Grounded in our commitment to public service, for the students we are entrusted to educate and the communities we are invested in uplifting, we can demonstrate the lasting power of education that I know flourishes throughout Ö÷²¥ÓÕ»ó.

If you’d like to engage on topics that impact our campus community, I encourage you to:

• Connect with me on to be part of the dialogue that will help shape the future of our university.
• Visit our Federal Transition website for updated information on the federal transition and its impact on Ö÷²¥ÓÕ»ó.

I look forward to our community returning fully to campus over the coming weeks as we kick off what will surely be a momentous 2025-26 academic year.