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Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff:

As we officially begin the 2025-2026 academic year at ���Ϲ�, I am honored to extend a warm Monarch welcome to new and returning students, faculty, and staff. Our storied history and strong tradition of excellence, impact, and success are carried out each and every day through our important mission of teaching, research, and service. And, in just a few short weeks on September 12, 2025, we will mark 95 years since our very first day of classes. Without question, this semester will be defined by that same level of achievement and engagement.

Over the summer, the Monarch Nation marked the mid-point of the 2023-2028 Strategic Plan, “Forward-Focused: Where Innovation Meets Possibilities.” The mid-point summary is available on the strategic planning webpage at under the progress section. While a vast majority of the strategies remain in progress, we have made noteworthy advancement across all 103 strategies. From an up-to-date strategy status, the breakdown is as follows: 50 are successfully completed, but additional progress is either expected or possible; 42 are on track; and 11 have begun. This is a true testament to the resilient nature of the Monarch spirit. With much work ahead, this is a special time to celebrate how far we have come with a variety of specialized initiatives, such as academic advising and general education, as well as broader areas like branding and marketing, philanthropic giving, research growth, and student success – just to name a few.

Additionally, over the summer, the Board of Visitors approved the 2025-2035 Master Plan, following a multi-year, campus-wide planning process. The approved plan is available at and serves as an extension of our strategic plan to meet the educational needs of our University community and beyond through a commitment to student success, excellence, community engagement, and lifelong learning. This collaborative effort, ambitious plan, and transformative approach are reflective of our clear purpose to ensure that our campus community is well-positioned to inspire innovation, optimize opportunities, and secure success at the individual and collective levels. Together, we will continue our forward-focused journey, which will guarantee we are future-ready to meet the needs of all Monarchs both now and well into the future!

In accordance with our strategic plan and master plan, now is the time for our University to elevate our forward-focused journey by embarking on a digital transformation across all facets of our complex organization, including teaching and learning; operations and impact; and research and discovery. By embracing digital transformation across the campus connect and the digital connect, we will future-proof our University for generations to come. For our on-campus students, technology-enhanced classrooms will provide advanced audio/visual systems; interactive environments; and alternative teaching models. Additionally, immersive labs will provide virtual and augmented reality; hands-on learning and engagement; and complex concepts in a risk-free environment. And, in our online space, the majority of our programs will be accelerated and asynchronous to provide flexibility for students to complete degrees faster. Faculty innovation will be the key to exploring new models in order to meet the needs of today’s students.

As we look to the future, we also reflect on our past. During the past three years, our campus community has proudly joined together for Monarchs Give Back, a food drive to address food insecurities for local students, including those on our own campus. In 2022 and 2023, we surpassed our annual goals by collecting more than 20,000 and 25,000 food items, respectively. Last year, we far exceeded our goal of 40,000 food items by securing more than 73,000 in donations. For this year, we have set an ambitious goal of 100,000 items. To learn more about this year’s effort, including ways to get involved, please visit .

The Fall 2025 semester will provide countless opportunities and endless possibilities for Monarch excellence at all levels. With our reaffirmed Research 1 designation and positive movement up this prestigious ranking, ���Ϲ�’s best and brightest days are ahead. And, with a robust strategic plan, ambitious master plan, and cutting-edge digital transformation, aligned with our long-standing tradition of community service, the bold and promising future of ���Ϲ� is both visionary and achievable!


With Monarch Pride,

Brian O. Hemphill, Ph.D.
President