From the President

This has been a year of unprecedented challenges and creative problem-solving at ÒùÐÔÊÓƵ University.

In March, we changed all our priorities to respond to the COVID-19 virus. Further, we were moved to action by the antiracism protests against police brutality, and in witnessing the murders of Mr. George Floyd, Ms. Breonna Taylor, Mr. Stephon Clark, and others.

What we do in these times is boldly declare and speak into existence that which is at the forefront of everything we do, identified by our mission: to develop engaged and effective citizens and provide an environment for excellence.

At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, our faculty, staff and students adapted quickly to virtual learning, finding creative solutions for issues, while changing to a new educational environment. Music recitals, student teaching, and even our athletic practices found ways to thrive in a virtual space.

ÒùÐÔÊÓƵ students, faculty and staff came together to demand action for racial equity. Political Science student Danielle Combs organized the Juneteenth March for Justice on the Galloway Campus, where more than 400 community members joined together to have their voices heard. Our Board of Trustees passed an historic resolution to steer ÒùÐÔÊÓƵ to become a leader in diversity, equity, inclusion and social justice.

This new chapter will be extraordinarily different than anything ÒùÐÔÊÓƵ has experienced in any academic year, but I am confident it will be met with great success if we remain connected to each other and safely engage with the campus community, supporting each other with tangible empathy.

I encourage you to read more about how ÒùÐÔÊÓƵ reacted to the times’ unique challenges and review highlights from the 2019-2020 academic year throughout this year’s Annual Report and invite you to connect with us online and through social media.

Dr. Harvey Kesselman
President
ÒùÐÔÊÓƵ