Dear Faculty and Staff,

As we move into the holiday season, the end of the fall semester and the end of the calendar year, it is a perfect time for reflection.

We have accomplished much together โ€“ both inside and outside of the classroom.

There are many metrics to gauge the health of a university, such as applications from prospective students, alumni giving and participation, legislative relations, an institutional reserve fund, graduating class size, major gifts and faculty awards, to name but a few. Based on my diagnosis, I am proud to say we are healthy, and we are tracking in so many positive directions.

That reality, however, should not alter our focus, especially as we are making important gains toward our goals in student success, academic distinction and employee success, the three pillars of our strategic plan, as well as advancing the work within our cross-cutting themes of strategic partnerships, innovation and diversity, equity and inclusion. Our work may be far from done, but we continue to gain momentum. This is the time to know that our efforts are making a difference.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, let me share my personal thanks to you all. Thank you for your passion for this institution. Thank you for your dedication to your profession. And thank you for your commitment to our students, to your colleagues and to our greater campus community. This is an extraordinary place because of our extraordinary people.

Sincerely,

Andrew Hsu

Andrew T. Hsu, Ph.D.

President College of Charleston