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.
#BucsGoBeyond
New Chief Financial Officer to Join ETSU in February
On Monday, the university community will celebrate the contributions of Dr. B.J. King, the university’s Chief Financial Officer, who is set to retire this month after more than 25 years at ETSU. Under Dr. King’s leadership, our institution successfully weathered the storm caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. During this period, we avoided layoffs, placed money in reserves, provided some of the largest employee pay raises in decades, cut out-of-state tuition costs, and avoided tuition and fee increases for two of the past three years. Dr. King is a fierce advocate for students, our community, and this institution. I would like to offer my deepest gratitude for her service to our campus.
Under the leadership of Provost Dr. Kimberly McCorkle, the university has conducted a nationwide search for a new CFO. As a result of this months-long process, I am pleased to announce that Christina Graham has accepted an offer for the position and will join our team in mid-February. Ms. Graham has more than 25 years of experience in the field of higher education and is currently serving as the Executive Vice President for Finance at Lincoln Memorial University (LMU). There, she oversees all business and financial activities, manages the institution’s operating budget, and assists in strategic planning to achieve the university’s goals. She holds a master’s degree in accountancy from Golden Gate University and a Master of Business Administration from LMU. She also is a Ph.D. candidate in the educational leadership program at Indiana State University. She is a certified public accountant (CPA) and has taught numerous business and accounting classes at the university level.
We will make a formal, public announcement of Ms. Graham’s appointment when she begins work in February. Additionally, I am happy to share that Dr. King has agreed to continue providing guidance and support as we work through this transition. In the coming weeks, please take a moment to extend best wishes to Dr. King and welcome Ms. Graham when she arrives on campus.
Taco Bell Grand Opening Celebration
Thanks to the efforts of the ETSU Student Government Association and SGA President Mason Mosier, Taco Bell has returned to the D.P. Culp Student Center. A grand opening celebration is scheduled for noon on Friday, January 20, on the first floor of the Culp.
The event will feature a ribbon cutting with music, as well as cake and a proclamation by the Student Government Association. Free promotional items, food, and coupons for tacos also will be available.
ETSU Voyager Project
Last year, our campus began a significant undertaking to upgrade our Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems. Over the next year, we will roll out new processes and capabilities in both Finance and Human Resources (HR). A move to a modern cloud-based platform gives ETSU the ability to use an integrated system that fosters real-time communication, data entry efficiencies, enhanced security, automated workflows, and evolving technologies. The team implementing this transformation has dubbed the project Voyager, as it represents ETSU’s continuing journey toward operational excellence. The new finance system is slated to launch in September 2023, and HR will follow in January 2024. While there will inevitably be challenges and changes, the implementation team is committed to keeping the campus community informed. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact voyager@etsu.edu. Information also is available at etsu.edu/voyager.
Discounted Tickets Available for Students for Broadway Debut at the Martin Center
ETSU’s inaugural Broadway series begins next week with two performances of the iconic musical “Annie.” Thanks to ETSU’s Office of Student Life & Enrollment, the Martin Center for the Arts is offering a limited number of $10 tickets to ETSU students. The discounted student tickets are on sale through January 25 or while supplies last in the Carrier Center in the D.P. Culp Student Center. Students may purchase one $10 ticket with a valid ETSU ID. Payment must be made using ID Bucs.
A limited number of tickets are still available for the general public, as well. Visit etsu.edu/martin-center for tickets to “Annie” as well as “CATS” (coming in March) and “Chicago” (coming in April)!
CPA Newly Renovated
Over the holiday break, staff worked hard to complete major upgrades to the Basler Center for Physical Activity (CPA). If you have not had a chance to view the changes, check out this video created by the Office of Administration to take a look.
Last Chance to Hit the Ice
ETSU’s Synthetic Ice-Skating Rink will close for the season on Sunday, January 22. The rink will be open for a last spin on the ice from 4:30-8 p.m. todayand tomorrow and from 2-7 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Skate rentals are $3 with a valid ETSU ID.
'ETSU Today'
The winter edition of “ETSU Today” arrived in mailboxes earlier this month. You can browse the digital edition, which contains interactive elements and multimedia content, online.
Meet Kristen Surles
While growing up in McMinnville, ETSU doctoral student Kristen Surles became involved in community service through her church and school. While she didn’t know it at the time, the yard work she did for the elderly and disabled in her hometown and planting trees was the start of her journey toward a career in public health. Now a doctoral student in health management and policy in the College of Public Health, Surles is a graduate assistant in CARE Women’s Health and an Emerging Scholar in Family Planning. Hear Kristen’s story.
ETSU’s Reece Museum Hosting ‘Southern Fiction’
“Southern Fiction,” an exhibition of photographs by East Tennessee State University photography professor Tema Stauffer, is now open to the public at the Reece Museum. The exhibition is on display through March 1. A reception will be held on Thursday, February 2, from 5-7 p.m. The museum will also be open for special weekend hours on Saturday, February 4, from 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
“Southern Fiction” explores the history of the American South using its literary tradition as a road map, focusing on environments that have shaped the imaginations of 20th-century Southern writers during their formative years or throughout the course of their lives and careers. The images portray domestic settings, vernacular architecture, and rural landscapes that visually resonate with the history, culture, and atmosphere of the Deep South.
Over the past week, staff from the Mary V. Jordan Multicultural Center has hosted several celebrations of the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
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