Moving Fearlessly Forward into a New Academic Year
September 01, 2026
Dear Colleagues,
Welcome back! As we begin a new academic year, I want to thank you for the dedication, creativity and collaboration you bring to our university every day. Each of you plays an essential role in fulfilling our mission to advance the public good through transformational teaching and mentoring, innovative research and scholarship, and impactful service activities locally and globally. I am excited for the new opportunities in the year ahead.
As we look toward the future, this is also a moment to reflect on the progress we have made and celebrate our shared accomplishments. This academic year marks the fifth year of implementing our strategic plan, Fearlessly Forward: In Pursuit of Excellence and Impact for the Public Good, and our community has demonstrated what is possible when we work together toward a shared vision.
As you know, Fearlessly Forward is organized around four strategic commitments aligned with our mission and vision: we reimagine learning; we take on humanity’s grand challenges; we invest in people and communities; and we partner to advance the public good.
Through the excellence of our faculty and staff, we are delivering meaningful results across all of these commitments—from preparing students for lifelong success to advancing groundbreaking research to strengthening communities and driving innovation.
Our collective efforts are reflected in national and international recognitions, including:
These rankings are much more than just numbers; they are a composite reflection of so many areas of progress that demonstrate our commitment to people, progress and public impact.
The stories of our progress are equally compelling. To see your work in action and its impact, I encourage you to read our Strategic Plan’s annual report:
hope you take pride in these accomplishments, and in the many manifestations of excellence across our university community. Thank you again for all you do to move us Fearlessly Forward!
Sincerely,
Jennifer King Rice
Senior Vice President and Provost