November 19, 2021: Thanksgiving Message

Dear Faculty,

Yesterday, I attended the ribbon cutting for That Great Gretsch Sound! Museum in the Plant Riverside District of downtown Savannah. It was a wonderful event that celebrated Georgia Southern’s new partnership with the world-famous Gretsch company. This partnership includes the museum and the naming gift of our Fred and Dinah Gretsch School of Music. I am grateful for the excellence the Gretsch family sees in Georgia Southern and their support of our academic mission, and for all who have helped bring this transformative partnership to fruition. Yesterday’s ribbon cutting was a fitting way to lead us into the Thanksgiving holiday.

During this month of Thanksgiving, I want to express my gratitude for all your hard work this semester. As provost, it is a privilege working with so many talented and dedicated faculty and staff members to advance the academic mission of this great university. Thanks to your efforts, this semester has been a tremendous success. We achieved many impressive accomplishments this year, including welcoming another record-setting freshman class to campus for the second year in a row, increased research and scholarship activity, and maintaining continuity of instruction through the ongoing pandemic and vaccine rollout.

I also want to emphasize how proud I am of the work you are doing in service of our students. It is a challenging time to be a college student given all that is going on across the country and around the world. I appreciate your continued dedication to their success and your commitment to helping them navigate their academic journey. By all accounts, we are meeting their needs. Even in these challenging times, by personally engaging our students and preparing them to launch successful careers, we are providing them with the kind of educational experience Georgia Southern is known for. There is great satisfaction in that. Transforming lives is perhaps the most rewarding aspect of choosing a career in higher education.

After an initial spike in cases at the start of the semester, we’re also thankful that COVID-19 cases continue to decline. A sense of normalcy has returned across our three campuses. Thank you for all you’ve done to mitigate the spread of the virus and to support our vaccination efforts to keep everyone safe.

Finally, we hosted four “Conversations with the Provost” sessions this semester on all campuses. I was delighted with the response, thoughtful questions, and deep conversations. Thank you for providing me with your insights and input. We will continue to engage, listen, and communicate with you as we move into the new year.

Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving with friends, family, and loved ones.

Sincerely,
Carl

Carl L. Reiber

Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

Last updated: 12/17/2021