January 12, 2026 – Soaring into 2026!

January 12, 2026
 
Dear Colleagues,
 
Happy New Year and welcome back to a new spring semester! I hope you had an opportunity to recoup, rest, and get ready for another wonderful semester of preparing our students for successful careers and serving our communities. Like many of you, my New Year’s resolution includes exercise, and I can think of no better way to get my 10,000 steps each day than walking through our beautiful campuses. So, if you see me out walking, please say hello and feel free to join me!
 
Last semester, we welcomed record enrollment and a record freshman class! This spring, we continue that momentum by celebrating the highest spring enrollment in our history! 
 
During the break, our football team won the JLAB Bowl, defeating our rival, App State. It was a great conclusion to the 2025 season, especially for our seniors. I also encourage you to attend our men’s and women’s basketball home games, as both teams are in the top of the conference standings.
 
This week also marks the beginning of the 2026 State Legislative Sessionin Georgia. We are grateful to be supported by Governor Kemp, our local delegation, and our alumni and friends at the Capitol. We will closely follow priorities that impact our institution, including USG formula funding, Swainsboro campus HVAC repair/renovations, Georgia Research Alliance funding, and reauthorization of tuition carry-forward legislation.
 
Over the next few weeks, I encourage you to nominate your colleagues for the 2025–2026 University Awards of Excellence, which are now open. The University Awards of Excellence recognize faculty and staff, as well as one team, who make outstanding contributions to the success of Georgia Southern University and demonstrate excellence aligned with one of the University’s core values. The nomination deadline is 5 p.m. on January 23, 2026. Faculty and staff may self-nominate or nominate a deserving colleague by submitting a nomination form here.
 
Over the next two months, we will communicate and prepare for the fifth iteration of the Employee Engagement Survey, which will be administered March 2–16.  As part of our vision statement—Growing Ourselves to Grow Others—I believe that becoming a great place for faculty and staff to work and grow leads to stronger outcomes, including improved faculty and staff retention, enhanced student experiences, and higher student retention and graduation rates. This survey assesses employees’ level of engagement and provides insight on the environment and culture of our workforce.
 
Soaring Beyond, Because of You!
One powerful example of how our faculty and staff are living out our mission is the launch of Georgia Southern’s Care Station project. Led by our Institute for Health Logistics & Analytics (IHLA), this innovative initiative provides 24/7 access to essential health products and confidential testing—meeting people where they are and helping remove barriers to care in our rural communities. Last week, we held a ribbon cutting ceremony to launch the first Care Station in downtown Statesboro, and a second location will be coming soon in Vidalia. This work reflects the dedication, expertise, and compassion of our people, who are applying their knowledge in ways that make a tangible difference in the lives of others across our communities.
 
As you can see, we are impacting our communities, not for our own sake, but to grow others! I am renewed, ready, and thankful to be part of the Eagle Nation in this New Year.
 
Sincerely,
Kyle
 
People. Purpose. Action: Growing Ourselves to Grow Others!