"Notes from the President" is a new feature on SPSU's website starting Fall 2012, providing monthly updates to the university community about issues, plans, and reflections on current events in higher education.
April 29, 2013
What are the enduring values for SPSU?
I’m asking the SPSU community to help identify the most critical values that we share
as a University community. Please come by my office between now and May 24, cast
your votes, see how your colleagues are voting, and grab a snack to keep up your end-of-the-semester
energy. Click on the title of this entry for the background and the process.
March 11, 2013
The national perspective on higher education
I’ve just returned from the American Council on Education’s annual meeting in Washington,
D.C., which included meetings of ACE’s Women’s Network. The experience gave me a
great opportunity to assess how our work here at SPSU is also playing out on the national
higher-education scene.
February 11, 2013
What did we learn from the tornado drill?
As part of Severe Weather Awareness Week, the SPSU community learned about the importance
of training, the value of backup systems, and the power of partnerships.
January 3, 2013
SPSU students do interesting things
A Southern Polytechnic education prepares students to do anything they want, whether
it is engineering, technology…or music. Here are some thoughts on the career of former
SPSU student and musician Joe South, who passed away in 2012.
November 19, 2012
SPSU and business
A recent forum at the Cobb Chamber of Commerce focused on the relationship between
education and business in our community. Speaking at this forum gave me a chance
to think about SPSU's contributions to business and industry.
October 24, 2012
Testing our processes
A recent incident on campus helped us test our emergency responses. Most of the processes
worked as planned, but we are always looking for ways to improve them. Here are some
thoughts on what worked well – and what we learned.
September 12, 2012
Numbers and rankings
The 2013 rankings of "Best Colleges" by U.S. News & World Report give Southern Polytechnic
some things to think about -- particularly with graduation rates and alumni giving
rates.
August 14, 2012
Starting the new academic year
The start of a new academic year is a great time to think about where we are -- and
where we are headed -- as a university. Let's look at the vision for SPSU's future
and how we can work together to achieve it.