Dear Jacksonians:
It’s always a great time to be a Tiger, and this year is no exception. Our enrollment is a record-breaking 9,802. Our freshman class is the largest ever at 1,252 students and, within this class, we welcomed our first Gates Foundation Millennium Scholar. The university has added two new properties – University Pointe and Tiger Pointe – to help accommodate our burgeoning student population. Our new Downtown Campus, 101 Capitol Street, is open, and we celebrated the naming of the lobby in honor of longtime State Rep. Percy W. Watson with friends and supporters. The expansion of the engineering building is right on schedule and is expected to open in the summer of 2016. One of my favorite new places on our campus, the Circle of Humanity, is a thoughtful, student-led tribute to our diversity and our unity as a place where all are welcomed. Growth will always bring its challenges, and progress comes with a price. However, we are a family and I see the dedication of our alumni, the hard work of our staff, the tireless efforts of our faculty and the promise of our students each and every day. Our faculty and staff chose the 2015 theme, “One JSU Shaping the Global Citizen For The 21st Century: Pedagogy, Advising, Mentoring and Research.” The theme has set the stage for academic success at home and globally as we expand the Passport to the World study abroad program and work to strengthen other international relationships. Jacksonians, each and every one of you, inspire all of us to redouble our efforts to continue on this path together as we create the very best ONE JSU. We have much to celebrate and so much for which we are thankful. I appreciate the opportunity to serve you as president of Jackson State University, and I hope you join me in looking forward to the brightest of futures for our beloved university.
Sincerely,
Carolyn W. Meyers
President