Tuesday, July 2, 2024

Message from the President

Dear Colleagues,

I hope that you are enjoying the slightly less hectic pace of the summer. I am so grateful to be at the University of New Orleans, and I actually find myself going outside frequently to warm up (I confess that I hate air conditioning) and to enjoy brief walks adjacent to the “new” (more natural) campus pond, which is lovely! 

We continue to work on the difficult task of aligning our budget with our current student enrollment projections. Stay tuned for more information in the next several weeks as we submit our budget to the University of Louisiana System and as our enrollment estimates become more refined. 

Meanwhile, at the June board meeting, the ULS System Board of Supervisors approved our revised mission statement. Here it is: 

The University of New Orleans is an urban research university committed to providing educational excellence to a diverse undergraduate and graduate student body. The University is one of the region's foremost public resources, offering a variety of world-class, research-based programs, many of which are uniquely linked to the rich and vibrant city of New Orleans. The University of New Orleans, as a global community asset, advances shared knowledge and enhances the sustainability and quality of life in New Orleans, the state, the nation, and the world, by participating in a broad array of research, community-engaged learning, cultural and academic activities. 

We made a few tweaks to the statement to highlight our connection to the city of New Orleans, our commitment to sustainability, and our focus on community-engaged learning. I am devoting much of my time to aspiring to serve as an ambassador for this mission as I travel throughout the region. It also provides a guiding compass as we seek to do “less with less” and align our resources with our most pressing priorities. 

We have a webpage with our full UNO Planning 2030 document. The plan addresses five areas of focus, with accompanying priorities and tactics. Metrics will be added this summer. Please spend some time reviewing it: Planning 2030 | The University of New Orleans (uno.edu). This will guide us through this challenging budgetary period. 

A recent example of how we are trying to forge more partnerships and increase educational access across the region is our MOU with Nicholls State: UNO and Nicholls State Sign Agreement to Expand Mechanical Engineering Pathways in Bayou Region | The University of New Orleans. 

Thank you to the hundreds of faculty, staff, students, alumni and community partners who weighed in on our planning process. Our plan “officially” begins to be enacted this week, and I am so grateful for all of the ideas, feedback and suggestions that emerged throughout the planning process since January. 

With UNO Pride,

Kathy Johnson, Ph.D.
President
The University of New Orleans