Letter from the Provost

Dear faculty colleagues,

Welcome back to campus for a new academic year! Some of you are joining us for the first time, and you’re sure to find a welcoming, inclusive community here at NC State.

During the 2016-2017 academic year, your work will continue to make NC State a premier education, research and innovation hub creating economic, societal and intellectual prosperity for all North Carolinians. Together, we’ll work toward achieving the goals set forth in the university’s strategic plan. Before we dive into a new semester, though, I encourage you to take a look back at a few of our recent accomplishments.

Our strategic efforts are paying off in many ways. NCSU Libraries recently received the 2016 National Medal for Museum and Library Service from First Lady Michelle Obama. Our one-year freshman retention and six-year graduation rates are the highest they’ve ever been. We’re eighth nationally in total research and development expenditures among public universities without medical schools and our faculty have won prestigious international awards including the Wolf Prize and the Canada Gairdner Award.

What do all of these accomplishments have in common? You, the faculty of NC State. Your contributions continue to help us to educate our diverse student body as we also address society’s grand challenges. This year, let’s keep up the collaboration and strategic strides that make NC State great.

You’ll be hearing from the Provost’s Office more regularly in the future, via Twitter at @NCStateProvost and through a monthly digital newsletter. You’ll also see a new Provost’s Office website debuting soon. I look forward to working with all of you this year on our outstanding progress toward the future.

Sincerely,

Warwick A. Arden
Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost