Provost’s Corner: February 2017

Dear faculty and staff,

Throughout the country, faculty, staff and students in higher learning institutions are experiencing turbulent times. The current political climate often preoccupies our thoughts and rightly so: The future seems unclear in many aspects of our personal and professional lives.

It is our job in academia to stem the rising tide of uncertainty by remaining objective purveyors of knowledge and information. Here at NC State, each of you plays an important role in accomplishing this goal through your commitment to academic excellence and making a transformative impact on the world.

Your teaching and research help us shine a light on the importance of providing high-quality, public, affordable and accessible higher education to all. Your service to the campus community makes NC State a place that faculty, staff and students from around the world are proud to call home.

Together, we can keep it that way. Moving forward, I want each of us to think critically and act decidedly to ensure that NC State is and always will be a diverse and inclusive campus. We have a responsibility to convene differing viewpoints and to make sure that each voice is heard in an equitable manner. This will remain a key factor in our ability to proactively address and solve society’s grand challenges.

We all have something to contribute to our culture of continual improvement, regardless of where we come from. Thank you for your investment in developing a diverse knowledge base and making our university a model of higher education in the United States and around the world.

To keep up with all academic and faculty- or staff-related developments, follow @NCStateProvost on Twitter.

Until next time,

Warwick Arden
Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost