Provost’s Corner: January 2018
Dear faculty and staff,
Happy New Year! Despite the chilly weather, we’re warmly welcoming the start of the spring semester and the arrival of more than 450 new first-time first-year and 425 new external transfer students, along with more than 400 new graduate students, to campus.
The undergraduates are a part of Spring Connection, a program for students who were admitted in Spring 2017 and will start at NC State this month. You’re sure to see them and other new faces during Winter Welcome Week, a time where we come together as one Wolfpack family to kick off the beginning of another great semester.
We’re already making waves in the new year with news of national note. Kiplinger’s Personal Finance ranked NC State as No. 9 on its list of public universities that offer the best value for the money for in-state students. The university came in at No. 7 for out-of-state students, and ranked 66th overall among public and private institutions. NC State also moved up to No. 71 from 103 in U.S. News’ list of best online bachelor’s degree programs.
Of course, what sets our degree programs apart are the faculty and staff who work so hard to make them great, as well as the students who engage in them. One such student, Kobi Felton, a senior chemical engineering major and 2018 Marshall Scholar. Felton, only the third NC State student to receive the prestigious award, will pursue master’s degrees at the University of Cambridge and Imperial College London.
That’s quite an accomplishment, and many of you also have exciting plans for 2018. You can find out what your colleagues’ will be up to in the “Faculty and Staff Share Their Hopes for the New Year” article in this newsletter. Whether you’ve set personal or professional goals, or both, I hope that they come to fruition, and that we’ll all be able to work together to make NC State even better this year.
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
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As always, a wonderful and informative Provost’s Corner.
Friendly suggestion: the term “first year students” is less gender-loaded than the more traditional “Freshmen.” Of course, the terms “Junior” and “Senior” are masculine bound as well, but there’s not an easy substitute since nowadays they don’t translate as 3rd year and 4th year. (and “Sophomore” is gender neutral; i.e. insulting to all gender identities).
Thanks for continuing to make me proud to be part of the NC State community through your effective leadership.
Dr. Callanan, thank you for your comment. We always seek to promote a more inclusive, welcoming environment for all at NC State, and have amended the wording in this article to reflect that.