Provost’s Corner: July 2018

Dear faculty and staff,

With just over a month before the new academic year begins, we’re winding down on summer activities but ramping up to welcome a host of new faces to campus. This fall, we’re set to welcome more than 4,800 first-time, first year students, 1,300 transfer students, 2,200 master’s and 525 doctoral students, and 100 Agricultural Institute students to NC State.

I greatly appreciate all of your hard work toward the end of the fiscal year, and want to thank you for everything you’re doing to make these new students feel welcome. To continue to support their transition, I hope you can join in on Wolfpack Welcome Week, taking place August 17-25. Events cover everything from developing Wolfpack Pride to academic engagement, student success and more.

One of the highlights of Wolfpack Welcome Week, Convocation, will take place at historic Reynolds Coliseum on August 20. I encourage each one of you to attend to help welcome the Class of 2022!

We want our new students to not only get to know who we are, but what we’re about — making NC State an inclusive home to all who step foot on campus. Whether you are faculty or staff, what you do here will shape their personal and academic lives.

One group dedicated to helping students have a well-rounded experience, our Study Abroad Office, achieved an important milestone recently. A Commitment Partner of the Institute of International Education’s Generation Study Abroad initiative, Study Abroad surpassed its 2019 enrollment goal one year early.

Preliminary data for 2017-18 shows a 53.6 percent increase in total enrollment in study abroad since 2011-12, with a 129 percent increase in underrepresented students, including first generation and racial/ethnic minority students. These numbers surpass NC State’s goal of a 50 percent increase in participation overall and among historically underrepresented students.

So many offices and individuals around campus like Study Abroad and their staff make a difference throughout the academic year for our students. You’ve set the stage for a great semester ahead, and I can’t wait to see you all again soon.

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