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Thursday, October 25, 2012 Moving LSU ForwardDear Faculty, Staff and Students, The beauty of the fall season has arrived at LSU and the days are inviting to campus strolls as I visit with our faculty, staff and students across the university. We have reached the midpoint in the fall semester and I want to take this opportunity to let you know that I have also marked the halfway point in my campus listening tour, which I began when I arrived at LSU. I have visited with an array of more than 30 departments, units and campus groups. From the Boyd and Alumni Professors, the School of Veterinary Medicine and the Museum of Natural Science to the Louisiana Business & Technology Center at LSU’s South Campus, the Pennington Biomedical Research Center and everything in between, I have found one thing in common among everyone: a genuine hunger to move LSU forward and to take our great university and make it even greater. We announced this week that our six-year graduation rate reached an all-time high of 66.7 percent. This is a tremendous achievement for all of us and verification to our students and their families of our dedication to their success. In the area of discovery, our faculty and administrators have worked together to identify areas in which LSU can combine its academic prowess with its service to the state to make a real difference in the lives of Louisiana’s citizens. Some of those areas include, but are not limited to, coastal research, energy research and materials science research. By investing in these and other areas in an interdisciplinary way, and promoting not only the science-based aspects of this research, but also the cultural and social-science aspects, LSU can heighten its impact as the State’s Flagship University. To help further that cause, we are about to embark on a search for a new Vice Chancellor for Research and Economic Development. I would like to thank Boyd Professor Thomas Klei for serving in that role in an interim capacity for the past two years. His shoes will be large ones to fill as we search for a permanent Vice Chancellor who can be a visionary leader for LSU well into the future. You will be hearing more about the search as the process moves forward. I am keenly aware of the challenges our university faces, but I also know that, like me, you are excited about the opportunities we have at LSU and we are dedicated to continued success. It is my privilege to lead this journey and I look forward to working with all of you toward this shared goal. My best wishes to all and … Geaux Tigers! Stuart R. Bell, Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost |
LSU Office of Academic Affairs
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