Year of Engagement
I am delighted to greet you at the beginning of another exciting year for Kennesaw State University. I am pleased to welcome returning faculty and staff‚ and together with them I want to extend a special greeting to new members of our learning community. I trust that you will find your work here at Kennesaw State both challenging and rewarding‚ and also that you will discover on our campus the kind of collegial atmosphere that defines university life at its best.
Georgia (Aug 1, 2001) — Dear Colleagues:
I am delighted to greet you at the beginning of another exciting year for Kennesaw
State University. I am pleased to welcome returning faculty and staff‚ and together
with them I want to extend a special greeting to new members of our learning community.
I trust that you will find your work here at Kennesaw State both challenging and rewarding‚
and also that you will discover on our campus the kind of collegial atmosphere that
defines university life at its best.
Indeed‚ what brings us together as a community is a shared sense of commitment and
purpose as a public institution. Over the last three years‚ this purpose has been
variously explored in our theme−based campaigns celebrating the arts‚ service‚ and
collaboration. The "Year of the Arts" allowed us to reinforce our connection with
the surrounding community by inviting people to experience for themselves the vibrant
cultural life on our campus. The "Year of Honoring Service" found us moving out beyond
the borders of the campus as engaged citizens‚ becoming fuller participants in the
life of our community. Finally‚ "Collaboration 2000" carried this work even further‚
as we formed far−reaching service−oriented partnerships with area leaders in the arts‚
education‚ business‚ government‚ and the non−profit sector.
Perhaps the most promising result of "Collaboration 2000" is the newly formed Northwest
Georgia Crescent Alliance‚ which will have profound implications at all levels of
our university. In partnership with the community leadership of our region‚ we will
be working to preserve and explore the rich historical and cultural significance of
northwest Georgia‚ while at the same time forging creative and strategic solutions
to the most pressing issues facing us in the new millennium. Most importantly‚ what
we expend in improving the quality of life in the northwest crescent will help us
in turn to enhance the educational opportunities we provide our students.
It is projects like these−all−encompassing‚ innovative‚ interactive‚ inspiring−that
have made us a truly "Engaged University‚" and so it follows naturally that we have
taken this phrase as our theme for the current academic year. In the Kellogg Commission's
report on this subject‚ the authors describe the "engagement ideal" as "a commitment
to sharing and reciprocity . . . characterized by problems defined together‚ goals
and agendas that are shared in common‚ definitions of success that are meaningful
to both university and community."
Surely engagement defines our overall mission as a public institution‚ as well as
our working relationships with each other. This year will be marked by an increasingly
productive exploration of our responsibilities to our students‚ our colleagues‚ and
our region. I look forward to collaborating with you as we perform this crucial work‚
and I wish you every success in your endeavors.
My warm personal regards.
Sincerely‚
Betty L. Siegel‚ President
A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers more than 150 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 35,000 students. With 13 colleges on two metro Atlanta campuses, Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia and the third-largest university in the state. The university's vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the region and from 92 countries across the globe. A Carnegie-designated doctoral institution, it is one of the 50 largest public institutions in the country. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.
