Dear Colleagues,
As the semester draws to a close, I thank each of you for your many contributions to another successful academic year. April is a particularly meaningful time on our campus, as we gather for ceremonies and receptions recognizing the many accomplishments of our students, faculty, and staff. These events naturally culminate in commencement weekend, where we will confer a record 5,516 degrees across eight ceremonies.
I also thank you for the progress many of you have helped make in advancing Auburn’s accessibility and digital compliance efforts. Your leadership and support have helped improve the accessibility of our institution’s templates and digital systems. Last week, the U.S. Department of Justice extended the ADA Title II compliance deadline to April 2027, providing additional time for institutions to continue this work thoughtfully while maintaining a focus on meaningful access for individuals with disabilities. Our work will continue over the coming year as we build on this progress and further strengthen accessibility across our digital resources.
Supporting accessibility across our academic systems also includes improving how course materials are created and shared. At last month’s Senate meeting, Dr. Mark DeGoti provided an update on our plans to implement a syllabus management system to strengthen the consistency, accessibility, and oversight of course syllabi. The proposed platform, Simple Syllabus, is widely used by peer institutions and integrates with Canvas and Banner while preserving the flexibility that faculty rely on when designing course materials. Scheduled for implementation this fall, the system will streamline syllabus creation and updates, support compliance with institutional policies and accreditation requirements, and provide our students with a more comprehensive experience when reviewing and selecting their courses. To support this effort, my office is developing a website that will serve as a central resource with information about the platform, implementation updates, frequently asked questions and opportunities for faculty feedback.
We recently announced the more than 120 faculty members who earned promotion and tenure this year. These milestones reflect outstanding accomplishments in teaching, research and service, as well as the many ways these colleagues contribute to Auburn and their disciplines. I am grateful to the members of the University Promotion and Tenure Committee, as well as to the faculty and administrators across our colleges who contribute to this rigorous review process. We will host a reception honoring these colleagues on September 17 from 3–5 p.m. CST in the Academic Classroom and Laboratory Complex, and I invite the campus community to join us in recognizing these distinguished faculty members.
As the pace of campus life shifts with the arrival of summer, we will take advantage of this time to advance several facilities projects across campus. With colleagues transitioning into the new STEM+Ag building, which marks the completion of a major construction project, we are also beginning conversations about the future of Haley Center. A steering committee has been established and will continue meeting throughout the summer to guide planning and next steps.
We close the academic year with several notable achievements across our campus community, including Auburn’s Honors College team, which won the inaugural AI Ethics Iron Bowl, a competition with the University of Alabama focused on the ethical challenges surrounding artificial intelligence. Auburn University also earned the 2026 Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement, recognizing our strong commitment to meaningful community partnerships. In addition, several of our Army ROTC cadets qualified for the prestigious Sandhurst Military Skills Competition at the United States Military Academy at West Point and are representing Auburn in the competition this week. Their participation places our program among the nation’s most competitive ROTC units. These accomplishments reflect the collective strength of our faculty, staff and students and the vibrant academic community you help sustain every day.
Looking ahead to fall, last week, we announced the second event in our America 250 Signature Speaker Series, featuring distinguished scholars Dr. Cornel West and Dr. Robert George. Many of you may remember their 2017 visit to campus, which sparked meaningful discussion across our academic community. Their return this fall will provide an opportunity for our students, faculty, and staff to engage in conversation about civic engagement and the ideals of American democracy. Please mark your calendars for September 30, 2026, at 5 p.m. CST in the Gogue Performing Arts Center, as additional details about the program and registration will be shared in the coming weeks.
Our celebration of America 250 is also creating new opportunities for engagement within our own academic community. I am pleased to share that the inaugural cohort of Foundation Fellows for fall 2026, including six faculty members and 22 students were selected through a competitive process. Administered by the Honors College and open to participants across the university, the faculty fellows will lead a weekly reading group exploring foundational American documents, while our student fellows will participate in a seminar examining the history, ideas, and future of American democracy.
I wish you a restful and restorative summer, and I look forward to the opportunities the coming year will bring. |
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Key Summer 2026 Dates for Faculty: May 1–4 — Commencement Ceremonies; May 18: Classes Begin; May 19: Last Day to Add a Course; May 25: Memorial Day (No Classes); June 8: Senate Meeting; June 19: Juneteenth Holiday (No Classes); June 22: End of Mini-mester I; June 23-24: Study/Reading Days; June 29: First Day of Classes: Mini-mester II; July 3: Independence Day (No Classes); July 28: Last Day to Withdraw; July 31: End of Mini-mester II; August 3-4: Study/Reading Days; August 5-7: Final Exam Period; August 8: Commencement Ceremonies.
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