LET TER
FROM THE
President
Dear Southern Alumni, My greetings to all of you as I settle into my new role as interim president of Southern Connecticut State University. Since the last edition of Southern Alumni Magazine, there have been a number of notable changes at your alma mater, not least of which was the retirement of President Cheryl J. Norton, who guided the university for the last six years. It is an honor and a privilege for me to follow President Norton and build on the many accomplishments that have taken place at Southern in recent times.
throughout their lives. The willingness of our alumni to step forward during these difficult economic times is particularly noteworthy — your scholarship support for our students is a lifeline enabling many of them to continue their studies and realize their dream of a college degree.
As some of you may know, my roots are in New England, as I grew up in Springfield, Mass. I earned my bachelor’s degree at Springfield College and a master’s degree at the University of Connecticut. Then, after completing my doctoral studies at the University of Pittsburgh, I returned to Connecticut to serve as both a professor and administrator at UConn and Eastern Connecticut State University. So in a very real sense, this is a homecoming for me, and it is one that I embrace with great enthusiasm.
As president, it is incumbent upon me both to respect the history of Southern and to advance its mission of public higher education. As we move ahead, there are clearly fiscal challenges that we face, in concert with the rest of Connecticut. In addition, there are significant projects on campus, such as the Buley Library expansion, that obviously need support to advance them to completion. But I also see many wonderful opportunities to embrace: for example, our established excellence in fields such as education and health and human services; our diverse array of offerings in the arts and cultural arenas; and our location in the vibrant city of New Haven, with all of the prospects for new and exciting partnerships that this provides.
Since I first arrived at Southern on May 14, I have made the effort to meet as many people as I can, both on campus, and in the wider community. I quickly came to understand that this is an institution that is truly studentcentered, an institution that realizes the importance of academic excellence, and one that fully understands the tremendous power of education to transform lives.
I look forward to meeting many of you at Southern events both on and off campus during the coming months, including Homecoming on October 16. I welcome your creative ideas, I celebrate your loyalty and commitment, and I thank you in advance for your continued support as we embrace the future, with all the challenges and opportunities that it provides.
I have also learned that this university has a talented, caring, and hardworking community of faculty, staff, and students. It is also fortunate to be graced with engaged and committed alumni, who warmly remember their student days here and have remained connected with the university
Dr. Stanley F. Battle Interim President