Updates From The Dean - Issue 34

COSM Faculty and Staff,

I hope everyone is getting ready to have a nice Thanksgiving break in a couple of weeks. This has certainly been an interesting and chaotic semester. I don’t know where October went, but it seems to have just flown by. And now, we are only a few weeks away from final exams and commencement ceremonies! I hope the semester ends with less chaos than we have had so far this term.

As part of the Strategic Enrollment Plan, COSM has received funding for three new faculty lines in mathematics. The full details of these positions are still being worked out. These new lines are part of a large number of new positions being used to address the recent enrollment growth. Many of the lines are being allocated to ensure enough courses in math and English for the incoming freshman students. For COSM, we will use the new positions to ensure we have adequate sections of the mathematics courses in the CORE (college algebra, pre-calculus, etc.).

We continue to search for the directors of two new research centers - the Center for Biomedical Research and Innovation as well as the Center for Vector-borne Infectious Disease. The search committees for both positions are reviewing application materials. I am optimistic that we will fill both positions soon.

Included in this issue of the COSM Weekly is also an updated organizational chart for the College of Science and Mathematics. The organizational chart shows where we are today as a college and includes the new

Center for Advanced Materials Science and the BS Biomedical Sciences and Eagle Med programs. In the

coming months, I will provide more updates to the organizational chart as we begin to plan out the long-term vision for COSM.

COSM will need to update its Strategic Plan soon. The current plan is to begin this work in January. This provides time for the University’s new strategic plan to get a little further along in development allowing us to make sure our plan is working to help meet the University’s goals and objectives.

On a personal note, I have recently taken over as the director of the Southeast Georgia Science Olympiad Division C tournament. As many of you know, Georgia Southern has a long history of hosting Science Olympiad tournaments and COSM has been heavily involved in them. I served as the regional director for Northwest Florida for many years prior to coming to Georgia Southern. I am excited to get involved again.

Have a wonderful week, and thank you for everything you do for our students and Georgia Southern!!

Sincerely,

Mike