Welcome back, Tigers!

I hope you were able to relax and spend time with loved ones and are coming back refreshed and recharged for the start of a new semester.

Although it was a bit quieter, campus has been busy since late December. Minimester classes persevered through winter weather. Our athletic teams have roared through their seasons, including our men’s and women’s basketball teams, who have collected significant wins against very tough CAA competition. And the action continues in the weeks and months ahead with plenty of opportunities to show your Tiger pride, from athletics to art performances, cultural events and other campus activities.

In addition, many members of our university staff remained hard at work over the break to ensure campus was ready for our community’s return. I sincerely thank everyone for their efforts, especially the members of our operations and facilities team who have tirelessly worked to repair the water main break and ensuing sink hole that opened in December. Please be aware that restoration work will continue throughout the semester and is scheduled to be completed this summer. I also thank that team for removing snow, salting ice and keeping our campus accessible after the recent winter storms.

I know the winter months can be especially challenging on our mental health, and many members of our community have continued to struggle with the impact of the ongoing violence in the Middle East. As always, your health, safety and well-being are our university’s top priority. I encourage you to familiarize yourself with the resources available to help you when needed, and I ask that we all continue to show compassion for our fellow Tigers during difficult times.

We must also keep prioritizing respect for every member of our TU community. As we hope for peace in 2024, let us maintain an environment where individuals can express their point of view freely in a respectful manner, while we concurrently preserve the culture of inclusive excellence we’ve established that is so integral to TU.

It’s this culture that’s helped me feel so welcome and supported during my first months as president. I’m now excited to start my first full semester at TU, and I’ve been eager to hit the ground running with the official launch of my listening tour earlier this month.

As part of this process, I’ll be connecting with as many members of our community as possible, with nearly 50 meetings and events already scheduled. I’m also hosting regular office hours and will be starting an informal Lunch with Mark series, two opportunities that I invite all university members to join. The online feedback form also remains open for you to share your perspective.

Your insight is crucial in helping me understand the context of TU and ultimately frame a plan for the university’s future that is true to our mission and consistent with our community’s values. It also informs me as I regularly head to Annapolis this legislative session to advocate for our university and ensure its continued upward trajectory.

I invite you to engage with me as, together, we make our great university even greater.

I wish you a wonderful spring semester. May our paths cross soon!

All the best.

Sincerely,

Mark R. Ginsberg, Ph.D.
President