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I am delighted to share that last month we launched a new academic year. For the first time since 2019, we celebrated opening day and convocation in person with faculty, staff and students, making this meaningful tradition even more of a momentous occasion. 

We also proudly welcomed over 6,245 students back to campus at the start of the semester: 1,295 new students, 920 first-year students, 375 transfer students, and over 1,600 residential students. So many of our faculty and staff came together to prepare campus for their arrival, which included volunteering for move-in day, a convocation ceremony featuring alumnus, cartoonist and co-creator of , Keith Knight ’90, ’22H, and other events. 

As part of welcome week, nearly 200 first-year and transfer students participated in community service activities through the Center for Civic Engagement and the first-year experience office’s annual Moving Forward, Giving Back First Year Day of Service. Students worked together to lend a hand to organizations at approximately 25 different sites, addressing some of our region’s most pressing issues. 

In the spirit of Moving Forward, I would like to highlight some university priorities that will inform our work for the year:

Strategic Plan 

A top priority will be to complete Salem State’s next strategic plan. The strategic planning committee has worked tirelessly this summer meeting with internal stakeholders and community partners, and a preliminary draft of the strategic plan that will take the university from 2023 to 2028 is emerging from this work. We anticipate that the plan will be finalized and approved in spring 2023.    

Supporting Students

Thanks to our entire campus community and our generous donors, we continue to raise the bar and break records in our fundraising efforts. For the last two years, we had our two highest years on record—ending at $8,044,802 raised last year—and we begin this academic year with a historic $10 million gift from Cummings Foundation, naming the McKeown School of Education. Breaking the Commonwealth’s record for the largest cash gift given to a state university, this gift is truly transformative and is a big vote of confidence for our university and the high-quality academic programs that we offer. Our entire Viking community should be proud. 

SSU BOLD 

Another priority for 2022-2023 is advancing SSU BOLD: A Campus Unification and Modernization Project. Since the Baker-Polito administration announced the funding for SSU BOLD in April, we have been working closely with the Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance (DCAMM) to prepare for the next phase of this project, which is the design study that culminates in a schematic design for the project.

On September 23, DCAMM announced the recommendation of a development team for the sale and redevelopment of the South Campus property. This announcement is another important milestone on the road to SSU BOLD becoming a reality—and there are many steps ahead. The goal of moving programming out of South Campus to create a more consolidated campus footprint is nearly a decade in the making after being included in our 2013 Master Vision. South Campus programming will remain in the Harrington Building until 2026, before being moved into a renovated Horace Mann Building on North Campus. This timetable was disclosed to potential developers through the RFP process and is part of the contractual arrangements governing the sale of South Campus. 

Vikings Celebrate

There will be many moments to come together as a Viking community in the coming year. Here are just a few highlights to mark on your calendar:

• The Alumni Athletic Hall of Fame is back for 2022 and will induct a new class of athletes on Friday, October 14 in the Ellison Campus Center, honoring those who performed and contributed at the highest level of intercollegiate athletic competition while at the university. Join us for this wonderful celebration.
• Going into its third season, our alumni podcast series, , presents thoughtful discussions from alumni, bringing you insights and stories from their careers since graduating.
• Our program will continue to search for the next class of young leaders making a difference in their communities.
• The alumni association is pleased to bring back Salem State’s , with a trip to the California coast slated for March 2023. There will also be visits with alumni and friends across the country, from Washington, DC to Colorado and Florida. Stay tuned for more information.

I know that there are many more important projects and initiatives that will transpire over the year ahead. I look forward to sharing in this exceptional work and celebrating our successes as a campus community as we continue to work together to support our number one priority: students.  

Sincerely,

President John D. Keenan