Dear Colleagues:
As our Thanksgiving break approaches, I want to take a moment to reflect on the milestones Monmouth University has achieved this year, our 90th anniversary. We’ve soared to new heights, achieving our highest rankings ever in U.S. News & World Report, and we continue to demonstrate significant progress in social mobility metrics. We welcomed our most academically outstanding incoming class, with nearly half being FLI students – that is, first-generation and/or from low-income households. This semester also marked the first deployment of scholarships from the record-breaking $21 million gift we announced in the spring.
I am grateful for the excellent work of our faculty who have been actively presenting at conferences, publishing books and in academic journals, winning new grant awards, and engaging so meaningfully with our with students—both in and out of the classroom. And, I am so proud that our students have continued to shine in so many areas, including our Debate Hawks, Model UN Team, Blue Hawk Records, MU Players, and collectively by giving back through the Big Event, to name just a few.
We can also take pride in the performance of our student-athletes, with our field hockey, and men’s and women’s soccer teams all advancing to the championships in just our second year in the Coastal Athletic Association. Our rowing team’s Freshman 8+ crew earned silver medals at the prestigious Head of the Schuylkill Regatta. And let’s not forget the thrilling upsets by our women’s and men’s basketball teams against Big East and Big 12 opponents.
Perhaps the most exciting event of the fall was the announcement of the new home of Bruce Springsteen Archives & Center for American Music. This project will not only enrich the academic offerings at our University, it promises to elevate Monmouth’s reputation and presence on a national scale.
I hope you share my sense of pride in these accomplishments and the role each of you plays in making Monmouth a beacon of excellence and opportunity. I am immensely grateful for your dedication and contributions, which continue to drive our University forward. Please enjoy a restful break, revitalized for the final weeks of the semester, and successes still to come.
Sincerely,
Pat
Dr. Patrick F. Leahy
President