Dear Colleagues:

With our Thanksgiving break nearly upon us, I would like to express my sincere thanks for the efforts of our students, faculty, and staff who engage and support our University and our neighbors. Your hard work continues to shine a spotlight on the achievements that have helped to define our semester.

We can all take pride in the collective contributions of our University community. Once again, our students have continued the great tradition of the Big Event, serving as ambassadors by giving back through active service. They have continued to distinguish themselves in Model UN and Debate Team competition, as Peace Corps Prep and Fulbright scholars, and as conference speakers and authors of peer-reviewed papers. Our student-athletes have made the transition to the Colonial Athletic Association, demonstrating that they are ready for the challenges of the next level of competition – even if not every contest goes our way.

I recognize that supporting these achievements—as well as many daily unsung victories along the way—depends upon the hard work and dedication of our entire campus community. I am grateful for your contributions to the success of our students and for enriching the life of our University.

I wish you a safe and restful holiday in the company of your loved ones and look forward to an energetic and productive push toward the end of the academic semester when we return.

Sincerely,

Pat

Dr. Patrick F. Leahy

President

Dear Colleagues:

As you know, the University selectively bestows honorary degrees at formal campus events. We have recently begun the process for selecting an honorary degree recipient for our spring commencement, and I would like to invite you to recommend individuals for consideration of this prestigious honor. The honorary degree recipient will also be invited to deliver a commencement address to our graduating students at our spring ceremony.

Nominated individuals should have made outstanding contributions in their particular fields of endeavor, or accomplished some distinguished achievement for the betterment of society. When considering prospective honorees, please keep the following broad categories in mind: the arts and sciences; business and commerce; the healing professions; government and public service; communications/entertainment; education; sports; or service to or in support of Monmouth University. Please note that current Monmouth University employees are not eligible for nomination.

To recommend an honorary degree recipient, please visit the employee portal and complete a nomination form by Wednesday, December 7. All nominations must include a biography or resume, and some form of personal contact or introduction to the nominee. Once received, the Honorary Degree Advisory Committee will review all submissions and provide their recommendations directly to me. I will then submit candidates for final approval by the Board of Trustees. If you have any questions, please contact Emily Miller-Gonzalez, chair of the Honorary Degree Advisory Committee, at emillerg@monmouth.edu or 732-263-5393.

Thank you for your consideration and thoughtful response to this invitation.

Sincerely,

Dr. Patrick F. Leahy

President

Dear Members of the Monmouth University Community:

At the 11th hour, on the 11th day, in the 11th month of the year, we pause and recognize our veterans – past and present – who have defended our freedom and constitutional rights. On this Veterans Day 2022, the Monmouth University community honors all service members for their selflessness, duty, and courage.

Today, especially, we thank the veterans who are part of Monmouth University, including the students, faculty, staff, and alumni whose public service continues to enrich the character of our community. In recent years our veterans have inspired new academic and outreach efforts including: our Military Bridge Program; a long collaboration with Frontline Paper; and the Coming Home Project, grounded in our School of Social Work. I am proud of these initiatives and so many more that support our military and veteran students in meaningful ways.

I encourage you to join today’s ceremony at 11 a.m., honoring those within our own University community who have served in the military. Please also join me in thanking all members of the armed forces whose heroism protects our great nation. May their selfless acts inspire our own, and may the star-spangled banner wave proudly this Veterans Day – and every day in the future.

Dr. Patrick F. Leahy

President

Dear Members of the Monmouth University Community:

I am writing with an update to the University’s policy regarding the COVID-19 vaccine.

The CDC and the FDA recently approved the administration of a new bivalent booster which has demonstrated effectiveness against the Omicron variants now in circulation. Based on current CDC guidelines and the recommendation of the Crisis Management Team, the University will implement the following change to our vaccination policy, effective immediately:

• The bivalent booster is highly recommended, but not required in order to be in compliance with the University’s COVID-19 vaccination policy.

We will continue to require all members of the community to get the COVID-19 vaccine primary series and highly recommend the bivalent booster. We will also continue to allow for individual exemptions on the basis of approved medical or religious reasons. All students and employees will be required to inform the University of their COVID-19 vaccination status on the health portal to ensure that the University can respond appropriately to any outbreak situation on campus, consistent with prevailing CDC guidelines. Please note, if the CDC guidelines change, the University will revisit this policy and may change its requirements.

In order to provide ease of access to the bivalent booster, as well as the COVID-19 vaccine primary series, the University will host vaccination clinics on Thursday, November 10 and Wednesday, December 7 in Anacon Hall. As additional variants continue to surface, and instances of COVID-19 remain prevalent in our university and local communities, we encourage you to protect yourself with the bivalent booster.

Thank you for your continued cooperation as we work to keep our campus healthy and safe. If you have specific questions about our COVID-19 protocols, please contact Health Services at health@monmouth.edu.

Sincerely,

Dr. Patrick F. Leahy

President

Dear Colleagues:

On behalf of the senior leadership team, I am writing with updates from our recent employee healthcare discussions in an effort to clarify the administration’s position on proposed changes to our healthcare plan choices.

For the past three years, all new employees, including me, have been offered only one healthcare plan—the EPO—originally designed to simplify our healthcare offerings in a very volatile market. During this time, my colleagues and I have heard from numerous employees seeking expanded healthcare options, with a particular interest in out-of-network coverage, additional mental health care options, and greater flexibility to tailor plans to individual employee needs.

In response to these inquiries, the University set out one full year ago to develop a healthcare working group – comprised of a dozen representatives from all employee categories at Monmouth – to consider additional plan options to possibly offer employees at the next open enrollment cycle (November 14-30, 2022). I insisted that this group include representation from union and non-union employees alike, consistent with the administration’s position that any plans developed for one employee category would be offered to all employee categories with the understanding that we would work with the unions to make these options available to all represented employees as well. Once established, the healthcare working group immediately began assessing possible plan options with the aid and guidance of a healthcare consultant of the working group’s choosing.

Earlier this fall, the healthcare working group proffered its plan recommendations to the senior administrative team for review. After thoughtful consideration, the administration has decided the following:

• To offer all employees three new healthcare plan designs at varying price points. These new choices – all of which include out-of-network coverage and additional mental health care options – afford our employees maximum flexibility to tailor a plan to their individual circumstances and family healthcare needs.
• To keep employer/employee cost-sharing splits unchanged since thorough benchmarking establishes that Monmouth University offers some of the most comprehensive and affordable plans among our peer institutions.
• To allow interested employees to remain with whichever of the existing plans in which they are now participating for the current enrollment period.
• To continue to look for ways to ease the cost-of-living burden for our employees at the lower end of the pay scale, consistent with the most recent contract negotiations.

In sum, the University would like to offer the choice among five total plans to employees during the upcoming open enrollment cycle. I am hopeful that the opportunity to select one of three new plans, as well as the ability to remain in one of two existing plans, if preferred, satisfies a major concern of our employees about healthcare choice.

I recognize the complexity of these types of discussions and decisions affecting employee health, wellness, and overall quality of life. I thank the members of the healthcare working group for their diligent efforts throughout the past year to provide sound recommendations to the administration, which we are adopting for the benefit of our workforce. We will be offering the three new plans immediately to all non-union employees, and we are actively working with our five unions to make these options available to all represented employees, as well.

I encourage you to attend one of the upcoming healthcare benefits information sessions hosted by the Office of Human Resources. If you are unable to make one of these sessions, please reach out directly to our colleagues in Human Resources at 732-571-3470, who are standing by to answer any individual questions.

We are pleased to offer these enhanced healthcare options for our employees and their families, particularly in the wake of the pandemic, and hope that these offerings demonstrate our ongoing support of our exceptional employees. As always, feel free to reach out to me directly with questions or concerns at patrick.leahy@monmouth.edu.

Sincerely,

Pat

Dr. Patrick F. Leahy

President

Dear Colleagues:

As we turn the calendar to November, the senior leadership team and I appreciate that many are thinking ahead and making plans for Thanksgiving. To aid in your planning efforts, we have decided to provide an additional day off on Wednesday, November 23.

We recognize that essential employees may need to work on this day, and these individuals will receive an alternate day off in the future. Please expect to hear directly from your area Vice President with more information in the coming days. If you have any immediate questions, please direct them to the Office of Human Resources.

I look forward to being together with you once more before the Thanksgiving break at my next open call.

Sincerely,

Pat

Dr. Patrick F. Leahy

President

Dear Members of the Monmouth University Community:

As part of our ongoing efforts to foster a welcoming and inclusive campus community, I am pleased to share an update on the practical implementation of our Chosen Name Initiative, which allows students to more easily update their chosen name information, as well as indicate their pronouns and gender identity, through an e-Form within the Registrar’s Office.

The Initiative recognizes that in the course of their daily life at Monmouth, some individuals use first names other than their legal names, may want to indicate their pronouns proactively, and/or may have a gender identity/expression that differs from the markers on their legal identification.

This update will facilitate recognition of chosen names, personal pronouns, and gender markers for on-campus records across multiple university communications systems including class rosters, eCampus resources, housing rosters, and most other non-federal systems. Legal names will continue to be utilized where required, including for purposes of financial aid and student payroll.

Faculty and staff can continue to designate their chosen name by contacting Human Resources. As with campus systems that serve our students, there may still be data platforms where the use of the legal name and/or gender markers are required by University business or legal needs.

Additional information about the Chosen Name Initiative and other LGBTQIA+ campus resources are available online. Please join me in thanking Information Management, the Office of Equity and Diversity, Academic Affairs, and the Intercultural Center for their leadership in helping to implement these recent changes at our University.

Sincerely,

Dr. Patrick F. Leahy

President

Dear Members of the Monmouth University Community:

More than two decades ago, our nation experienced the most devastating attacks on American soil, claiming the lives of thousands in New York City, Washington, DC, and Shanksville, PA.

Twenty-one years may seem like a long time, and for many of our students, it represents a lifetime. As we mark the 21st anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, we pay tribute to the nearly 3,000 lives lost, and the countless acts of heroism and selfless service revealed during that dark hour.

In honor of our country and in remembrance of all those who lost their lives, there will be a tolling of the University bells for two minutes at the following times on Sunday:

8:46 a.m. │ AA Flight 11 was flown into the World Trade Center North Tower.

9:03 a.m. │ AA Flight 175 was flown into the World Trade Center South Tower.

9:43 a.m. │ AA Flight 77 was flown into the Pentagon building.

10:10 a.m. │ UA Flight 93 crashed in Somerset County, PA after heroic actions by passengers and crew.

Members of the Monmouth University community who are on campus are invited to observe a moment of silence at these times. At noon, the University bells will ring out our National Anthem.

While no words or deeds can ever eradicate the pain and sense of helplessness caused by the loss of life endured during the 9/11 attacks and the ensuing War in Afghanistan, my hope is that we – as a University community – will pause to honor the thousands of lives lost and to reflect on the solemn significance of this day.

Sincerely,

Dr. Patrick Leahy
President

Dear Colleagues:

I hope your first days of the fall semester are off to a great start. I write today with some important administrative updates, which I will also address at Fall Convocation tomorrow afternoon.

Office of the General Counsel

As I shared a few weeks ago, John Christopher’s final day as Monmouth’s Vice President and General Counsel is Friday, September 9. For the immediate future, the Office of Human Resources will function as a stand-alone unit, with our Associate Vice President for Human Resources, Robyn Salvo, reporting directly to me. Effective Monday, September 12, Charlene Diana will assume the role of Acting Vice President and General Counsel to oversee the Office of the General Counsel, protecting the University’s legal interests and managing the University’s legal affairs. Charlene will also be responsible for managing the Office of Equity and Diversity, the Office of Internal Audit, and the Office of Compliance.

A 17-year veteran of the Office of the General Counsel, Charlene first joined Monmouth in 2005 as a part-time staff attorney, and soon after became full-time. She was promoted to Assistant General Counsel in 2009, and promoted again in 2013 to Associate General Counsel, focusing on matters that could have legal implications for the University’s policies and procedures, contractual obligations, insurance, operations, and governance.

Charlene was a first-generation college student and has chosen to dedicate her legal career to higher education since she knows first-hand the power and impact of a college degree. Her commitment both to access and to student success make her an excellent candidate for the position of Acting Vice President and General Counsel, and I am so pleased that Charlene will be the first female in our University’s history to serve in this important leadership role.

Campus Planning and Facilities Management

Some of you may not yet know that Bill Siemer will be stepping down as Monmouth’s Executive Director for Campus Planning and Facilities Management to relocate out-of-state and be closer to family. Bill’s last day at Monmouth is also Friday, September 9. Since joining Monmouth just over a year ago, Bill has been responsible for overseeing many significant enhancements to our campus. Under his leadership, we have revitalized and reprogrammed the Great Hall, successfully opened the Parson Café, completed construction on the Parton Broadcasting Center at the OceanFirst Bank Center, and relocated and enhanced several areas of strategic importance to the University: 1) the Career Development Center; 2) the Intercultural Center and Educational Opportunity Fund Offices; and 3) the Alumni House.

Effective Monday, September 12, Tim Orr will serve as Acting Executive Director for Campus Planning and Facilities Management. Tim has dedicated nearly 26 years of service to Monmouth working in construction and facilities, first as Project Engineer and later as Director of Facilities for Technical Services. Most recently, he has worked as Construction Manager, helping both to maintain our buildings and grounds and to thoughtfully develop our campus infrastructure to provide a safe, state-of-the-art learning environment for our students. I am confident that Tim’s institutional knowledge coupled with his background in mechanical engineering position him well for success in this new role.

Please join me in thanking John Christopher and Bill Siemer for their service to the University, while at the same time congratulating Charlene Diana and Tim Orr for their acting appointments to these leadership roles. It is both gratifying and reassuring that we have such a deep talent pool at Monmouth from which to draw for openings such as these. In the short term, Charlene and Tim will report directly to me, and I will use the coming months to determine the best search process for the permanent positions of Vice President and General Counsel and Executive Director for Campus Planning and Facilities Management. As part of our ongoing efforts to adjust Monmouth’s organizational structure in relation to the declining student demographic, there are no immediate plans to fill the positions that will be vacated by Charlene and Tim during their acting appointments.

Thank you in advance for your support of these transitions. As always, if you have questions or comments, please feel free to reach out to me directly. I hope to see you at Fall Convocation tomorrow.

Sincerely,

Pat

Dr. Patrick F. Leahy
President

Dear Members of the Monmouth University Community:

It is a great pleasure to welcome you to the start of Monmouth’s 89th academic year. I hope that you had a healthy and restful summer, and are looking forward to an exceptional year at our University.

Monmouth’s 900 incoming first-year students were enrolled from nearly 9,000 applications and recorded the highest average GPA (3.61) and the highest average SAT (1209) in the University’s history. Among the Class of 2026, more than 36 percent are first-generation students, over 27 percent identify as ethnically or racially diverse, and 31 percent are eligible for federal Pell Grants – all strong examples of our dedication to educational access. Additionally, more than 30 percent of the Class of 2026 comes to West Long Branch from outside the state of New Jersey, representing 22 U.S. states and eight foreign countries. This marks the greatest geographic diversity in our history. We also welcome another 190 transfer and 500 graduate students to our University. We are so pleased that all of these outstanding students have chosen Monmouth as their new educational home.

Over the past several months, our team has been working diligently to plan for our students’ arrival this fall. We are eager for you to see the changes and improvements to our campus, including: 1) an upgraded Career Development Center, 2) an improved Intercultural Center co-located with the Educational Opportunity Fund offices, 3) a reprogrammed and newly outfitted Great Hall, and 4) a new Alumni House for our more than 55,000 accomplished and dedicated alumni. All of these upgrades are designed to improve the experience of our students and alumni.

This fall, a new era in Monmouth athletics begins as we start competing in the Colonial Athletic Association, one of the top NCAA athletic conferences in the nation. This move to the CAA increases our athletic competition, broadens our recruiting footprint along the east coast, and burnishes our university brand by enabling regular competition with leading institutions like Delaware, Drexel, Elon, Northeastern, and William & Mary, to name a few.

Whether you are returning to Monmouth or joining us for your first year, we are so pleased to have you as part of our Hawk family. While we expect this year to be a continued return to more ordinary campus operations after the challenges of the past two-and-a-half years, we also hope this will be a year of extraordinary scholarship and achievement. My best wishes to each of you as we embark on the 2022-2023 academic year at Monmouth.

Sincerely,

Dr. Patrick F. Leahy

President