Thursday, February 14, 2019
It's been a while since my last update, but I'll resist the urge to try and catch up by making this a "Fast Fifteen." The spring semester is whizzing by and there's lots to share. Here are a few highlights:
- We're moving right along with the planning of the UNC Charlotte Marriott Hotel and Conference Center, making design decisions and getting the final necessary approvals to begin our work. Most recently, we have been working hard to make sure we can bring the project within our budget. That process of "value engineering" has taken some time as we have worked with our architectural team to reduce some aspects of the hotel's costs without sacrificing its aesthetic and functional features. As of today, we expect to break ground early this summer and to open the hotel in the spring of 2021.
- I've hosted lots of newly elected local and state government officials in recent weeks for introductory meetings and a tour of our facilities. I always love it when folks come to visit for the first time, because they are always awed by the beauty of our campus and the quality of our students, faculty, staff, and programs.
- You may notice several new faces on campus lately. We are experiencing turnover in some key positions as several of our long-time faculty and administrators have retired in recent months. It is a little unsettling to think about the countless decades of experience and institutional history that we lose with every departure, but it is an exciting sign of a vibrant university to see new folks coming in to take the reins. UNC Charlotte is a very appealing place to be and our open positions generate a lot of interest from across the country and around the world, which means we are able to hire the best of the best to help take our programs to the next level.
- I'll spend part of this week attending a meeting with university presidents and chancellors from across the state as part of the NC Campus Compact Presidents Forum. During this meeting, our very own Sean Langley will receive the Civic Engagement Professional of the Year Award. It's a great acknowledgement of Sean's outstanding work, and a feather in the University's cap as well, as it demonstrates our commitment to excellence in civic engagement.
- Our Board of Trustees will meet next week. We are fortunate to have a Board that truly supports and cares about the University. They also represent us really well in the community. One of our trustees, Sharon Decker, is being honored later this month as the recipient of the 2019 Women in Business Award sponsored by the Charlotte Business Journal. Congratulations to Sharon, and thanks to all of our trustees who rarely get the recognition they deserve for the excellent leadership they provide.
A very happy Spring to you, and Go Niners!
Phil Dubois
Chancellor