Dear Tarleton Family,

Seeing so many of you at last night’s appreciation barbecue reminded me of exactly why I love this special place. You are the life force of Tarleton and the reason we’re the eighth fastest growing regional university in the nation. Your allegiance to excellence is unparalleled, your dedication to our students unwavering.

Without doubt, spring 2022 has been our smoothest, strongest semester. Enrollment is growing, with another banner year projected for 2022-2023. Pioneering research is reaching around the globe, record philanthropy is bankrolling opportunities once only imagined, and we’re completing facilities that foster engagement and constructing more.

We have much to celebrate. So let’s do that.

We’re asking the A&M University System Board of Regents to consider a 3 percent merit increase for the next fiscal year. Additionally, we’re proposing market adjustments to ensure that faculty and staff compensation matches that of our peer institutions.

We’re adding another $1 million to the President’s Excellence in Research Scholars program (Phase Two) to multiply opportunities for faculty-led student discoveries, and we’ll provide even more time for exploration by further reducing classroom teaching to three courses (from four) per term for 35 tenure-track faculty researchers and backfilling instructional capacity with high-achieving graduate students participating in the Academic Pathways program.

When we invest in human and intellectual capital, we enhance human development and make the world a better place.

With significant dollars still in the President’s Fund for Excellence (launched in 2020), I encourage you to submit proposals aimed at enhancing experiential learning and advancing academic innovation, student success and scholarly activity. The PFE committee meets regularly to review applications and make awards.

I wish each of you a restful and relaxing summer. Enjoy time with family and return rejuvenated. The best is yet to come.

Sincerely,

Dr. James Hurley