Albany State University Shares 2022 State of the University Address

“The State of the University Address is an ideal time to share the accomplishments of our past, the expectations for our present, and the vision of our future,” said ASU President Marion Ross Fedrick. She invites the community to view the 2022 State of the University Address video, which can be found on the University’s social media platforms. 

Some of the points addressed in the 2022 State of the University include:

• Expanding the priority on health and wellness by placing a more strategic focus on creating a healthy campus initiative.
  
  
• Providing additional opportunities for high school students through grants including a $1.3M TRIO grant from the U.S. Department of Education, and a $65,000 NASA grant award for the ARTEMIS Pre-College Summer Institute (PSI) Scholars Program.
  
  

• Launching University College and eight Learning Communities to equip students with support, consistent policies, academic advising, tutoring, monitoring, and mentoring to promote persistence towards timely graduation.
  
  
• Partnering with the City of Albany on a $3.9M grant to implement Advancing Health Literacy to Enhance Equitable Community Responses to COVID-19.

• Continuing the partnership with Phoebe Health System, who invested $750k in a new education partnership designed to create interest in healthcare careers among high school students and significantly expand ASU’s nursing and emergency medical technician programs to accommodate additional students.
  
  
• Partnering with the U.S. Department of Natural Resources, the Georgia Water and Planning Policy Center under the Rescue Plan Act received a $49.8M preliminary grant to fund surface water irrigation in Southwest Georgia to deep groundwater resources.
  
  
• Realizing major economic recovery post-pandemic, adding more than $231M to the Southwest Georgia region, an increase of approximately 27% over the previous year. The University provided employment in the region of over 2,000 jobs, to include on-campus positions and jobs related to providing services directly to the institution.
  
  
• Receiving $93M in Higher Education Emergency Rescue Funds (HEERF) that expands the University’s resource base by cultivating new avenues for innovation, student retention, containing cost, and optimizing efficiency across the institution. 
  
  

“The state of the university is strong and headed in a positive direction thanks to our faculty, staff, students, alumni, and community partners. Our academic and financial achievements, reaffirmation of SACSCOC accreditation, and a steady interest in ASU for enrollment and partnerships are just a few examples of what makes our position strong,” said President Fedrick.

The University’s priorities are outlined in the 2025 strategic plan, Excellence is the Standard. The four tenets of the strategic plan – student access and success, institutional sustainability and responsible stewardship, partnerships and economic competitiveness, and leadership development and employee engagement—are the foundation of ASU’s work in academic excellence and student success.    

“With the strategic plan as our guide, we will keep our students at the forefront as we explore the endless possibilities for ASU. Excellence will be the common thread that permeates everything that we do in achieving our goals and characterize every interaction we have with how we serve our students, our colleagues, and the community,” President Fedrick added. 

ASU is creating a culture of excellence to help support how the University operationalizes the strategic plan. The combination of the strategic plan, the culture of excellence, and focus on the students and mission, will allow the University to thrive as a premiere academic institution. 

For additional information about ASU, visit www.asurams.edu.