Tuesday, September 30, 2025

Message from the President

Dear Colleagues,

As we approach the middle of the semester, I wanted to give my most heartfelt thanks to the team (Dr. Shannon Williamson, Danielle Pool, and Lora Amsberryaugier) that wrote and edited the open-source UNIV 1001 Textbook - The Privateer's Guide to University Success. It is wonderful to know that all of our beginning students have the opportunity to read and learn from this book, which is peppered with engaging examples, UNO photos, videos, and activities that are intended to put every Privateer on a path to academic success. Please take a moment to check it out. I have taught first year seminars for many years and this is the best textbook I have ever used - and I love that we can share it, free of charge, with current and future students that may benefit from it. Thank you as well to the many faculty, staff, and peer mentors that are leading UNIV classes this fall - I hope that you are enjoying getting to know our newest students, and I'm sure that they appreciate your support as we gear up for midterm exams.

LSU Transition Planning will begin in earnest next month with the convening of the Executive Committee, to be led by LSU Board of Supervisors member Rico Alvendia. In early November a number of subcommittees are slated to meet at the University of New Orleans to begin their work. We also were delighted to host leadership for LSU Online on campus last week to begin to plan to transition some of our online programs into the LSU Online portfolio.

Finally, it is a busy election season in New Orleans and we will be hosting our second mayoral forum this evening, focused on the topic of "water and coast." Please feel free to grab tickets here - doors will open at 5:30 in the University Center Ballroom and the forum will run from 6-8 PM.

With UNO Pride,

Kathy E. Johnson, Ph.D.
President, University of New Orleans