As the University concluded the Commit to Georgia Campaign on June 30, we did so in a very different environment from the one in which the campaign began. When the public phase of the campaign kicked off in November 2016, alumni and friends gathered with faculty, staff, and students in an atmosphere of great enthusiasm and fanfare. In contrast, by the end of June 2020, the necessary changes made to keep our community safe from the coronavirus pandemic had left our campus unimaginably quiet, while the movement for racial justice was growing more prominent in Athens and elsewhere around the world.

As you will read in the pages ahead, UGA faculty, staff, students, and alumni have demonstrated remarkable resolve to persevere through the pandemic. We are taking meaningful steps to further strengthen UGA as a diverse and inclusive academic community. Over the summer, the University System of Georgia assembled an advisory group to examine and evaluate the names of buildings and colleges on all USG campuses, including those at UGA, and I support this very important and timely work.

I HAVE NEVER BEEN PROUDER TO SERVE AS PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA. DESPITE THE UNCERTAINTIES WE FACED THIS SUMMER—AND STILL DO—THE OPTIMISM AND DETERMINATION OF THE UGA COMMUNITY HAVE NEVER WAVERED.

With the success of the Commit to Georgia Campaign, the University of Georgia is in a better position now to serve our state, nation, and world than ever before. Our donors have helped to eliminate financial barriers for students, making it possible for the best and brightest in Georgia and beyond to attend UGA regardless of their family’s income. They have helped to enhance our learning environment, creating state-of-the-art instructional spaces and making experiential learning the cornerstone of a UGA degree. They have helped us tackle grand challenges facing Georgia and the world, endowing faculty positions and providing support for vital research and public service.

The support of UGA’s alumni and friends is more important today than ever. Our institution is dealing with severe budget reductions resulting from the financial impact of the pandemic on the state economy, and many of our students continue to face hardship as well. I am grateful that so many of you gave generously to UGA during the Commit to Georgia Campaign, and I ask for your additional support now as we strive to maintain academic excellence in these unprecedented times. New challenges certainly await us, but with the dedication and tenacious spirit of the Bulldog Nation, we will navigate them together. Thank you for your continued support.

Sincerely,

Jere W. Morehead