June 30, 2017
Dear Members of the Carnegie Mellon University Community,
As I prepare to take on the role of interim president, I am profoundly grateful for this opportunity and humbled by the support I have received from the Board of Trustees and the entire university community.
I share Chairman Rohr's belief that this institution is uniquely positioned to shape the 21st;century, thanks to your contributions. At this singular moment in our history, we are poised to unlock new forms of knowledge, pursue exciting new modes of creative expression, and showcase our ingenuity in all that we do. And we are committed to offering a distinctive education that prepares a new generation of leaders to imagine broadly, think critically and work collaboratively.
I am proud to be a part of that effort, but I will need your help to realize this extraordinary potential and fulfill our mission. Building on our momentum will require the passion and support of our entire community, including 110,000 alumni who have experienced the power of a CMU degree to make a difference in the world. I am more excited than ever by what we can achieve together, bound by a shared vision to advance the human condition and by a core set of values that includes integrity, inclusion, collaboration and empathy.
As we look ahead to a year filled with promise, the university's senior leadership is fully committed to executing the goals of Strategic Plan 2025, which reflects the collective work of the university community and our stakeholders. We are invested in supporting its priorities, including recruiting and retaining outstanding and diverse talent; enhancing the student experience, within and beyond the classroom; promoting innovations in teaching and learning; and sustaining excellence in scholarship and research. In the coming weeks and months, I will be sharing with you some exciting progress on several of these ongoing efforts and I look forward to new opportunities to hear your insights.
I also look forward to announcing my appointment for interim provost in the coming days. In the meantime, thank you again for your support and I hope you enjoy a fun and relaxing Fourth of July holiday.
Warm regards,
Farnam Jahanian