To the faculty, staff and postdocs of Case Western Reserve University:
I hope that the first few weeks of this new year and semester have provided a fulfilling new start for all of you.
I write to express my sincere gratitude and thanks for the warm wishes and overwhelming support that I have received since being appointed provost and executive vice president. I am truly humbled and honored by the trust placed in me to continue advancing the success of our university.
I am eager to collaborate with you to implement the priorities outlined by President Kaler. Our shared goals of elevating academic excellence, expanding the research enterprise, and enhancing community engagement resonate deeply with me. I am also continuously amazed by the diversity of backgrounds, perspectives and opinions across our community that lead to rich discussions, understanding, and successful ways forward. I am committed to working with you to achieve our goals and to contribute to enhancing engagement across our campus.
As you likely read last week, President Kaler has charged me with gathering faculty input to plan discussions on how we can enhance civil discourse and understanding across our campus. Our goal is to make Case Western Reserve an exemplar for open-mindedness, listening and critical thinking. I will call on campus leaders to help advise me on new ways that we can elevate civil discourse and promote dignity and courtesy as important values in our everyday work.
On the academic side, I look forward to building our initiative to hire 100 new faculty across our campus over the coming years, to continue elevating the student experience, and to advance our amazing postdocs and staff who enable the university to thrive. I am excited about the opportunity to work collaboratively with you to achieve these goals and to foster a connected campus community. Together, we will prepare our students with the knowledge, agility and ethical mindset needed to navigate our rapidly changing world.
I look forward to a productive semester ahead, and I hope to meet and talk with each of you at campus events. Please reach out to me if you have input to improve our campus efforts.
With heartfelt appreciation,
Joy K. Ward
Provost and Executive Vice President