Dear colleagues,

As we prepare to begin a new academic year next week, we would like to take a moment to both welcome you and wish you the best of luck this year. You are the heart and soul of Temple University, and we are so thankful for all that you do to support this institution, its students and our mission.

Temple University is a remarkable institution. We are Philadelphia’s public research university and as an R1 university, we are among the 4% of institutions nationally to earn the “very high research activity” designation.

We owe that distinction to you. Our Temple faculty members are exceptional researchers, mentors and teachers. Simply put, our students go on to transform the world, and a key reason for that is your tireless work that helps set our students on the path toward success. Thank you for all that you do.

Approximately 85 new full-time faculty members have joined us ahead of the semester, and we’re excited to have you as part of the Temple family. You will help us educate the more than 6,500 new undergraduate, graduate and professional students who will begin their studies here at Temple this semester. These students represent an impressive group of bright minds, hard workers and creative thinkers, and we are excited to welcome them into this community.

Included among this group are more than 300 former and prospective University of the Arts (UArts) students. Since the closure was announced, you have all worked diligently to support the UArts community, and we are so thankful for your efforts. We know that we can continue to count on you to do all that you can to assist and empower these talented students throughout their time here at Temple.

This fall will be an exciting time both at Temple and in our nation. On Nov. 1, we are delighted to welcome John Fry as the 15th president of Temple University. A distinguished leader in higher education, President-elect Fry is uniquely equipped to help guide this institution and shape its vision moving forward.

This fall also coincides with a national presidential election cycle, and the Temple community has a strong tradition of active civic engagement and voting. We look forward to that tradition continuing this semester and encourage members of our community to familiarize themselves with Temple Votes, a nonpartisan initiative led by a committee of students, faculty, administrators and voter education organizations.

As a global university, Temple’s students, faculty and staff represent a richly diverse group of individuals who share a wide variety of viewpoints. We know that members of our community have been impacted by and are concerned about recent global events, as well as the upcoming election.

Temple is committed to honoring the First Amendment and fostering an environment open to a diversity of thought, opinion and peaceful expression. To that end, we affirm the right of our community members to engage in peaceful and orderly demonstrations. We encourage all members of the university community to review the Employee Manual and Rules of Conduct and these on-campus demonstration guidelines, which outline the policies and parameters that must be followed by individuals involved in a demonstration on any of Temple’s campuses.

Our priority will always be the safety and well-being of our community, and we will continue to work to ensure all students, faculty and staff feel supported during this time. University resources for reporting concerns and accessing support are available to every member of our community.

Once more, we want to wish you well as you begin this academic year. Thank you again for all that you do to help make Temple University the great institution that it is.

Sincerely,

Richard M. Englert
President

Gregory N. Mandel
Senior Vice President and Provost

Ken Kaiser
Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer