Thanks, Professor Coleman. I’m just going to quickly reflect on the fall semester and what’s coming at us in the spring semester.

First, I want to acknowledge the passing of architecture professor Fei Wang, who directed the School of Architecture’s China program for more than a decade and recruited hundreds of wonderful students to study at Syracuse. Professor Wang was a great mentor, prolific writer, creator, and passionate contributor to the global debate on architecture. I know that they’re planning a campus memorial event for early spring semester. Our thoughts go out to his family, friends, colleagues, and students.

Also, we read the resolution fairly quickly for Brian Konkol. I just wanted to personally comment that I think almost everyone who’s worked with him thinks Valparaiso University is very fortunate in its new president. This university, not just Hendricks Chapel, but this whole university is a better and stronger place than he found it when he came here more than nine years ago. He’s done so much in that time for so many people. I wish him well, and I know that all of you feel the same, if you’ve had a chance to work with him, I’m grateful.

The fall semester is over. This is the first day of the holiday break for our students. I noticed that Reed and Logan and Qeti [students], among others, are still working. Thank you for participating. I know that many of our faculty and our graduate teaching assistants and staff have a lot of work to do to get grades in by Dec. 30. I know that many folks here are working full tilt right through Orange Appreciation Days, especially in facilities and in advancement, and I thank everybody for the semester.

Just to shout out some specific successes to end the semester feeling good about some things.

• The Falk College of Sport officially launched. It was the first of its kind in the country, and that took a lot of effort from people not only in Falk but in Maxwell, Arts and Sciences, and Education. I’m grateful to all of them.
• We opened the Center for the Creator of Economy, drawing on strengths in entrepreneurship, media and communications, athletics, and digital infrastructure. I’m particularly grateful to the Whitman and Newhouse folks for pioneering that.
• We became one of the first universities in the country to provide Claude AI access to every student, faculty, and staff member. It’s become the fastest adopted software licensed in the history of the University with more than 5,200 active users today.
• Construction is now underway on three new residence halls and a new hotel. Lots of cranes are going up, even today. All four facilities are expected to be operational by fall of 2027 and will very positively, I believe, transform our campus experience and our student experience.

I also want to thank the Parking and Transportation Advisory Council for today’s report and recommendation. I believe that shared governance can be slow, but it does produce results. I just want to say again, it will produce results this academic year because I want it to get results before I step down as chancellor in June.

On the budget, folks need to know that we stand pretty well currently. The FY26 budget remains balanced. FY26 ends on June 30, and I think we’ll remain balanced until then. That sounds like a little thing, but it is not, particularly given what’s happening in the world and with our peers. It’s required a lot of nimble leadership by schools and colleges and deans and department chairs and unit leaders and many others. I’m very grateful for that work that has left us not in the position that so many of our peers are experiencing. I do believe the next chancellor will take the helm with a fairly sound fiscal foundation and a lot of positive momentum on various fronts.

I wanted to talk about what’s coming at us next semester that we haven’t talked about. At some point in the next semester, the search committee will be announcing a new chancellor. I know many of you are nervous about this. I certainly hear the anxiety from various fronts. I want to say one last thing to you about what it’s like to be announced as a new chancellor at Syracuse University because I remember that vividly from 12 years ago. It involves suddenly and abruptly a huge number of one-on-one conversations with all sorts of folks, including those on this screen, about the University and what you should know about the University.

It’s a lot of three-to-five-minute meetings that feel like speed dating, except you’re the only one on one side of the table and everybody in the University is on the other. And it’s interspersed with frequent requests to speak to all kinds of audiences about your profound thoughts about the University. So, speed date, speed date, speed date. Speak to the chemistry department about chemistry. Speed date, speed date, speed date. Speak to the community about Syracuse in the community. Speed date, speed date. Surprise! You’re at the inauguration of the mayor, and it’s outdoors in January. It is overwhelming.

And it’s made a little more overwhelming by one unique thing to Syracuse that is not true anywhere else I’ve ever been, which is that you lose your first name when you become president of this university. Even people you’ve known for 20 years, like the dean of the law school, you’ll say to her, “Hannah, I’ve known you for 20 years. I’m Kent.” And she will respond, “Yes, Chancellor,” and then call you chancellor forevermore. That seems to be true, not just for people working or being within the University, but everybody within a 50-mile radius, which is somewhat depersonalizing on an interesting level.

All I’d ask you is be aware that this new person, when announced, is going to be overwhelmed. I’d ask you to give grace to this person for at least a couple weeks and to realize that it would be good for you to prepare a little bit how you can help this person in micro things as well as major things. Someday I hope the Chancellor at Syracuse University will be known by their first name here, like they are at every other university on the planet that I’ve experienced.

I look forward to the last semester stewarding this place, alongside so many of you who I know care so much about this place. I wish you happy holidays and a break filled with peace and joy. Thanks a lot.