Dear Friends and Colleagues:

It is with deep gratitude, absolute humility, and a solemn sense of duty and responsibility, that I begin to lead Western Connecticut State University as the next Interim President. Last week, I felt especially privileged as I welcomed the newest group of 722 Wolves. The Western Class of 2027 represents some of the most promising young minds with dreams and determination to lead us toward a brighter world – full of prosperity, peace, and hope. 

For 120 years, Western has withstood the test of time. History will be our witness that we all stood united – and we were triumphant – together! Togetherness is the theme of my presidency. Together we stand strong. Together, we battle the challenges; together, we commit to success; together, we will celebrate our collective achievements. 

We have a monumental task ahead of us – the task of preparing conscientious leaders. To that end, we learn and grow together; we prepare the next generation of good citizens together; and we change the world together. We all at Western, representing diverse voices but united in our mission, will overcome the challenges that lie ahead.

Over the past year, we have made significant advances in the upwards and onwards momentum of our progress. For instance, renewed recruitment efforts for Fall 2023 resulted in first-time/first-year enrollment of 722 students, an 8% increase over last fall. To improve retention, a new advising model has been created that assigns professional advisors to each new student to provide comprehensive services. We have successfully completed the AACSB reaccreditation, and we have achieved ABET accreditation for the Computer Science program. We also submitted our report to NECHE in August and will be ready for feedback after Labor Day. We launched the M.S. in Homeland Security and Doctor of Nursing Practice as two fully online programs and successfully transitioned all graduate Education degrees to online delivery, including the revised Ed.D. in Instructional Leadership.

We would not have been able to accomplish these milestones without the unwavering efforts of our dedicated faculty and staff. I have always held the view that faculty is at the core of every educational institution. I want to convey my admiration for what the faculty does for the university. They are pillars of strength of the Western family. Their compassion and empathy are exemplary – and that certainly shapes our students’ experience. University staff, management, and administrative colleagues work tirelessly to ensure that we provide our students the best education to prepare them for a fulfilling career.

My message to our students is an expression of our deep gratitude – and a pledge. We at Western consider it an honor to be able to join you in your life’s journey. We appreciate you placing your trust in us toward earning your degree, discovering your best self, and laying the foundation to reach your highest potential. We commit to providing you with an academic and professional environment that nurtures creativity, entrepreneurship, compassion, and a desire to learn and serve. We will keep a sharp focus on affordability, accessibility, inclusivity, and community engagement as the defining characteristics of the education we offer. 

I feel fortunate to have been accorded the opportunity to lead the university. I see Western as an institution with powerful potential for driving regional economic and community growth; being innovative, agile, and focused on student, faculty, and staff success; staying financially strong; remaining committed to sustainability and civic responsibility; promoting a diverse, open, and inclusive community; and establishing ourself as an exemplary place to work – with a strong commitment to shared governance.

In the next few weeks and months, I will be on a listening and learning journey to hear from you all to understand and embrace diverse perspectives. I invite you all to share your vision for our great institution. We will be reaching out to all stakeholders and colleagues to seek your support toward designing an inclusive strategic planning process aimed at collectively arriving at a shared vision and collaboratively forging the best path forward for us all at WCSU.  

As a new semester begins, I wish you and your loved ones success, happiness, and good health.

On to great things together!

Sincerely,

Dr. Manohar Singh
President (Interim)
Western Connecticut State University