My First 100 Days as Your President

Greetings Christopher Newport University community,

When I received the honor of serving as Christopher Newport University’s sixth president, I promised I would commit to listening and learning during my first 100 days on campus. I want to share with you what I have learned while acknowledging there is still much I don’t yet know or have yet to experience.

Much of what I have learned reaffirms what Angie and I discovered during our initial visits to campus. I also recognize there have been some surprises and some unexpected challenges and opportunities.

You have embraced us and made Angie and me feel like a part of this special community. We have experienced a personal journey as well during these “First 100 Days” and are grateful to be a part of this University.

I have not had the chance to engage with every member of our University, but I have tried to bring an “air of approachability” to my role as President. I have learned a great deal about our University through office hours, Wednesday Walks with the President, the classes I have sat in on and in those where I have been fortunate enough to contribute. I have met with the Governor, the Governor’s Chief of Staff, the Secretary of Education, and the Secretary of Finance. I have participated in Council of Presidents' discussions on multiple occasions and have had the chance to speak individually with our Virginia university presidents and many of our community college presidents. I have met with our state and local elected officials and have joined the Mayor of Newport News for numerous events and discussions. I have also had the opportunity to host Delegates and Senators, as well as our City Council, at CNU football games. In our local community, I have met with the CEOs of Smithfield Foods, Huntington Ingalls Industries, Ferguson Enterprises, Canon, Riverside Health System, and Jefferson Lab. I have also met with senior leaders at Newport News Shipbuilding, Bank of America, and TowneBank, along with many other leaders and citizens in Hampton Roads.

It has been a jam-packed three-plus months. Here is a short summary of what I have learned during our first 100 days on campus:

President Kelly talks with a student while on an early morning walk around campus.

The spirit of CNU is alive and well!

The care and compassion on campus is real. The students, faculty, staff, and coaches care about each other and their commitment to each other permeates so much of what we do, day in and day out. This was especially evident during and after last week’s incident that ended at the DSU.
Our students are engaged and the faculty meet them where they are along the way of their college journey.
Our students are not just a number.
Our faculty are teaching-scholars and mentors and they advance knowledge because they are committed to their chosen vocation.
Our coaches are dedicated to their student-athletes and they are committed to excellence on and off the field.
Our staff is invested in this place. So many have been here for decades and I have enjoyed learning about the growth and development that took place as we transitioned from CNC to CNU.
Our alumni value the opportunity and the honor of being called a Captain for Life. They love this institution and, while we are still a relatively young University, our graduates from CNC to CNU are proud of all that we have accomplished.

The Campus is vibrant!

From Saturday morning tailgates to Tuesday night on the Great Lawn, there is never a dull moment on our campus.
Our campus is beautiful, and we have a dedicated team committed to ensuring we maintain the highest standards.
Our students and our alumni have mentioned time and again how proud they are of our campus and how it looks and presents to those who visit.

Two members of the facilities and grounds crew hang bows and garland on the large Christopher Newport University sign in front of campus.

A CNU field hockey player pumps her fist in the air while wearing a blue Captains top and black skirt.

We have a history.

We are a relatively young University, but we have a robust history. I have seen and heard multiple stories from our former CNC students who remember the “Wheelhouse Pub” and CNU alumni who recount stories of all the construction that took place while they were on campus.
I have learned about the Shoe Lane community and the steps taken in the 50s and 60s to build out this University and other universities across our state, while at the same time negatively impacting the residents of the African-American communities upon whose land the universities would be built. This is a conversation I am committed to continuing.
I have met students with a wide array of memories attached to this place, from the members of the first football team to the alumni who came back to play with the Marching Captains to the graduates who formed the Multicultural Alumni Association. The stories are fascinating and shed light on the challenges we face and the opportunities we have overcome together.
There is a tradition of winning that Captains are committed to upholding. We excel on the stage and in the arts, we compete at the national level in multiple types of academic and leadership competitions, and we win on the fields of play.

We have opportunities ahead!

We are a best-kept secret, but collectively we must get the word out! When folks hear about Christopher Newport and visit our campus and engage with our community, they are impressed. I ask that we all become recruiters and share the good news about our University. We don’t want to be the best-kept secret anymore!
Enrollment challenges are impacting many regional public universities and smaller private colleges. The value placed on a college degree is losing favor with some. We have an opportunity to share how CNU assists our students and ensures that 93% of all graduating seniors have a full-time job or go to graduate school within three months of graduation.
We currently enroll 4,500 students, yet we have the infrastructure to enroll up to 5,000-5,500.
We have an opportunity to share our wonderful University more broadly with out-of-state (OOS) students (we have 6% right now), and we are investing in bringing in more OOS students. We have learned that when we introduce OOS students to this area, they end up staying in Virginia post-graduation at two times the rate of any other public university in the Commonwealth.
We will work to open our doors to more transfer students and community college graduates. Our First Lady is a proud transfer student, and she often reminds me of the opportunity to share Christopher Newport with a broader audience.
The Community Captains program is a bright light. We can make it “brighter,” and we will strive to welcome more of our local high school graduates as Captains at their hometown university.
I look forward to how the Strategic Compass work will ensure we identify and capitalize on the opportunities that lie ahead. I have been encouraged by the participation across campus in the strategic planning process. I am confident the Strategic Compass will help guide us as we move forward.
I look forward to working with our engaged and supportive Board of Visitors to address our challenges and plan for our future.

President and Mrs. Kelly stand on a staircase.

I still have much to learn and do.

With all the changes in the Virginia General Assembly this election season, it will be essential for me to spend time both locally and in Richmond to inform our newly elected officials about our University.
I look forward to getting on the road to engage with alumni and friends of the University. I will share the good news about Christopher Newport and support our enrollment efforts.
At least once a week, someone asks me to share my favorite CNU tradition. Often my response is, “I don’t know, I haven’t experienced them all yet.” I look forward to what the New Year will bring.
I also look forward to learning more about Greek Life, the President's Leadership Program, faculty research, and the Community Captains Program, just to name a few. There is so much to take in and learn and I appreciate the entrée that so many faculty, staff, coaches, and students have extended to Angie and me over these first three-plus months.

You continue to inspire me every day. I enjoy poking my head into the Student Success Center and checking out the newest puzzle, while casually observing Captains helping Captains. It is a reminder of how much we care for one another on this campus. I always look forward to the opportunity to visit the DSU and catch the wave of energy that is ever-present as students table for their favorite organization and look to serve and grow.

If I had to sum up what I have learned in the first 100+ days, it would be that:

Captains Care,
Captains Serve,
Captains Learn,
Captains Grow,
Captains Win, and
Captains are Anchored in Excellence!

Thank you for the opportunity to serve as your President, and I look forward to the future with great hope for what we will accomplish together.

As Always … Go Captains!