Christopher Newport University, led by President William Kelly, is charting a course for growth and change.
In the highly attended State of the University address on Aug. 19, Kelly outlined the Newport News university’s recent accomplishments and future plans. Declaring “it’s our time,” Kelly said the university is setting sail into its 64th academic year with a plan to grow and strengthen the school’s community connection.
The university developed a five-year plan in February with input from 49 teams comprising hundreds of members from across campus. That included what Kelly called, to loud applause, a nonnegotiable commitment of inclusion: “I believe we have everything we need to create a university that is recognized as the most inclusive in the commonwealth of Virginia.”
In working toward that goal, he added CNU is finalizing the creation of the volunteer President’s Council on Inclusive Excellence. Inclusion and belonging also relies on access and affordability, he said, and of the 15 public colleges and universities in Virginia, CNU ranks fifth for cost of tuition and fees.
“That’s why it’s our time to examine our business model, take a hard look at how we operate, identify efficiencies and reimagine the opportunities for all students on our campus,” he said.
During his short tenure since July 2023, Kelly has worked to develop a pathway for students from the local community. He said this year marks the largest number of incoming students from Newport News Public Schools and An Achievable Dream Academy. He said a similar agreement has been signed with Hampton City Schools.
The incoming class is the largest of new students that CNU has tallied since the pandemic, based on unofficial numbers of 1,173 incoming freshmen and about 200 transfer students, a spokesperson said.
To diversify the student body, Kelly wants to recruit community college transfer students, adult learners, transitioning military members and students looking to re-engage in their education. The institution is also exploring how to grow graduate programs.
And for the first time in more than 20 years, students can pursue nursing and elementary education degrees to help with nursing and teacher shortages, Kelly said. CNU partnered with Riverside College of Health Sciences for its nursing program.
In the highly attended State of the University address on Aug. 19, President William Kelly outlined Christopher Newport University’s recent accomplishments and future plans. Declaring “it’s our time,” he said the university is setting sail into its 64th academic year with a plan to grow and strengthen the school’s community connection. (Courtesy of CNU)
With its roots in the liberal arts, Kelly said the campus will launch the School of the Arts and the Institute for Public Humanities this year. The College of Arts and Humanities plans to open a virtual reality lab this fall. And the construction of the 83,000-square-foot Science and Engineering Research Center is on track for a January opening.
As artificial intelligence becomes a part of everyday life, Kelly said it’s important CNU embraces it and teaches it. He reached that conclusion after speaking with other university presidents, community leaders, students and faculty.
“These conversations strengthened my belief that it is essential for us to help students and our university develop literacy specifically in the realm of artificial intelligence, when and how to use it effectively, and, this is critical, how to use it ethically,” he said.
Kelly wants CNU to become known for leadership development. Plans are to apply to be a Carnegie Leadership for Public Purpose University, a distinction shared by only 25 other U.S. universities.
The past year’s accomplishments included fundraising efforts bringing in a record of more than $15 million in philanthropic support, he said. The school also received more than $5 million dollars in research grants as one of the top research universities of its type in the country, according to the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.
Kelly closed the speech with inviting the audience for his weekly 6:30 a.m. Wednesday walks on campus.
“So, as we go forth, let me end where I started. It is a great day to be a captain, our future is bright, the wind is at our back, and our ‘Strategic Compass’ is firmly in hand. I am so very excited about the future of our university,” he said.