President Jaimie Hebert looks back on first year leading 秋葵视频
Georgia Southern’s 13th President Jaimie Hebert, Ph.D.
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When Georgia Southern President Jaimie Hebert, Ph.D., attended last year鈥檚 annual Watermelon Cutting in July, he didn鈥檛 expect it to resonate with him as much as it did. Hebert said a mentor and friend of his in Texas told him there would be a moment in his first year where he would 鈥渁bsolutely fall head over heels in love鈥� with his university. But Hebert wasn鈥檛 sold. 鈥淚 really thought when he told me there would be a moment when I fell in love with the University, I thought that was hyperbole,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 thought what he meant was there would be a moment when I would feel myself fully vested in the mission of the institution.鈥� Much to his surprise, Hebert says it was in that moment, as he stood before faculty, staff and students slicing watermelon, he knew Georgia Southern was a place he loved. 鈥淚t was one family,鈥� he recalled. 鈥淭here was absolutely no division amongst staff, and deans, and students. And it kind of connected all the pieces for me that day. Some of my fondest memories are on my grandparents鈥� farm, and that鈥檚 the kind of things we did — having a cold watermelon was a family event. So it brought home memories of my childhood, and it brought home what this University was about.鈥� The moment he fell for Georgia Southern came shortly after Hebert became the president of the University on July 1. Reflecting on his first year, and first-ever, role as a university President, he described the experience as 鈥渆xtraordinary.鈥� 鈥淚 knew it was a chance of a lifetime when I took this job, and within this one year, it became the experience of a lifetime,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 largely due to the amazing relationships I鈥檝e established, and the people — the faculty, the staff and especially the students — who I’ve grown to know. It鈥檚 really been one of the best years of my career.鈥� An extraordinary year didn鈥檛 come without its challenges, though. Hebert said balancing his new role, learning about every facet of the University and learning about himself were all expected, and welcomed, challenges. “I don鈥檛 think I have ever been in a situation before that has led me to develop as a person or as a leader like the challenge of being the president of such a dynamic institution,鈥� said Hebert. 鈥淭his year was challenging, but I also learned a great deal about myself.鈥� His first year also brought new and lifelong friendships, and an appreciation for his new community in Statesboro. 鈥淪tatesboro feels like small town America, and it鈥檚 deliberate,鈥� he said. 鈥淧eople want to live in a friendly community, and I think one of the most wonderful things about this city and our campus is that you can walk up to a complete stranger and feel like they鈥檙e one of your friends. That just doesn鈥檛 happen everywhere.鈥� As he enters his second year as president, and as the University鈥檚 consolidation with Armstrong State University is underway, Hebert says he wants to spend more time working with students in various areas of campus, and continue to build relationships with faculty and staff who are the heart of the University, all of whom have inspired him since he first came to Georgia Southern. Another priority for Hebert as the consolidation progresses is getting everyone excited about the multitude of possibilities this new university will bring to the people who live, work and learn here. 鈥淭his consolidation has been tough on an emotional level, and it鈥檚 been tough on the complexity of the process itself,鈥� said Hebert. 鈥淪o now, I want to get everyone focused on positive side of this consolidation, and thinking forward about vision, because that鈥檚 where the fun part is. That鈥檚 why we’re all in higher education.鈥� Hebert says he wants the new Georgia Southern to be focused on growth, economic impact, social impact and giving our students a more competitive edge. 鈥淲hat we have done by going through this consolidation is provided ourselves, all of us on all three of our campuses now, with more opportunities to grow enrollment, providing access to more students in the state of Georgia,鈥� Hebert said. 鈥淲e are going to be able to grow the breadth of our curriculum and be responsive to a workforce like we never could have been in Statesboro or they never could have been in Savannah.鈥� In conversations with folks on the three campuses, Hebert said the visions of the two universities 鈥渁re not very different.鈥� 鈥淩egardless of how they approach it, on our campuses, the primary concern is providing hope for our students,鈥� he said. 鈥淗ope for a better future, hope for a brighter future, and hope to chase their professions, their careers and their dreams. Bringing that common goal together with all of the opportunities this consolidation brings, I look forward to that. Because when the passion of our faculty and staff starts bubbling up over this coming year, it鈥檚 going to be just be so much fun to be a part of this. 鈥淲e are going to be able to do things that neither one of these institutions would have ever been able to do on its own.鈥�