Welcome back to Shark Nation for the start of the winter semester. I hope you feel refreshed from the holiday break and were able to spend valuable time with family and friends.

The academic year got off to a great start as NSU once again broke its record for largest incoming freshman class, with 2,655 students becoming our newest Sharks. There is a lot to look forward to this semester, whether it’s cheering for our “National Champion” student-athletes in multiple sports, or the debut of innovative new instructional spaces like the Jerry Taylor and Nancy Bryant Trading Floor in the Carl DeSantis Building.

This promises to be another stellar year as NSU continues on its journey toward being recognized as a preeminent university. That is one of the key goals of Vision 2025, along with raising $1 billion from external funding and philanthropic gifts cumulatively from 2010. And toward that effort, with the new year, we are now 91% toward that goal. I feel quite confident that we will exceed $1 billion before the year’s end. 

Please be on the lookout for an email from me so you can register to attend one of my annual visits to all campuses to talk  about the “State of NSU” and other exciting projects as part of “Shark Connect with President Hanbury.” I want to hear any “points of pride” or “points of concerns” you may have about NSU and answer questions you may have and allow you an opportunity to offer any suggestions for how we can improve our university.

It’s a new year and a new opportunity for all Sharks to follow our passions and constantly keep our aim just above our reach.

Fins up!