January 27, 2025
Welcome back from President Richard Linton
Dear K-State community,
We finished last year with strong momentum as we continued our teaching, research and engagement mission. Faculty and staff project funding reached new levels. Our students excelled academically and athletically, and our commitment to research in areas such as sustainability earned national recognition. Most importantly, our community demonstrated remarkable strength and support for one another as we moved forward to become the next-generation land-grant university.
As we begin the semester and a new year, it brings changes in the federal government's administration and federal policies. Last week, President Trump and the new administration began by signing numerous executive orders that have wide-ranging impacts on the federal government and how it operates. These orders will inevitably affect higher education and our institution as we partner as a subcontractor with the federal government.
As a land-grant university, our mission extends to more than 20,000 learners, 6,000 faculty and staff, and 105 counties in Kansas. Our education and research have a global impact, supporting discovery and scholarship worldwide.
With such a broad mission, it can be expected that policy changes may affect how we work to achieve our mission. We are currently assessing the implications of the executive orders, and I recognize that you may have questions. We are working on finding answers and will continue to focus on supporting our mission and our people to serve our students and the state of Kansas.
Let's continue the momentum we finished 2024 with as we look to the months ahead. This momentum drives our teaching excellence, creating a fantastic academic student experience for which we continue to be recognized. It is brought by our faculty, such as those recently named University Outstanding Scholars. We will continue it with our implementation of the Applied Learning Initiative, providing every student with real-world, real-time experiences before graduation.
This momentum drives our research and support for our research endeavors forward, like in the progress of the Agriculture Innovation Initiative construction that expands our footprint in food, agriculture and beyond. We are also advancing our engagement with our community, business and industry, elected officials, and all 105 counties in Kansas in support of our next-generation land-grant vision.
These are just a few of the many endeavors we can look forward to this year. Please remember that your contributions — whether in classrooms, laboratories, gymnasiums, offices or outdoors — make our university vibrant and move our institution forward.
Let's build on our momentum and embrace the opportunities and challenges ahead with the innovation and collaboration that make K-State an incredible place.
As always, Go 'Cats!
Richard Linton
President