Good afternoon. Every month going forward, I will send you an update on what I am up to and what is going on, from my perspective, on campus.

We are just two weeks in to the 2020 academic year – the 102nd academic year of Birmingham-Southern College. I would like to take the opportunity to welcome back those of you who were on campus last year. And for the other 390 of you – first-years and transfer students whom I saw at convocation – I would like to say, once again, welcome to the Hilltop.

We are also joined by 11 new staff members, seven new coaches and trainers, and nine new faculty members. I would like to welcome you as well.

I hope to see all of you at our football home opener at 6 p.m. Saturday against our archrivals, those Methodists from Montgomery, the Huntingdon Hawks. Rumor has it that Huntingdon President Cameron West will be traveling all the way up to the North Alabama Conference to watch this game live. Let’s hope his drive home is without the Wesley Cup!

If I don’t see you Saturday, perhaps I will see you at an upcoming volleyball game or soccer match. Or maybe we will run into each other at “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare” at the end of the month. When I see you, please say hello. Introduce yourself and let me know how things are going. I look forward to hearing your feedback and getting to know you better.

On a different note, everyone who goes to college gets to experience one presidential election year as a student who can vote. Starting in January, it will be your turn. I encourage all of you to study the issues, debate your friends, formulate your own opinions, register, and vote. The presidential election year is not just a great learning experience. It is an introduction to civic responsibility that requires your action.

One of my favorite roles on the Hilltop is teaching. Unfortunately, I am taking this semester off to focus on engaging with the greater Birmingham community to improve connectivity to the institutions and leaders that make Birmingham a city on the move. My goal is to increase financial support for the school in the long run and to open up opportunities for our students over the coming semesters. I will still be on campus, but not in the classroom. I look forward to being back at the chalkboard in Harbert in the spring.

Finally, I’m really glad you are here, and to be here with you. Speaking for the faculty and staff, we are all excited to start another year. If you don’t hear from me sooner, I will send you another note from Munger next month.

Forward, Ever!
Daniel Coleman