06/24/2025
Dear Friends and Partners of ULM,
As I enter my third week as President of the University of Louisiana Monroe, I remain deeply moved by the community’s warm welcome and the genuine conversations I’ve shared with many of you. These early days have revealed something powerful: ULM is not only a university—it is the cornerstone of this region, deeply woven into the lives, hopes, and futures of those we serve.
That was made especially clear to me last week when I held the first of many meetings as part of my community listening tour. Through candid dialogue, I’ve felt a renewed sense of possibility. These sessions were not about formality; they were about partnership, transparency, and accountability. They reminded me that our strength lies in listening, collaborating, and responding with purpose.
Today, I want to share a vision that is both aspirational and achievable, shaped by the voices I’ve heard and the promise we hold:
– ULM will be a model for how regional universities uplift entire communities.
– ULM will prepare students not only for the workforce, but for meaningful lives.
– ULM will align our programs with regional needs, national opportunity, and global prominence.
– ULM will become the place where innovation grows, belonging thrives, and leadership is nurtured from every corner of campus.
Like other universities across the country, we are competing to attract and retain talent, including traditional and nontraditional students, faculty, and staff. The vision and strategy that is executed must be bold, action-oriented, and responsive to the evolving needs of those we serve.
While we have faced fiscal challenges, I’m encouraged by the support from our state delegation, and I’m grateful to all who championed ULM during the most recent legislative session. This support gives us breathing room, but our focus must remain on long-term stability. Thanks to the diligence of our leadership team, we are shaping a 2025–2026 budget grounded in fiscal responsibility, strengthened by accountability, and guided by long-term resilience.
I want to take a moment to recognize and sincerely thank our dedicated faculty and staff for their unwavering commitment to advancing ULM’s mission. Your resilience, creativity, and collaboration are not only sustaining our programs—they are strengthening them. Because of your efforts, we continue to provide our students with meaningful, high-quality educational experiences every day. Please know that our priority remains clear: to protect and support our most valuable resource—our people—and to ensure our students continue to receive an exceptional education, ultimately providing greater economic opportunities for them and their families.
This is just the beginning of a bold and hopeful chapter. I believe in this university, in this region, and in the power of what we can accomplish together. The future we envision is not distant because it’s already in motion.
With gratitude and resolve,
Carrie L. Castille, Ph.D.
President, University of Louisiana Monroe
