Mark your calendars now to make sure you don’t miss President G.P. “Bud” Peterson’s annual update to the campus community on Thursday, Aug. 29.

The event will begin at 11 a.m. in Clough Commons, Room 152, and is open to faculty, staff, and students. (Additional overflow room space will be available.)

The annual Institute Address is part of Peterson’s ongoing commitment to continuous communication with the Georgia Tech community. In addition to the annual Institute Address, each spring, he publishes an online President’s Update. Throughout the year, Peterson also holds town halls and other meetings to keep faculty, staff, and students apprised of all that is happening.

This year marks Peterson’s fifth such address, and the fourth since the 2010 launch of Tech’s 25-year strategic plan.

“We purposefully set the time frame 25 years out so that we would give our community the opportunity to think expansively,” he said. “When we first came together as a campus community in 2009 to begin the planning process, we were in the midst of an economic recession. We had to ensure that we didn’t dismiss big ideas just because of a concern about resources. The mindset was, ‘We can do anything in 25 years.’”

Peterson said that while the Tech community did a good job of developing a very comprehensive and forward-looking plan, it must be continuously refined.  

“While we had some very smart people working on Tech’s strategic plan, nobody predicted the amazing rapidity with which technology-assisted instruction would be adopted, things like massive open online courses and our new Online Master of Science in Computer Science,” he said. “Our challenge at this point is to continue to make progress and ensure that we view the plan as a living document, adjusting and modifying it to accommodate the changing circumstances and technologies.”  

In his Institute Address, Peterson will comment on trends and changing expectations in higher education, provide an update on strategic plan progress, and talk about specific goals for the upcoming year.

He will also address the national educational landscape, the impact of sequestration, and the need for new sources of revenue.

Additionally, Peterson will cover major accomplishments; Tech’s commitment to innovation; opportunities for students; partnerships with business, industry, and the community; Tech’s global focus; and Campaign Georgia Tech.

“We’re experiencing a time of tremendous positive momentum here at Georgia Tech,” Peterson said.  “It can been seen in the expansion of our facilities and infrastructure, the growth in size and national visibility of our faculty and staff, in our global reach and partnerships, and in the incredible things that students are able to accomplish, even before they graduate. As we enter this new academic year, we have great expectations.”

Following Peterson’s address, participants will have an opportunity to make comments and ask questions.