Letter from President Shields

Dear Southern University Alumni, Family, and Friends,

As President of the Southern University System, I am excited to invite you to join us in the Imagine Southern Capital Campaign, an ambitious, comprehensive initiative that will shape the future of our university and the lives of our students, communities, and all who connect with Southern.

Imagine Southern is founded on four critical pillars: Scholarships and Sustainability, Student Outcomes, Student Experience, and Stewards of Place. Each pillar aligns with our mission to foster transformative educational experiences and uphold our role as an anchor institution for the communities we serve across Louisiana and beyond. This campaign offers us a rare opportunity to harness the power of strategic investment in our people, programs, and places, ensuring that Southern University remains a beacon of access, excellence, and impact for generations to come.

Scholarships and Sustainability reflects our commitment to easing the financial burden on our students and their families. By increasing scholarships and endowments, we aim to ensure that any student with the drive to succeed has the means to do so at Southern. Sustainability in this context is a promise to secure the financial health of our System, creating a robust foundation for future students and a vibrant university ecosystem that will endure.

Student Outcomes is a pillar focused on ensuring that every student graduates prepared for their chosen path. Whether in business, healthcare, law, engineering, or agriculture, our students are prepared to lead and thrive. With a goal to modernize academic buildings and laboratories, expand hands-on learning facilities, and provide advanced technologies, we are making critical investments that directly support academic achievement and career readiness.

Student Experience encompasses initiatives that support students outside the classroom. Through expanded residential, athletic, wellness, and support services, we are creating a campus environment where students feel engaged and supported. The facilities and programs we are building will ensure that students thrive socially, mentally, and physically—equipped for the rigors of academic life and their future careers.

Finally, Stewards of Place emphasizes Southern University’s role as a committed community partner. We see our campuses as vibrant hubs for economic development, cultural enrichment, and health and wellness. Through projects that strengthen our ties to communities, such as the new Health and Wellness Complex and workforce training centers, we are opening doors to high-demand careers and helping to build resilient local economies. These projects empower us to give back to the communities that have long supported Southern, ensuring a legacy of mutual growth and opportunity.

Our Imagine Southern Capital Campaign represents a continuation of the values that Southern was built upon: a commitment to access, diversity, and excellence. As the only HBCU System in the nation, Southern has an undeniable legacy of fostering opportunity and expanding access to higher education, especially for historically underrepresented communities. It is a responsibility we honor every day.

But the full realization of this vision requires your support. Together, we can expand this legacy and transform lives for generations. Your commitment will ensure that Southern University remains a thriving community of scholars, a leader in workforce development, and a catalyst for community impact.

Thank you for standing with us in this pivotal moment. I am deeply grateful for your belief in our mission and your dedication to Southern University’s future.

With gratitude,
Dennis J. Shields
President, Southern University System