A time of goodbyes and new beginnings

Dear members of the JMU community,

Like all springs in higher education, these past few months have been a time of goodbyes and new beginnings as we celebrate students and colleagues who are graduating, retiring or otherwise moving on to new adventures. This season has been even more poignant for me and Mary Ann as we prepare for our own transition to American University in Washington, D.C. this summer. It has been the honor and privilege of a lifetime to serve here at James Madison University for the past dozen years alongside all of you, and we will forever be grateful for the opportunity.

When we first arrived here in 2012, we kept hearing that JMU was the “best kept secret” in American higher education. We knew that secret needed to get out so that more people would know about the quality of the Madison experience and 12 years later we are excited that people near and far now commonly refer to JMU as “The Everything School” because of its exceptional and well-rounded academic and student life experience. That transformation did not happen overnight and is due to the sustained efforts of many people over a long period of time. It is the JMU culture of excellence that has generated our current success, and that will propel this institution forward into the future.

As we all look ahead to another chapter, I am confident that JMU will build on its positive momentum and continue to grow and thrive. I consider higher education a noble calling, through which we help individuals identify and realize their full potential. That is why I wake up every morning determined to make a positive difference in the world, and I know you do as well. 

Our institution is also an engine of change and opportunity for the community and the country, which is why we focus so heavily on community and civic engagement both on and beyond campus. We can, and must, be a model of how people from different backgrounds, perspectives and life experiences gather to live, learn and work together in peace.  

Thank you for the support you have provided me and my family over the years and, more importantly, for how you have supported our students and community. I look forward to keeping in touch and will continue to root for the Dukes from a not-too-distant vantage point.  

Keep dreaming big and go Dukes!  

With gratitude and warmest regards,

Jon

Jonathan R. Alger

James Madison University

President 2012-2024