Introducing the President

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Jaimie L. Hebert became Georgia Southern University’s 13th President on July 1, 2016, and began his first 100 days with these questions: 1) What should be my first priority as president? 2) Is there anything you would like me to know about as I get familiar with Georgia Southern University?

After seeking input from everyone in the Georgia Southern community including donors, alumni, business partners and community leaders, he shared the results and his resulting vision for the University in a town hall meeting.

In Georgia Southern, President Hebert said he has found a place where “doing the extraordinary seems to be the norm” — a place where the best and brightest gather and build an extraordinary sense of engagement and community among the faculty, staff, students and alumni.


Twitter–riffic President Hebert regularly documents his experiences on Twitter

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Twitter image

— follow@Pres_Hebert


“As I looked at the responses to our 100 Days survey, I was amazed at how thoughtful you are,” he said. “Georgia Southern is truly about community.” This community is rooted in the University’s tradition — values expressed in its mission, which President Hebert calls “non-negotiables.”

“First among them are kindness, civility and social responsibility — qualities that are embedded in our core values and qualities that each and every one in the Eagle Nation lives out each day,” he said. “And it follows that diversity, inclusiveness and fairness are kindness and civility in action.”

The three-time graduate of the University of Louisiana – Lafayette (bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate in statistics) and published academic has already been named one of the state’s most influential people by Georgia Trend magazine, and says he will work to grow Georgia Southern’s influence, becoming even more of an intellectual catalyst in the region and in the state.

“As president, I will be working to ensure that our students and their professors are equipped to excel and to continue the proud history of student success at Georgia Southern,” he said.

The coming consolidation with Armstrong State University gives President Hebert — he has been named president of the new Georgia Southern University — an opportunity to combine the best of both universities and reinforce the student-centered commitment of each school throughout their long histories.

“I am so excited about the opportunities here at Georgia Southern, and I’m even more excited to be a part of them,” he said.

“I tell people around the state that at Georgia Southern, personally, I’ve found a home. Professionally, I found an extraordinary University. I didn’t really choose Southern, I chose the opportunity of a lifetime.”