President’s Newsletter: March 2026

From the Desk of Dr. Philip Cavalier

President of Kutztown University

President's Update

I hope everyone had a restful spring break and is geared up for the final stretch of the academic year. The beginning of spring is the season when we celebrate the incredible accomplishments of our students, and the great work of our faculty and staff. April is a particularly exciting month, as we experience the many amazing happenings on our campus.

Events kick off this Saturday, March 28, with one of the busiest days of the semester. I'm eager to meet prospective students and their families for Accepted Student Day. We will also be hosting music events, Golden Bear baseball and women's acrobatics and tumbling, and Easter on the Farm at the Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Center. The Kutztown Optimist Club Fools' Run, which has raised money for area high school students to attend KU for nearly 40 years, will be held Saturday morning. The races begin on College Blvd., adjacent to the Fairgrounds, with the 5K winding through North Campus. It should be a great day for the university and borough to come together as neighbors and host thousands of visitors.

I'm excited about the presidential inauguration April 9-10. Thursday night's Student Showcase is a great opportunity to celebrate the talents of our students. I hope you will come to Friday's festivities, including the afternoon reception for us to collectively share the tremendous success the year has brought. More information will be shared in the weeks ahead and can also be found on the inauguration website.

Budget discussions have continued at all levels for next year, but there is still significant uncertainty related to Harrisburg's decisions on state appropriation and tuition. Earlier this month, our cabinet met for a half-day budget workshop and to discuss various action plans and scenarios.

Our final Town Halls of the semester are quickly approaching (Faculty/Staff: 11 a.m. Thursday, April 2, 183 MSU. Students: 7 p.m. Monday, April 13, 183 MSU). These sessions have been a great opportunity for me to engage with our campus community to hear your thoughts and concerns. We plan to continue our Town Halls twice per semester in the years ahead.

I continue to meet with our local representatives to advocate for the value of higher education and advance KU's position in the regional landscape, including my recent lunch with Mayor Eddie Moran of Reading. We had a good discussion on ways to improve KU's impact within the Reading community.

Nicer weather is approaching. I hope you will find time to get outside and enjoy our beautiful campus and the variety of events happening over the next eight weeks. I look forward to seeing many of you in the days and month ahead.

Phil (Dr. Cav)

Division Updates

Academic Affairs

As KU moves forward into a new environment regionally and across the U.S., the institution will be called to think more broadly about who it serves and how. An underserved group in the commonwealth has been non-traditional learners. This group includes individuals who took some college courses but stopped and haven't been back for a few years or more, adults with dependents, mid-life career changes, members of armed forces, and more. Some of these individuals are seeking degrees, others are looking at other for-credit credentials, and some are focused on non-credit credentials and/or skills. A university task force has been created to think about this broadly and to bring ideas to the table regarding how the university might best serve these student populations. As that group is working to identify the challenges and possibilities, we will be looking for other quickly achievable changes that can be made to provide the necessary attention to these students and to help fill in the gaps that have existed in their educational possibilities.

Administration & Finance

Development of a new Campus Facilities Master Plan is underway. This month, two potential planning firms visited campus as part of the selection process. Once a firm is selected, there will be significant campuswide involvement to ensure broad input from students, faculty and staff. Through future campus visits and engagement activities, the selected firm will work to better understand KU's community, priorities and long-term needs. KU's most recent Facilities Master Plan was completed in 2013, and the majority of projects identified in that plan have since been implemented. The new Campus Facilities Master Plan will assess current facility conditions and space utilization, while also considering key factors such as trends in higher education and demographic changes. This master plan will serve as a long range roadmap for the university's physical development, aligning campus facilities and infrastructure with the academic mission and supporting the evolving needs of the campus community.

Enrollment Management

Come one, come all to Accepted Student Day, hosted by Undergraduate Admissions, Saturday, March 28. The reception will begin in O'Pake Fieldhouse, where families can ask questions at our Major and Student Services Fair. Following the reception, prospective students and their families are encouraged to explore campus and have fun, especially in the MSU and the "Good to be Golden" Carnival. The event will run 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Accepted Student Day regularly attracts hundreds of prospective students and their families. Any student who is ready to commit to attending KU can pay their deposit with admissions representatives at the event.

KU Foundation

KU Foundation Board Member Norman Inkpen ’70, ’22 D.P.D. has begun a 2,900-mile cycling journey across the United States as part of the Epic Cross Country Southern Tier Bike Tour. Starting in San Diego Saturday, March 7, Inkpen is riding to St. Augustine, Fla., aiming to raise $3 per mile for the Together We're Golden Endowed Retention Grant. Even better, Norman and his wife, Joy, will match every donation dollar-for-dollar up to $10,000. Each mile reflects perseverance, generosity and belief in education. Follow his journey, support the ride, and help make an impact for our students.

Student Affairs

Public Safety will be hosting Run-Hide-Fight presentations for students, faculty and staff. Training for faculty and staff is 1-2 p.m., Tuesday, March 31, and Monday, April 13, 183 MSU. Register online. Training for students is 11 a.m. to noon, Tuesday, March 31, and Monday, April 13, 183 MSU. Register online. Additionally, the department will be hosting two initiatives, Coffee with a Cop 7:30-10 a.m. Thursday, March 26, Old Main concourse, as well as Pizza and Pups with Public Safety, 4-6 p.m. Wednesday, April 1, MSU by Starbucks. Both events are efforts to help the KU community interact and connect with our Public Safety officers.

University Relations, Athletics

Celebrate Pennsylvania German Easter traditions and the vibrant folk culture of the region at Easter on the Farm, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, March 28, at the Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Center at Kutztown University. Easter on the Farm is a free, fun and educational event for the whole family featuring folklife demonstrations, live musical performances by some of the region’s finest folk musicians, kids’ activities, animals, local folk artists and our annual Easter egg hunts (12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m.).

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