Dear AU Community,

I am humbled by the trust the Board of Trustees has shown in me and look forward to working with all of you to take this university to the next level. I believe deeply in American University, its people and mission, and I am committed to helping AU reach its potential.

AU is already an exceptional university, and we have a real opportunity to make it even stronger: by advancing the strategic plan, investing in the areas where we excel, using our resources wisely, and telling the story of who we are and the difference we make.

We find ourselves in one of the most challenging environments ever for universities, not just because of federal policy, but also because of growing skepticism of the value of a college degree. Our strategic plan directly addresses the areas where Americans remain skeptical of higher ed by emphasizing real-world learning, internships, and opportunities for students to conduct research alongside faculty members.

We have continued to strengthen AU’s leadership team in recent months, and have made a few more adjustments:

• Provost Vicky Wilkins and Bronté Burleigh-Jones, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, will each take on the title of Executive Vice President. These titles recognize the scope of their work and the leadership they provide across the university—well beyond the responsibilities typically associated with a provost or chief financial officer. Both have asked that these expanded titles carry no increase in compensation. The Board of Trustees and I are grateful for their leadership and partnership.
• We are deep in the search process for a new Vice President of Enrollment Management and hope to finalize this selection before the end of 2026. Interim Vice President Jeremy Lowe is doing a fantastic job serving in that role. Our enrollment outcomes for the fall of 2026 improved over last year, including with the second-largest class ever for the School of Public Affairs. We will have more to share on this enrollment cycle in the coming weeks.
• Elaine Crosson and Katya Popova have agreed to serve in their roles as General Counsel and Vice President for Marketing and Communications for two years. Their titles will continue to be interim, but they have the full confidence and authority associated with their positions. We will determine timing and objectives for search processes for these roles next year.
• Matthew Eynon has resigned from his position as Vice President of University Advancement. We wish Matty well and are excited that Jackie Mabry has stepped forward to serve as Interim Vice President of University Advancement at such an important moment for AU.

American University has a strong leadership team, and one which will provide both strategic direction and focus over the next two years.

I feel a clear obligation to ensure that the university’s leadership team performs well and serves you well, in the best tradition of servant leaders. After all, I am not teaching a class, performing research, coaching a team, advising a student, or maintaining our beautiful campus. The leadership team’s role is to empower and support the people who carry out these essential functions across our university. That means setting priorities, making decisions, communicating directly, and holding ourselves accountable for results. It also means removing barriers that make it harder for faculty and staff to do their best work.

One example: Nicole Bresnahan, who serves as Associate Vice President of Financial Operations, has agreed to lead an important effort to simplify and improve university processes, with the goal of reducing the steps needed to complete certain university processes by at least 30 percent. We’ve had one early win – we simplified the process for making changes to an AU employee’s job (promotions, transfers etc.) by reducing the number of templates from 26 to eight - meaning less data entry, clearer guidance, and faster processing.

This effort will only work with your insight. Please submit examples of processes that impede your effectiveness or keep you from focusing on your highest-value work here. We will review and evaluate your feedback, work to implement feasible improvements, and provide timely, clear guidance when a request cannot be addressed immediately.

American University’s future will be shaped not only by strategy and structure, but by the daily work and shared commitment of this community. I am grateful for the opportunity to continue serving alongside you, and I look forward to the work ahead.

Sincerely, 

Dave Marchick
Interim President