President Cost message to the JU community

To JU students, faculty, staff and friends, 

With thanks to our Board of Trustees, I’m honored and privileged to begin my service today as your new President. 

Let me begin by first honoring my two great mentors here: Dr. Kerry Romesburg, who today completes an amazing nine-year run as your President, and Dr. Frances Bartlett Kinne, who has had such an extraordinary impact on JU for more than 50 years. So much of what I hope to bring to campus, in partnership with you, will always be tied to their guidance. 

It’s gratifying to be given the opportunity to come back to the place that helped shape everything about me personally and professionally, and that I’m now so proud to serve. I take on this leadership challenge with humility, energy and highest hopes for the great things we can create together. 

My goal is clear: to always put you first, and to do what needs to be done to help nurture our outstanding students, support our esteemed faculty, inspire our talented staff and engage our growing community of alumni, partners and friends. 

Stephanie and I are thrilled to be here. This is a special place. It doesn’t just feel like home. It is home to us. As I’ve said before, I never left JU in my heart. 

I’ll commit to you my best effort every day. I hope we’ll meet up soon as I begin to listen to your ideas and suggestions for how best to move JU forward. 

Thank you again for your warm welcome and support, and I look forward to working closely with each of you in the weeks and months ahead. 

Sincerely, 

Tim Cost

President

Jacksonville University

Class of 1981