Faculty & Staff January Update

On this page, you will find the January 28, 2026 communication from President Dr. Lisa Lambert.
Faculty & Staff January Update
By Lisa Lambert / 28 January 2026
 
Hi everyone,
 
I hope your semester is off to a good start despite our recent snowstorm. I want to thank everyone who went above and beyond to keep our students and staff safe, warm, and fed despite the challenging conditions and while facing challenges at home. You are all amazing!

Budget Updates

On the Eastside sale-and-leaseback, we are making good progress toward a sale on favorable terms to be completed this fiscal year. However, the details are still under discussion, so I can’t share more at this time.  Our Business Office reports that spending remains within budget, despite the challenges posed by cold weather and older buildings. I’m also happy to report that deposits are up over last year at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Early numbers also suggest that fall-to-spring retention is around 93%, which was our goal. The Accepted Student Day event on January 24 was very well attended, and the excitement and energy were amazing. I want to thank Brandy, Brian, the whole Enrollment team, and all of the staff, faculty, and students who came and made this event special.
 
As part of our financial planning and Middle States self-study process, we have developed a budget model showing the key benchmarks we must continue to monitor and achieve to eliminate the remaining deficit by fiscal year 28. Additionally, I have asked our team to put together a budget proposal that includes a cost-of-living increase, effective this calendar year, for presentation to the Board of Trustees. The next Board meeting is on February 13, so we hope to make a strong case for progress in this area.

Middle States - This is Our Accreditation Year!

The final draft of the Middle State report is complete and submitted, along with all 800+ required pieces of evidence! Thank you to everyone who helped us get to this point. The final version is on my.Chatham (linked here). Forums will be scheduled to prepare for the full Accreditation Team visit scheduled for March 8-11, 2026. As soon as we know the visit schedule, we will share it with everyone.

Campus Community and Environment

Welcome to the newest full-time members of the Chatham community!
  • Jeffrey Laing, Security Officer
  • Bryan Pflanz, Men’s Wrestling Coach
  • Amy Strefling, Grants and Contracts Manager
  • Scott Miller, Area Coordinator
  • Daniesha Hunter-Rue, Assistant Professor, Counseling Psychology
  • DeJour Young, Director of Graduate Admissions

Love A Donor Day (February 5)

Chatham community members will be volunteering to help with our first-ever “Love a Donor” day to reach out and thank our donors who contributed $1000 or more and help provide support for scholarships, academic programs, research, new construction, athletic equipment, and so much more. If you have time to help sign a card, let Advancement know by clicking this link.

Athletics

It’s a great time to be a Chatham Cougars fan! Our men’s ice hockey team is off to their best start ever at 15-2, and both our women’s and men’s basketball records stand at 12-4. I’m proud to share that eight of our athletic teams had fall 2025 average GPAs over 3.5, and ALL team averages were over 3.0! Work continues on renovations at Eastside to create space for a wrestling practice area, indoor bullpens and batting cages, and a weight room, next to the new home for Exercise Science and Athletic Training. Work has started on framing a space for a softball locker room at West Field in Munhall. Talks continue around a plan to lease (not buy) the Armory for our ice hockey teams.
 

Events and News

Copies of this, as well as past newsletters, are available on the “From the President” page on chatham.edu (so you don’t have to search through your emails!).
 
Please remember to read and submit your accomplishments and ideas for stories to the Pulse- we all want to hear about the great things you are doing!
 
Here’s the link to submit your news: https://www.pulse.chatham.edu/contact. If you want to cc my office, our email is presidentsoffice@chatham.edu.
 
Thank you, and stay safe (and warm!)

Lisa