I am pleased to share a few additional successes and developments from the fall semester. First, as you may have heard, USC received a $50 million gift from the Price Family Charitable Fund. This gift endows and names the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy, thereby cementing its standing among the most progressive and prestigious American schools of public policy, planning, and development.
This marks a transformational moment for USC and its formerly named School of Policy, Planning, and Development (SPPD). This visionary gift will enable us to take the school to a higher level of academic excellence, ensuring that it becomes an even stronger international leader in its many fields of expertise. The school, which currently ranks seventh among 269 schools of public affairs nationwide, houses five independent but related degree programs in public policy and public administration, urban planning, real estate development, and health care management and policy. It also excels at interdisciplinary work in the areas of governance, urban development, and social policy. The impact of the Price Family Charitable Fund’s extraordinary generosity will be both stellar and enduring.
I also want to share a copy of the university’s recently completed strategic vision, which was prepared under the direction of Provost Elizabeth Garrett and approved by our Board of Trustees. This document—created with input from more than 750 faculty, students, staff, alumni, and retirees—lays out a vision for the university’s future growth and advancement. As you know, in recent decades, USC has played a critical role in the transformation of southern California, and now, as we enter a Pacific Age, we must play a similar role, but on a more global scale. This living document offers three paths forward: transforming education for a rapidly changing world, creating scholarship with consequence, and connecting the individual to the world.
Finally, I want to close with some heartfelt and earned praise for our remarkable student-athletes. In December, our men’s water polo team, under head coach Jovan Vavic, became the first team in men’s water polo history to win four consecutive national titles! The team defeated UCLA in the finals, garnering USC’s 116th overall team national championship. This exceptional achievement unfolded as our football team concluded an admirable and spirited season. Throughout the fall, they played with tremendous heart, and their valiance and determination brought great honor to all of us. Impressively, in regular season play, they defeated both teams that were in the Pac-12 championship game, and the Trojans finished the season in fifth place in the Associated Press poll—an accomplishment we can all warmly cheer.
In this same spirit, Niki and I want to thank you for your continued dedication to the university. We wish you a happy new year, one filled with joy and success.
Yours truly,
C. L. Max Nikias
President