Commission on Presidential Debates Announcement

April 1, 2015

To the Jacksonville University Community:

The Commission on Presidential Debates is expected to announce today that Jacksonville University has been named one of the handful of U.S. colleges under consideration to host a Presidential or Vice Presidential Debate in 2016. We also expect that Jacksonville University will be the only school from Florida to make the list of proposed sites.

After reviewing sites selected in the past and doing considerable due diligence, we established an initial team here to review the application requirements and details. We determined that Jacksonville University could, indeed, realistically undertake such an ambitious endeavor.

Over the past 24 months, we have worked to move Jacksonville University beyond its borders and into the world beyond. We have actively engaged with the Arlington community and are helping provide leadership to rebuild this historic neighborhood. We have sought and obtained support from the State of Florida for our initiatives at a level never pursued in the past. We are actively recruiting students from beyond Florida and have made a firm commitment to bringing more international students to the University. Seeking this prestigious event is the next step toward opening Jacksonville University to the world.

Our being selected for this short list of possible sites is not a guarantee of being awarded the opportunity to host. It is, however, a sign of our commitment as a University to actively raising the quality of every aspect of how we accomplish our mission and to seek the opportunities that place Jacksonville University alongside the best institutions in the nation.

While the Commission is not expected to announce which locations were chosen until fall 2015, there will be much work to be done. Following the example of our colleagues who have tread this path before us, this will be a comprehensive effort by all areas of the institution and we will engage all of you in this bold challenge.

Thank you for your continued support and the tremendous effort you put forth every day to make us a world-class University.

Sincerely,

Tim Cost
President
Jacksonville University
Class of 1981