Welcome to the 2016-17 academic year. Whether you are a new student just joining the Ship family or a returning student who is looking forward to graduating, I hope you are as excited about the beginning of the new year as I am.
As we start the university’s 145th year, it should be yet another step in our continual evolution as a university that combines our historical successes with a future of promise and high expectations.
Your successes will begin with academic programming that is recognized nationally for its excellence and its value. You will learn from outstanding faculty members, who are not only very talented scholars and researchers, but whose primary focus is teaching you. Their efforts on your behalf will give you the tools you need to meet your goals.
Throughout the year, many of your faculty will also provide you with opportunities for exciting and important service-learning projects. Such projects are an integral part of learning about yourself and offering valuable services to many worthwhile community groups and organizations. The chance to volunteer for on-campus and off-campus projects is also available during the coming year. I encourage you to find and join in such a project.
In addition to volunteer projects, the university offers a wide array of programming ranging from internationally-known speakers to musical performances. These are designed to offer you new perspectives and allow you to grow personally.
As is tradition, I will have regular meetings in the residence halls and elsewhere on campus.
These meetings are your opportunity to talk with me, ask questions and, I hope, share suggestions to make Ship an even better university.
I look forward to talking with you this year and wish you the best for this new academic year.
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