Welcome to a New Year

Dear Students,

On this first day of the Autumn quarter, we bring hope, focus, and energy to a new academic year. You are joining an astonishingly talented and diverse cohort of undergraduate, graduate, and professional students who will engage with new ideas with curiosity and purpose. At Convocation last week, I shared how much the possibility of the University playing a deeply meaningful role in your journey of learning and self-discovery provides a wellspring of inspiration to me. As we embark on this new academic year together, I want to reenforce some of the cultural and intellectual aspects of who we are as a community of learners, innovators, and scholars as you begin this term.

This university fosters a distinctive culture. Built upon the principles of academic freedom and free expression, it is suffused by a genuine love for ideas and a conviction in the power knowledge holds to shape society for the better. In practice, this means we commit ourselves to the work of understanding ideas in the deepest way possible, testing them rigorously, and following the best down avenues of inquiry wherever they may take us. If you take up that work wholeheartedly, the University will provide a transformative education. Here, you will do so much more than earn an academic degree. In classrooms, labs, studios, on campus, and across the community, you will develop the habits of mind and character that will help you become the extraordinary leaders whose minds will one day influence the world.

During your time at the University, take advantage of the support and guidance our faculty, scholars, and staff stand ready to provide you. Partnering with you in the constant struggle for knowledge formation and self-discovery is among our most important work. Learn something from their efforts to push the boundaries of their fields, drive innovation, and impact society. Inspiring you to pursue and forge the next generation of ideas will be our greatest achievement.

Embrace the spirit of curiosity. It will be the key to unlocking the full potential of the many wonderful opportunities around you. Find and engage those experiences both on campus and off—whether that be with our neighbors on the South Side, in the great City of Chicago, on our global campuses, or beyond. Be open to learning from one another. If you seek to interact with and engage in dialogue with students who possess different perspectives and experiences from your own, you stand to gain the most from the rich diversity of this community. You never know when you will encounter the idea that will give the most meaning to your lifelong journey.

In the coming year, I hope to meet many of you around campus. I look forward to hearing about all of the wonderful things you are doing and learning. If you see me around, please say hello!

Sincerely,

Paul

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A. Paul Alivisatos

President