Editor’s note: University of Delaware President Dennis Assanis sent a welcome message to students, faculty and staff on Monday, Aug. 26. New students moved into residence halls on Saturday, Aug. 24. Fall semester classes are scheduled to begin on Tuesday, Aug. 27.

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff,

As president of the University of Delaware, I could not be more thrilled to extend a big welcome to all of our new and returning students, faculty and staff. I hope you enjoyed your summer and are ready to embrace exciting opportunities throughout the academic year ahead. For many who are returning to campus, the past few months have offered valuable work and internship experiences, enriching research and scholarship, travel adventures, and downtime to recharge. Now back on campus, I can already feel the Blue Hen spirit and limitless potential that energize every facet of the UD experience – from athletic to academic, from artistic to scientific, and everywhere in between. To this end, I am so grateful to our amazing staff who work with passion and dedication to make UD the best it can be.

We are proud to welcome our newest class of students, including about 4,200 first-year undergraduates on the Newark campus, 500 in our Associate in Arts program and 550 who have transferred to UD from other institutions. In addition, 1,500 master’s and doctoral students are beginning their studies as we launch the Graduate College and create a new chapter in our proud legacy of advanced education and research. We also welcome 80 new members of our outstanding faculty, enhancing the diverse array of talent and expertise in UD’s classrooms and labs. Our entire community – students, faculty and staff – comes from dozens of nations around the world to make UD a truly global family.

The start of a new academic year is always a reminder to me of how vibrant our campus environment is, one where we are all so fortunate to live, learn, explore and discover. Indeed, UD is a special place. On any given day, an observant walk around our campus connects the foundational consistency of our rich educational heritage and institutional prominence with the rapid pace of change and growth that is redefining the modern student experience. Here at UD, we thrive at the intersection of proof and promise, of progress and possibility.

You make this happen, and I could not be more proud to share this experience with you. Every one of us has a chance to seize the opportunity to embrace our shared set of institutional values at UD, especially academic excellence, inclusion, respect and integrity. As a connected community, we are driven by curiosity and inspired by creativity to make a positive impact on the world. With fresh perspective, it all begins right here at the University of Delaware.

Together with my wife, Eleni, I wish you all a very healthy, productive and enlightening year ahead. Welcome, all, and we look forward to seeing you on campus!

Sincerely,

Dennis Assanis

President