Dear Orange Friends:
This past week has been one of the most uplifting of times for Syracuse University.
I watched a legion of returning students, faculty, staff, parents and alumni help more than 5,000 new students move in and become Orange. On every sidewalk and in every hallway, I saw warmth and welcome to our newcomers from every state, 70 countries on six continents, and 12 Native American nations.
I was also inspired by meeting almost 100 new faculty members this week. They are bright, dedicated, caring and inspired scholars and teachers from almost all disciplines. Their enthusiasm for our students and our research and creative work was contagious.
Many new leaders have also joined us, including Gene Anderson, dean of the Whitman School of Management; Brian Konkol, dean of Hendricks Chapel; Zhanjiang “John” Liu, vice president for research; and Dara Royer, senior vice president and chief communications officer. Each brings impressive experience and dedication to Syracuse.
All these folks are now Orange too, like you. As each of us extends a welcome to each of them all year, I ask that we all remember Orange values. We aspire always to be a preeminent and inclusive student-focused research university, preparing engaged citizens, scholars and leaders for a changing global society.
We have lots of new people and wonderful returning colleagues. There sure are lots of new and troubling things going on in the world. Through all this, our values have not changed, and they make us each equally and wonderfully Orange.
So welcome home. And please join me in supporting the Orange tomorrow as our football team under Coach Babers opens the season in the Dome.
Sincerely,
Chancellor Kent Syverud