Welcome Back and Happy New Year - Students (January 14, 2019)

Dear Students,

I hope you had a relaxing and peaceful break and are enjoying the start of the winter semester.

This semester the university is engaging in a campus-wide strategic planning effort. I recently shared a white paper with faculty and staff, Confronting the Challenges of a New Era - A Call to Action, which was crafted to serve as a visioning statement to motivate our collaborative thinking and effort. Student engagement is key to the success of our strategic planning process and I look forward to sharing information with you later this semester about how you can participate.

In preparation for charting our collective course forward, my senior leadership team is reading the highly acclaimed book by Stanford Professor Carol Dweck, "Mindset: The New Psychology of Success." The book highlights the power of mindset and how it plays a significant part in how we learn, approach risks and challenges and ultimately maximize potential in all aspects of our lives. Professor Dweck’s TED Talk, which has drawn over 8 million views, serves as an excellent primer on the topic. You may find this book and/or video insightful as you approach your courses this semester and beyond. 

Please reserve Friday, April 12, 2019 for a campus celebration as I am formally installed as UM-Dearborn's sixth chancellor. The ceremony will feature friends and distinguished guests from across the country and will honor the university’s accomplished past and celebrate the vast potential that lies ahead. 

Finally, as is our campus tradition, I hope you will join me in participating in the week of events to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. On Monday, January 21, my wife, Susan, and I will be visiting some of the volunteer service sites; we look forward to seeing you.

Best wishes for an energizing and productive winter semester.

Go Blue! Go Dearborn!