To the George Washington University Community:
It is hard to believe that three months have passed since First Lady Michelle Obama spoke at our Commencement on the National Mall. Since then, my summer has been filled with opportunities to represent the university in Washington and around the world. I traveled to The Hague to honor the service of human rights champion Thomas Buergenthal on the International Court of Justice (and celebrate his return to the GW Law faculty), addressed the graduates of our partner in Morocco, Al Akhawayn University, and, among other events here in Washington, signed a new agreement with the Smithsonian Institution that will build on our longstanding partnership.
In short, my summer was exciting and rejuvenating, and I hope yours was as well.
As the summer drew to a close, I had the pleasure of welcoming new students – including the most selective and diverse class of freshmen in our history - at a variety of events. Today I welcome all members of our community to a new academic year. I also extend a special welcome to new members of our faculty and staff, including Provost and A. James Clark Professor Steve Lerman; Deans Michael Feuer (Education), Lynn Goldman (Public Health), and Doug Guthrie (Business); and Chief of Police Kevin Hay.
There is much in the works for the coming year and beyond. The Innovation Task Force will continue its quest for savings in business processes that we can invest in academic excellence and the success of our students, as we did last spring with a new investment in Columbian College advising. We will continue our efforts to increase student aid through the Power and Promise campaign. Two new groups - the Council on Diversity and Inclusion and the Career Services Task Force – worked diligently through the summer to set up their committees and devise their plans for the year’s activities. This fall, you will see further development of initiatives that cross the boundaries of schools and departments – initiatives on subjects like autism, the global status of women and computational biology. You will also see a stronger focus on the role of the arts, thanks in part to the student arts venues at the spectacular West Hall, just opening this year on our Mount Vernon Campus, and a generous gift from an anonymous donor that brought 28 new pianos to what is now an all-Steinway university.
At the same time, we will maintain the commitment to service that generated national interest through the First Lady’s challenge last year. This year, some of that effort will focus on sustainability, with a particular emphasis on water and the health of the river system that is such an important part of the life of this region.
That’s just a glimpse of what lies ahead as we continue engaging the world from the nation’s capital. Your participation will be central to our efforts, and I thank you for being part of our university community. I look forward to seeing you around our campuses; when you see me, please take a moment to say hello and tell me a bit about what you are doing this academic year.
With best regards in the meantime,
Sincerely,
Steven Knapp