Greetings:
Each year, Thanksgiving marks the beginning of the hustle and bustle of the ensuing holiday season. We especially embrace it as a time to appreciate the many wonderful people in our lives and the multitude of blessings we share. Since we arrived almost two years ago, Sharon and I continue to be tremendously grateful to be part of such a diverse, caring, and dynamic university community. I am inspired on a daily basis by the dedication and outstanding accomplishments across our campuses.
Now is also a time to reflect upon and learn from the many challenges we have faced in our community and around the nation. To find effective solutions that bring together the community, we should seek and be informed by the broad and varied perspectives represented around the table. This approach is a hallmark of education; it enriches the environment and experiences of all our students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends.
We recognize that we will continue to face challenges and forge our way forward. As we do so, we must reaffirm our resolute commitment to value, celebrate, and support each and every member of the university family. I make it a priority, and I ask each of you to do the same. Everyone in our community has a meaningful role in our mission to inspire, discover, and transform.
As you gather with friends and family over the break, I hope you take time to relax and recharge — we are in the home stretch of another successful fall semester. With the deepest sense of gratitude, Sharon and I wish each of you a very Happy Thanksgiving!
Sincerely,
Jeffrey S. Vitter
Chancellor and Distinguished Professor