School Year Starts with a Bang

In line for barbeque at the Graduate Club Fair.

You can’t say the beginning of this school year hasn’t been exciting. Earthquakes, hurricanes… do I hear humming out my window? Are locusts next?

Jokes aside, I hope our students are as thrilled to be here as I am to have them back. This is one of my favorite times of the year: when I see the campus come alive. One of the many reasons I choose to work in higher education is that I simply enjoy being around students.

Whether I was at Academic Welcome, or one of the many other events held last week—I am always glad to see eager students’ faces, and to hear about the amazingly diverse backgrounds they hail from. Even when the topic up for debate is more serious, as it was at Saturday’s orientation for new part-time graduate students. With my colleague Larry Ward, they grappled with how to handle ethical issues that might arise in the classroom—while keeping one eye trained for signs of Hurricane Irene’s approach.

Speaking of natural disasters, I have to confess: during the earthquake, I first thought someone was pushing a noisy cart down the hallway. Then I realized the building was shaking like a box of rocks! The faculty and staff members I was meeting with showed their dedication; we kept right on going post-earthquake. (By the way, that meeting was the start of our strategic visioning process, where we’re debating where to focus our school’s growth efforts. More on that to come later this year.)

I hope our new students are getting out and exploring Washington, D.C., as much as I am. On Sunday, after Irene had departed, I met Erran Carmel for a bike ride down to the new Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. memorial on the Mall. I am still amazed at how accessible Washington is; it was barely 8 miles from my doorstep to the monument.

In sum, it’s good to see so many happy faces enjoying the sunshine—whether they are downtown enjoying a new landmark, or a few miles north under a shady tree on AU’s campus.