Welcome to the start of a fantastic year

Dear UA Community,

Welcome to the fall 2018 semester at the University of Arizona. I hope you had a wonderful summer and that you are ready for a fantastic year.

Each of us brings tremendous value to our community. In my first year at Arizona, I’ve witnessed collaborations across different perspectives, backgrounds and identities that set us apart from other institutions. The people here are as committed to each other as we are dedicated to rigorous inquiry and the exchange of knowledge. It is because of all of you and because of our students that we are a unique community, and we each have a responsibility to be helpful, supportive and respectful.

Each year, we have the privilege of welcoming new learners to this community, and their distinct experiences help them contribute new ideas and insights to our exchange of ideas. I’m proud to say our total student body represents all 50 states, 120 countries and every county in Arizona, and more than 31% of this year's freshman class are first-generation students. I hope you all have the opportunity to give them a warm welcome to the UA. 

We are about to begin our next stage in the University’s history with the development of a new strategic plan. Our focus is to prepare our students to lead in the Fourth Industrial Revolution — a time of augmented intelligence and the fusion of our digital, physical and biological worlds. The planning process is as significant as the plan itself because it has been driven by nearly 10,000 UA students, faculty, staff, alumni and supporters. This is an unprecedented collaboration in both scale and focus. The final plan will be presented to the Arizona Board of Regents in November. 

I know this will be an incredible year and I am grateful to share in this journey with you. I look forward to seeing you on our campuses across Arizona, the world and online.
 
Bear Down!
 
Robert C. Robbins
President
The University of Arizona