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Chancellor's First Day Welcome

Hi, I'm Dave Gearhart, chancellor of the University of Arkansas. 

I hope you had a great summer.

I just want to take a moment to welcome you back to campus.  If this is your first semester at the university, in any capacity, then I want to welcome you aboard-you're in for a great experience.

There is nothing I like more than seeing campus once again fill up with students, faculty and staff, and the air of promise that infuses every fall semester. 

I love the energy and expectation, I love the excitement of fall sports, and I love the fact that, in just a few short weeks, as the weather moderates, I won't be sticking to my car seat any more.

This is simply my favorite time of year, and I hope you feel likewise.

This year we were able to hold the line on tuition and institute the lowest fee increase in 45 years. Now I can't promise you that we can do that again, but I can promise you that I will continue to do everything in my power to keep costs down and quality up.  I can also promise you that I will do everything to make the University of Arkansas the best possible place to study or work it can be.

I give you my word on it.

As you settle into your new classes, buy books, find your classrooms, catch up with colleagues, make new friends and relocate old ones, I want to extend to you my best wishes for your semester. 

So far we have managed to avoid the furloughs, layoffs and catastrophic budget cuts that have hampered our peer institutions across the country. Let's keep our fingers crossed that our luck will hold and we can continue concentrating on the important things like taking and teaching classes, studying, conducting research or cheering on our Razorback sports teams.

Thank you for choosing the University of Arkansas to work or to study and good luck with your classes.