They’re back! Last week, campus was definitely showing signs of the student return. In addition to all the good things that brings, including energy, there was apparently some sort of moped convention Thursday morning and all moped operators were told to completely ignore stop signs, crosswalks, and stop light rules. At least that’s how it seemed. It worries me as I can hear quite a bit from my office window, including accidents involving motorists of all kinds. Hopefully all I hear is work on the Purple Line, lawn mowing, and weed whacking this week.
We hear these days about some questioning the value of higher education. As I come across our new students who are looking for buildings, I get the sense that they are eager to be on campus. Sure, some of the excitement may fade into frustration by the end of the semester as assignments stack up, but I think our students are eager to contribute to society in a meaningful way and look forward to interacting with instructors, researchers, and advisors to help increase awareness of options and help them make good decisions. This year’s chair of the Dean’s Student Advisory Council has already reached out about scheduling meetings for the semester – a great example of the engagement and commitment of our students!
It is a busy week between State Fair events, interviews, continuation of meetings with departments, student events, and a visit with a stakeholder group and the Baltimore County UME team. I am learning that there is no clear line between summer work and the start of the semester but rather a piling up of things to do. I will be ready for some quiet time over the long weekend. Perhaps the same is true for you. I hope the semester gets off to a great start for you! However you spend the last long weekend of summer, I hope you enjoy it!