Dear Colleagues,
Activity abounds on The Hill as our students have returned to campus and settled in for the fall semester. I enjoyed welcoming many student groups during the last two weeks and witnessed their excitement about immersing themselves in the full WKU Experience.
Students have made one thing clear – our faculty and staff have, once again, gone above and beyond to welcome them to campus and help them prepare for the year ahead. Thank you to all those who dedicated their time and energy to assist students moving into residence halls; who served as M.A.S.T.E.R. Plan Cluster Facilitators or assisted with events throughout the week; who volunteered to help our newest Hilltoppers navigate campus through Topper Directions; and who demonstrated the WKU Spirit when engaging with our students and their families.
During the weekend of September 8, we will invite our students’ families back to campus for Parent and Family Weekend. Our guests will see firsthand our dedication to their students’ well-being and success and will experience the bonds that make our university a true home away from home. You can find more information about Parent and Family Weekend here.
Families remain critical to our recruitment and retention strategies. Building relationships with our prospective students’ families and keeping them engaged after the students enroll and make progress toward their WKU degree set us apart from many other universities across the nation. I appreciate the efforts of the academic colleges, departments and individual members of our faculty and staff to establish and maintain relationships with families through frequent communication and meaningful involvement.
As we continue to celebrate the Hilltopper Spirit through the university’s We Wear Red. We Show Up. initiative and WKU Athletics’ Rock Your Red Fridays campaign, students, parents, family, faculty, staff, friends and alumni across the country can join us by participating in College Colors Day this Friday. I encourage all faculty and staff to wear red WKU apparel on Friday as our Hilltopper Football team prepares to kick off what promises to be another successful season this weekend. I hope you plan to show up, wave your red towels and cheer on our student athletes as they take on South Florida at Houchens Industries-L.T. Smith Stadium on Saturday at 2:30 p.m.
Finally, this year’s WKU vs. MTSU Blood Drive will take place September 25-27 from 10:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. in the Preston Center. This WKU tradition embodies the spirit of friendly competition and compassionate giving while demonstrating our shared commitment to our local communities. Please consider joining this life-saving endeavor and making this year’s blood drive a success. More information, including how to register, can be found on the WKU Blood Drive Website.
Thank you for another outstanding start to the semester at WKU. I look forward to accomplishing great things together this academic year.
Go Tops!
Best,
Timothy C. Caboni
