Dear Colleagues,
Next week, thousands of Hilltopper alumni, family and friends will return to campus as we begin our Homecoming activities. Homecoming is more than just a tradition; it is a celebration of our shared history, a time to rekindle longstanding friendships and an opportunity to strengthen the bonds that make our WKU Community so extraordinary.
This year’s Homecoming theme, “Big Red, White and Blue,” offers a chance to honor the traditions that define us while celebrating the myriad ways in which each of us contributes to the vibrant tapestry of WKU. Our alumni will return to their roots; our current students will participate in spirited festivities; and our faculty, staff and the greater Bowling Green Community will come together to celebrate the Hilltopper spirit that makes WKU so unique. A full list of Homecoming activities is located here.
For some of our alumni, Homecoming marks their first return to the Hill since graduating. Undoubtedly, our campus’s remarkable physical transformation will instill in them a sense of pride as they reflect upon their time at WKU. To that end, I hope that you will encourage the alumni with which you visit to spend time walking campus to see the enhancements that we have made and those in progress. You may highlight for them our newest projects, including our First Year Village, boosting WKU’s first-year experience and Living Learning Communities now joined by more than a third of our freshmen; The WKU Commons at Helm Library, dedicated last fall; the WKU Soccer/Softball Complex, dedicated just a few weeks ago; and the construction underway for our new Gordon Ford College of Business, planned to open in fall 2025. I hope that you will also walk them through our Hilltop Restoration Project, which enables the top of the Hill to more closely resemble our campus’s initial master plan and President Cherry’s vision of a true academical village.
Additionally, I invite you to join me at 10 a.m. on Friday, November 10, at the WKU Football Practice Field to celebrate the groundbreaking of the new Hilltopper Fieldhouse and Press Box. More information can be found here.
Finally, I look forward to gathering with you this Wednesday, November 1, from 2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. at the Colonnade (outside the Fine Arts Center) for a special faculty and staff appreciation reception. Together, we will enjoy an assortment of fall treats and apple cider, while we celebrate your extraordinary recruitment and retention achievements.
Thank you for being a part of our outstanding community and for helping maintain our legacy of excellence. I look forward to seeing you this Wednesday and throughout Homecoming week.
Go Tops!
Best,
Timothy C. Caboni
