What a launch to the fall semester! This week crams together all the events that mark the beginning of the academic year: campus welcomes and orientations, move-ins, first day of classes, opening competitions for fall sports and the return of organized meetings and conversations for conducting the business and governance of the University.

Before we get subsumed by all of this activity, I want to use this edition of Prez Beat to express my gratitude and recognize the staff who worked tirelessly to make this week such a success. There are more people and projects than I can capture here, so please consider this the equivalent of a daily gratitude list that is representative rather than exhaustive.

A big shout-out to:

Our staff in Facilities Planning & Project Delivery and Maintenance for their summer work on classroom renovations and improvements to our teaching spaces. Thanks also to the University Capital Planning Advisory Committee for meeting over the summer to discuss principles and priorities that will define a multi-year capital plan that will articulate a timeline for renovations to our classrooms and buildings across our campuses.

Our people in Transportation Services for delivering on the new bus route app: ETA SPOT, which features up-to-the-second arrival prediction, route planning and system alerts, available through Google Play or the App Store. And to UDPD and our government relations team for collaborating with the city and the state on the implementation of additional traffic control measures on Main Street.

Our events and catering crews, who transformed the public spaces in the beautiful Wright House into a venue for fostering our community by hosting several events in the past two weeks with more to come this semester.

Our staff in the Center for Global Programs & Services, who hosted a day-long international student orientation followed by the first coffee hour of the semester, complete with music, cake and an ice-breaker bingo game. The atmosphere was full of energy and support and connection to various resources from partner offices across campus.

Faculty and staff from literally all corners of the University who had a hand in recruiting and welcoming this wonderful incoming class from throughout the United States and from more than 55 countries. Those efforts spanned from Welcome Days to Decision Days, through the whole admissions cycle and onto math placement exams and new student orientation, course scheduling, and now to move-in and the start of classes. Every first-year student you see is a life you have touched.

Our folks in Residence Life & Housing, UD Police, Parking and our partners in the City of Newark and DelDot, who worked on safety, traffic flow and logistics for move-in. And an important note of thanks to all Newark residents who were patient with traffic congestions as new and continuing students arrived, unpacked and went grocery shopping.

All the Blue Hen Helpers, cheer squads and athletic teams who kept spirits up and helped unload cars during move-in. One of the lacrosse players showed me his fitness watch: At mid-day, he had already logged 3.6 miles and 32 flights of stairs. Thanks to the coaches who gave the players the day off ... or perhaps more accurately, traded practice for move-in.

Our people in Student Life’s Orientation & Transition Programs, in University Media Services, in the Office of Communications & Marketing, and in the School of Music for your partnership on our refinement of the Twilight Induction Ceremony. Take a look to enjoy the UD Marching Band, YoUDee judging the Fight Song Sing-Off and, of course, the candles, the UD Chorale and the singing of our Alma Mater.

These faculty members who opened their classes to me this week: Professor Nike Olabisi (Introductory Biology), Professor Laura Field (Principles of Finance), Professor John Jebb (First-Year Writing), and Professor Kali Kniel (Foodborne Diseases). I’m committed to making this a tradition: visiting one class each day during the first week of each semester. If you are willing to host me for the spring, please reach out.

Have a great start to the semester.