Welcome, autumn. It’s nice to have you back.

Autumn in general and October in particular are typically highlighted on our campus by Homecoming … its energy, pageantry and tradition. And rightfully so.

It’s that time of year when even Mother Nature is a Huskies fan as fall foliage drapes our landscape in school colors, with some red and orange thrown in for good measure. That’s fall … even for this Californian.

The morning air becomes crisp. The sunset lowers and settles nicely over Carver Hall. Classes are in full swing and exams are starting. The Celebrity Artist Series is underway, and we’re full speed ahead in our athletics schedule. This built-up energy — our Husky Spirit — hits center stage with Homecoming.

This year, Oct. 12 to 14, we’re celebrating superheroes. That alone should make the parade floats a must-see. Our Grand Marshall, for the second time because of his outstanding and long-standing contributions to BU and our students, is Professor Emeritus Chang-Shub Roh.

This year also marks the 50th anniversary of our geography and geosciences department, which it will be celebrating with two events during Homecoming weekend.

Five alumni from four different decades, in different careers and career stages, will be discussing life after Bloomsburg on Friday, Oct. 12, from 3 to 4:30 p.m. in Hartline Science Center room 122. This alumni panel will certainly give our current students a chance to hear first-hand the value of a geography and geology degree.

Then on Saturday, Oct. 13, current majors will be giving tours of Hartline from 9 to 11:30 a.m., as well as showcasing a display of current student-faculty collaborative research.

A precursor to Homecoming and a new tradition is the second annual Zeigler Institute for Professional Development Business Conference, which comes to campus Oct. 11 and 12. The conference is a Homecoming all to itself as it draws nearly 50 highly successful business alumni back to campus.

These BU graduates, many of whom are CEOs, Wall Street executives and partners in accounting firms:

• lead workshops for current business students
• discuss their respective careers
• offer advice on interviewing, networking and how students can advance themselves in the business world. 

This is a perfect example of school pride – alumni giving back, investing their time to connect with the next generation of leaders here on campus. ZIPD isn’t the lone example. I’ve seen many occasions at past Homecomings where an alumnus offers encouragement and advice with an arm over the shoulder of a current student. In essence, this connection is the epitome of Husky Pride.

It's that time of year again ...

 I am pleased to welcome you back for 2012-2013, a year I am certain will be productive for each of us at Bloomsburg University. At the end of this fall’s welcome video, I call this university “A great place to be you.” To me, these words define the essence of Bloomsburg University as an exceptional work environment and an outstanding institution for learning and getting involved. It is a place where each member of the community aspires to excellence while demonstrating the highest personal and professional standards.

 My video takes a lighthearted approach to the opening of the fall semester, but it does not diminish the value of our many accomplishments in 2011-12. It was a year of reorganization, in which departmental structures and reporting relationships were strategically realigned and key positions were filled or expanded in each of our university divisions. Several faculty members transitioned to administrative roles at the College level by serving as interim or assistant deans.

 It was a year when we established the McDowell Institute for Teacher Excellence in Positive Behavior Support, thanks to the generosity of philanthropist Susan McDowell. The first major event for the Center for Visual and Performing Arts, A Taste of the Arts, drew hundreds of community members to downtown. We hosted a 10-day series of programs to highlight the varied perspectives on Marcellus Shale drilling and welcomed large groups of alumni back to campus, not only for Homecoming, but also to share their expertise at the first Zeigler Institute for Professional Development conference and similar events in all four Colleges.

 Last year’s achievements were guided by the strategic plan, Impact 2015: Building on the Past, Leading for the Future, which continues to provide the framework for our institution’s initiatives. Specifically, the plan’s Strategic Issue 1, Enhancing academic excellence, underscored the need for the assessment processes now in place university-wide. It also spurred the creation of our innovative general education model, MyCore, which recognizes the value of students’ co-curricular involvement in conjunction with classroom instruction.

 As we begin a new academic year together, I thank you for your contributions to our safe and welcoming campus, your dedication to educational excellence, your continued support of student success and your ongoing commitment to an atmosphere where diverse ideas are exchanged, valued and respected.

I look forward to more initiatives in the year ahead, brought to life through the collaboration and teamwork which characterize Bloomsburg University. Please accept my sincere thanks for all that you do and my best wishes for a productive and fulfilling year ahead.