Today’s assembly is an important event in the life of TCU.  It signals the promise of a new academic year at our university, the 132^nd since its founding in Thorp Spring, Texas.  It also marks the beginning of an exciting new journey in learning and discovery for you.  What a genuine pleasure it is for me to welcome you to TCU!

You come to us as members of one of the most accomplished classes in our long history.  The Class of 2008 is 1,620 members strong, and about 450 new transfer students have decided to make TCU their academic home.  You come from across the nation and from across the globe.  As well as being the largest and one of the most diverse classes in TCU history, you are also our smartest class ever.  Your SAT scores, grades and class ranks set records this year — not surprising since more than 8,000 applicants were vying for slightly more than 1,600 places.

But, of course, statistics tell only a part of the story.  Each one of you is a gifted individual, with your own unique set of talents, experiences and ambitions.  During your time at TCU, you will have once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to live, to learn and to grow.  And in the process, you will enjoy the many satisfactions of being part of the TCU community, while building the foundation for the life that lies beyond your undergraduate years.

You will meet new people, share new experiences and be exposed to knowledge and ideas that will undoubtedly challenge you and help you grow into the person you are capable of becoming.   I hope you will use these precious — and few — years thoughtfully. 

This is my second year as Chancellor.  Like you, I recently chose to make TCU my new home.  I spent the past year discovering all that this university has to offer and experiencing our proud Horned Frog traditions.  And I can guarantee that you made a terrific decision in choosing TCU!    

If I had the opportunity to live my freshman year once more — with the benefit of hindsight and the experience of having known hundreds of successful college students over the decades — I would approach university life much differently than I did as a freshman at Mount Union College.  I would like to share with you some bits of advice that I would have benefited from — and that I can promise will serve you well:


- My hope is that you will set your sights high.

Our goal is to provide all of our students the chance to be the best that they can be, in everything that they do.  In the process, we know that some of our best will become among the best that anyone can be. You would not be a part of this class if we did not believe that you have the ability to excel, so set ambitious goals and work hard to achieve them.  These years of your life are too valuable to settle for anything less.  You’re a Horned Frog, and this is what we expect of you!


- My hope is that you will realize that you are part of a community which is larger and greater than yourself.

But the very abilities that set you apart also mean that you have an obligation to the larger world.  You are now part of the TCU community.  We expect you to take seriously our mission, and to do your part to increasingly think and act as an ethical leader and responsible citizen in the global community.  This means that you seek ways to sharpen your thinking about issues that transcend your own space or comfort zone.  It means that you are sensitive to the rights and special gifts of others who may be different from you.  (And you will likely find that you will have the most to learn from interactions with those whose experiences and perspectives contrast with your own.)  Throughout your years at TCU, you will benefit from shared experiences.  You already have begun this process at Frog Camp, as well as through your readings relating to our special theme semester, “Politics and Principles,” that is focused upon the presidential election.  And as the theme semester progresses this fall, you will have many more shared experiences and opportunities to become a more informed and engaged citizen.   


- My hope is that you will take full advantage of all which your professors have to offer.

TCU provides an exciting, well-rounded student experience. However, our central mission is providing you with an outstanding liberal arts education. This is a learner-centered institution, and the best thing about our faculty members is that they too are still learning. You’ll soon get to know them and begin learning alongside them.  While your professors are here to teach, mentor and advise you, you are responsible for being actively engaged in the learning process.  That means more than going to class, taking notes, performing well on exams and participating in class discussions.  It means getting to know your professors and giving them the opportunity to get to know you.  You will find that getting to know at least one professor very well each semester will pay you rich dividends for a lifetime. 


- My hope is that you will experience the full scope of life at TCU. 

This university is in many ways like a city and offers a full range of activities every day that can broaden your experience and make your life richer.  Take advantage of them!  Every week, there are superb fine arts events on campus, from art exhibitions in the Moudy gallery to concerts by visiting artists and our own talented faculty and students. You won’t soon forget a performance by the TCU Jazz Band or a Cliburn Competition medal winner or a world-renowned ballet dancer. Our Monnig Meteorite Gallery is one of only four places on earth where you can touch a piece of Mars.  You can see movies from all over the world and attend lectures by big names such as Ms. Mary Matalin, adviser to Vice President Cheney, and Mr. James Carville, adviser to former President Clinton, who will speak here this fall on the topic All’s Fair: Love, War and Politics.  (Try to imagine the discussions around this married, high-powered couple’s dinner table!)  You can cheer the Horned Frogs on to victory at Amon Carter Stadium, starting with our first home game on Sept. 2 against the Northwestern Wildcats. And you can become active in one or more of TCU’s 200-plus student organizations.  If you have an interest — chances are we have an organization that will allow you to explore it!

- My hope is that you will help to change the world.

Many of you began your TCU experience by helping others at Frog Camp Quest.  Over the years, Frog Campers have built homes for Habitat for Humanity, repainted houses for senior citizens and served meals at homeless shelters.  It’s a fitting way to begin life as a Horned Frog!  That’s because outside of class, TCU students contribute approximately 60,000 hours of community service each year.  You can find out about hundreds of opportunities for service through TCU CAN (short for Community Action Network), a student-run organization that coordinates volunteer activities and provides links with more than 350 community service agencies.  You can take part in TCU’s Hunger Week — it’s raised more than $200,000 over the past two decades to fight hunger.  Or you can serve others through projects run by sororities, fraternities and other groups that are making a difference in the lives of others.  By providing volunteer service, you will be helping to change the world!


- My hope is that you will begin planning your future now.

Be forward-thinking and start planning your future beyond your life at TCU.  Though your “life’s map” almost certainly will change, it never is too early to begin shaping your long-range goals and charting your course to achieve them.  Don’t wait until your senior year to visit University Career Services.  The staff can help you in every step toward finding the right professional fit and achieving your life goals.  So start this year!  Also, be sure to take advantage of internships and service-learning experiences.  You will be much better prepared for your future career — and much more attractive to potential employers. I also hope that you begin planning early for study abroad experiences.  You will find that these global experiences are life-changing — they will help you immeasurably in understanding and appreciating the values and strengths of people in other societies.  You’ll also appreciate more fully the values and strengths of our own society.  Seize these opportunities to create your own world-view and your own well-conceived plan for the future.


- And last, my hope is that you will take care of yourself and make time for fun.

Among my most heartfelt wishes for you is that you will be healthy and happy throughout your years at TCU.   Take care of yourself and consider carefully the consequences of your actions, both to yourself and to the larger TCU community. And in the midst of the very real satisfactions that come from hard work and the achievements that hard work can produce, you also need to have fun. Take the time to make friends and to do the things that you enjoy. These ought to be great years in every sense, and we all look forward to sharing them with you.  So be prepared to study like your future depends on it (it does!), and play safely — for the same reason.  Because “that's what horned frogs do!”