President Caboni

Colleagues,

Welcome to another exciting academic year on our Hill! As we begin the fall semester, I want to thank you for your dedication, collaborative spirit and diligent preparation. Our work enriches and changes our students’ lives.

I enjoyed gathering with you this morning at Faculty and Staff Convocation to reflect on last year’s successes and to preview some of our work to come. Also, congratulations to this year’s Spirit of WKU award winner, Dr. Indudeep Chhachhi. His work at our institution continues to make an incredible difference and serves as a model to emulate. If you could not join us, you may find a copy of my address here: www.wku.edu/convocation.

This week, more than 2,000 of our newest Hilltoppers begin M.A.S.T.E.R. Plan. This preparatory time allows our first-year students to connect with their peers, acclimate to campus, learn and practice WKU traditions and engage with faculty and staff. This year, M.A.S.T.E.R. Plan celebrates its thirtieth year on our Hill, and these decades of experience demonstrate that students who participate in this program begin their first semester with us more prepared than their peers who do not. Thank you to our staff in Housing and Residence Life who thoughtfully prepared for this week, as well as our faculty and staff who volunteered to serve as Cluster Facilitators.

Finally, I hope that you and your family will join us this Friday at 5:30 pm on South Lawn for Topper Fest, paired with another Hilltopper tradition, Fan Fest. This family-friendly evening will feature food from Aramark and local food trucks, inflatables and yard games, autograph sessions with Hilltopper student athletes, a petting zoo hosted by the WKU Department of Agriculture and Food Science, music by The Downtown Band and fireworks at dark. As a reminder, all WKU faculty and staff members will receive two free drink tickets with a WKU ID. You can learn more about Topper Fest here.

Go Tops!

Best,

Timothy C. Caboni