Chancellor Nordenberg welcomes the class of 2011

The goal of our University’s founder, expressed when Pittsburgh sat at the edge of the… The goal of our University’s founder, expressed when Pittsburgh sat at the edge of the American frontier, was to establish a school that would serve as “a lite in the forested wilderness.” Though the Western Pennsylvania wilderness has long been gone, our shared need for “learning’s light” remains every bit as intense as it was in 1787, and you are about to join an academic community with a proud 220-year-old tradition grounded in teaching excellence, pioneering research and a deep commitment to advancing the public good.

Each of you is a gifted individual, with your own unique set of talents, experiences and ambitions. During your time as a student here, you will have special opportunities to live and learn and grow. You will enjoy the many satisfactions of a stimulating college experience, even as you build the foundation for the much longer life that lies beyond your undergraduate years. Let me offer the following bits of advice in the hope that they will help you take full advantage of everything that awaits you here.

Set your sights high. Our goal is to provide all our students with the chance to be the best they can be, in everything they do. In the process, we know that some of our best will become the best that anyone can be. As our record of producing Rhodes, Marshall, Goldwater, Truman, Udall and Churchill scholars so clearly demonstrates, Pitt students can compete effectively with the very best students from this country’s finest universities. 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 for you to settle for anything less.

Learn from each other. You and your classmates are “in it” together, and you have a lot to offer each other. You probably have the most to learn from your interactions with students whose experiences and perspectives are different from your own. The larger world is multicultural, and Pitt is a microcosm of it. By immersing yourself in the diversity that exists here, you will be better preparing yourself for the experiences that await you in the real world.

Take full advantage of all your professors have to offer. Pitt is a large and complex institution charged with advancing multiple missions. However, our most fundamental responsibilities involve our work with those who are currently enrolled as our students. There is a strong cultural commitment to teaching here, and that commitment extends far beyond the formal classroom hour. Our faculty members are scholars because they are dedicated to advancing understandings of their own disciplines. They are teachers because they want to share their knowledge and insights with you. Make sure you give them the full opportunity to do so.

Get to know your new home. Our Oakland campus includes buildings that are historic and buildings that are modern. Structures like the Cathedral of Learning, the Stephen Foster Memorial, Heinz Chapel, Alumni Hall and the William Pitt Union are architectural treasures that could never be replicated today. The campus also includes new, state-of-the-art facilities, some of which are classics in their own right. From the magnificent Petersen Events Center to our new hill-top residence halls, to our newest Biomedical Science Tower, Pitt is growing for the future.

Explore life beyond the campus. As exciting as life in Oakland can be, the larger region has additional things to offer, and capitalizing on Western Pennsylvania’s many assets should be one of the benefits of living and learning in a great city like Pittsburgh. Without having to look very hard, you can find museums and art galleries, jazz and classical music, opera and ballet, theater and professional sports. You can plan your own excursions or participate in local events on a low-cost basis through the Pitt Arts program. And in thinking about life-altering ways to expand your horizons, you should seriously consider making a study abroad experience a part of your education.

Begin planning your future. Be forward thinking in planning that much-longer portion of your life that will follow your years here at Pitt. Though your life’s map almost certainly will change, it never is too early to begin shaping your life’s goals and charting the course to achieve them. We have programs that are designed to integrate academic and career planning by helping you assess your own strengths and weaknesses, inventory your interests and position you for internships or service-learning experiences. Each of these can be an important step in creating a well-conceived plan for the future.

Take care of yourself and have fun. Among our most fervent wishes is the hope that you will be healthy and happy throughout your years at Pitt. Youth, too often, carries with it a false sense of invulnerability. In fact, you need to take care of yourselves. And in the midst of the very real satisfactions that come from hard work and the achievements that work can produce, you also need to have fun. Take the time to make friends and to do the things that are fun for you. These ought to be great years in every sense – and we all look forward to sharing them with you.

Welcome to Pitt! Chancellor Mark Nordenberg