A message to new students from the Chancellor

Chancellor Welcomes Impressive 2003 Freshman Class

The goal of this University’s… Chancellor Welcomes Impressive 2003 Freshman Class

The goal of this University’s founder, expressed when Pittsburgh sat at the edge of the American frontier, was to establish a school that would serve as a “candlelight 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 a campus community with a proud, 216-year tradition grounded in teaching excellence, pioneering research and a commitment to advancing the public good.

You come to us as members of one of the most accomplished classes in our long history. Your average SAT scores and high school class ranks have established Pitt records. You are better qualified for the Honors College than any previous class. You also are among our most diverse classes. Women continue to be in the majority, and your class includes one of our largest and best-qualified contingents of African-American students ever.

But, of course, statistics and group characteristics only tell a part of the story. 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 to learn and to grow ? in the process, enjoying the many satisfactions of an active and stimulating college life, while building the foundation for the life that lies beyond your undergraduate years.

You have come to Pitt at a particularly exciting time. A team representing the Middle States Commission on Higher Education completed an institution-wide accreditation visit that focuses on the undergraduate experience. That team reported that our University has been moving through a period of “extraordinary accomplishments” ? noting, among other things, our focus on undergraduate education; undergraduate programs that “are impressive in their variety, strength, and fundamental soundness;” enhanced academic advising; innovative and dedicated teaching ethos; and “well-organized” and “well-delivered” student services.

Let me offer the following bits of advice in the hope that they may help you take full advantage of these institutional strengths and of everything else that awaits you here.

Set your sights high

Our goal is to provide all of our students with 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. As our record in producing Rhodes and Marshall scholars so clearly demonstrates, that is as true in academics as it is in athletics. 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.

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 institution charged with advancing multiple missions. However, our most fundamental responsibilities are the instructional obligations owed to those currently enrolled as 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 understanding 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

The Pitt campus includes buildings that are historic and buildings that are modern. Structures like the Cathedral of Learning, Stephen Foster Memorial, Heinz Chapel, Alumni Hall and the William Pitt Union are architectural treasures that never could be replicated today. Adding to Pitt’s physical richness are the Petersen Events Center, which is the site of men’s and women’s basketball games, commencements, fabulous fitness facilities, convocations and concerts, and the new Academic Center, which is home to the College of Business Administration, the department of computer science and the department of psychology. Discover early on what these magnificent recent additions, as well as previously existing campus buildings, have to offer.

Explore life beyond the campus

As exciting as life in Oakland can be, the larger region has even more to offer, and capitalizing on Western Pennsylvania’s many assets should be one of the benefits of attending school in a great city like Pittsburgh. We have science museums and art galleries, jazz and classical music, opera and ballet, theater and professional sports. And your Pitt ID will take you anywhere in the county on public transportation for free. 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 some 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 achieving them. The Pitt Pathway program is designed to help you 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 yourselves 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 do 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!

Mark A. Nordenberg Chancellor