Every university campus experiences a particular energy at the beginning of the new academic year, an energy I first noticed as an undergraduate and have felt each of my 42 years at the University of Minnesota. Amid the bustle of returning students, the excitement of first-year students getting to know the campus and each other, and the changing of seasons from summer to fall, there is a distinct undercurrent of possibility: the feeling that each day holds tremendous potential, and that the next class, the next chapter, the next person we meet might just change everything.

I believe it is the same no matter which campus of the University of Minnesota we call home. Each of our campuses has a unique role in the University, just as the University as a whole plays an essential role in the future of our state--but regardless of our course of study, our area of research, or our particular role in delivering on the University's mission, the spirit of discovery is pervasive. Hold on to that spirit throughout your college days and beyond, and it will broaden your horizons, inform your actions, and energize your work.

To that end, I want to share with you a brief video that I believe captures the essence of the University's mission and public purpose. I hope you'll take a few minutes to be inspired by the realization that we are all part of a truly great university!

Welcome to the Fall 2010 semester at the University of Minnesota.

Sincerely,

Robert H. Bruininks

President