Dear fellow Panthers,
Welcome back to a new semester at the University of Northern Iowa! It is my pleasure to have you as part of our community and your home away from home. For those of you who are returning—welcome back! For those of you joining the Panther community, I hope that you enjoy the transformative experience. These next few months will be filled with new information, new friends, new challenges and new achievements. Take your role as a student seriously as there are many family, friends, faculty and staff that will invest in the promise that is your future. As with any new endeavor, there is a bit of positive anxiety, particularly for those of you who may not know if you will fit in. As a first-generation university student, I know many of those challenges, but I also know that the UNI culture is welcoming and joyfully helpful. If you are open to learning, I am sure you will find your niche and friends. Many of the latter will be for life, and some of you will find your spouse—yiiikes. Transformative, in a different way.
Invest in your learning while you are here. You will be challenged and emerge on the other side as a different person. We hope for a wiser citizen, a better, more compassionate human being and—importantly—one that better understands how to make meaningful and long-lasting contributions to your communities. Talk to the people that surround you. Respectfully engage in conversations that challenge your perceptions of truth and how the world works. There will be few other opportunities to practice this important skill once you leave. If you are having academic, social or psychological difficulties, please reach out to those that can help. If you have doubts please go see your academic advisor or stop by to talk to one of your professors. The University of Northern Iowa is focused on your success and it is our mission to try to help you walk across the graduation stage and actively—and positively—contribute to our society in many ways. If you are in a position to help your fellow students, please do. As a community, we have a collective responsibility to watch out for each other. That is the true meaning of a community.
May your journey have many opportunities for learning, helping and growing.
Learn boldly, fellow Panther!
Jose Herrera, Ph.D.
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
