Colleagues,
Welcome, or welcome back, to the first day of the 2023 fall semester at the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences!
For our largest class of incoming freshmen, your classes might be quite different from those you saw in high school. Take a deep breath and hang in there. You are among the many current and former students who have figured out how to not just survive, but thrive at Texas A&M.
For all our students, remember that an essential part of your education consists of activities outside the classroom: student organizations, internships, research and other high-impact learning experiences. Have a sense of urgency to make the best of the opportunities you have. I encourage you to seek the mentorship of those who have come before you and to become a mentor yourself.
For our faculty, staff, advisors and others who work with students, thank you for everything you do to make our College so special! We all are grateful to you for inspiring students to pursue dreams, venture out of their comfort zones and build confidence. You are training the next generation of leaders in our agriculture and life sciences fields, and decades from now the positive impact you made will still be fresh in their minds.
I am proud that this fall, our College is welcoming its largest class of incoming freshmen to date. At 1,400 students, this year’s freshman class exceeds last year’s by 40%.
Students are joining us because of our College’s efforts to create an academic and research environment students want to be a part of and excel in. To support this environment, we have developed resources such as a new international program coordinator, the West Campus Math Learning Center and a professional counselor embedded in the College. We will continue to evaluate needs and bring in more resources as needed. I thank our Student Development team who continue to show future Aggies how the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences can help their dreams come true.
Thank you all for your efforts to excel and be the best and brightest. If we keep striving to live the Aggie Core Values and advance our land-grant mission, I know we will continue to succeed.
Thanks and Gig ’em!
Jeffrey W. Savell
Vice Chancellor and Dean, Agriculture and Life Sciences