President Elizabeth Garrett sent the following welcome message to students Aug. 25:

Welcome to the Fall 2015 semester at Cornell University. Whether you are just returning to campus, have been here throughout the summer, or are new to Cornell and Ithaca, I hope that you will take advantage of all our academic community offers – from challenging classes, seminars and research projects to opportunities for local and global engagement on issues that affect well-being; from social events in the residence halls or hosted by student organizations to spontaneous discussions of current events in the cafes and libraries; and from the spectacular natural beauty of our surroundings to the excitement of experiential learning in a lab, a studio, an incubator or our Johnson Museum.

In today’s Cornell Daily Sun, you’ll find a column that gives my first impressions of Cornell and some of the topics I hope that we, as a campus, can examine together this fall, especially as they relate to the student experience.

Throughout the year, you can learn more about Cornell by following me on Instagram (@CornellPresident). You’ll also be able to keep up with happenings on campus and the remarkable people who help to make this such an interesting and dynamic community through a wide range of other social media including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube, as well as through the Cornell Chronicle.

As the semester gets underway, I look forward to meeting many more Cornell students, along with faculty, staff, alumni, and parents; to seeking your opinions and ideas; and to working with you on a shared quest to make Cornell an even more distinguished and distinctive university with a deep commitment to the life of the mind that is expressed through discovery, creativity, intellectual and societal engagement, and impact that spans the globe.

Best wishes for a memorable and productive semester.