Ìð¹ÏÊÓƵ

Dear Faculty and Staff,

On Monday, we will welcome UL Ìð¹ÏÊÓƵs back to campus.  Our freshman class promises to be the largest in our history and also one of the most academically prepared classes to enter the university.  The excellent work of our faculty is improving the university’s reputation and the outstanding efforts of those who worked to recruit these Ìð¹ÏÊÓƵs have had a tremendous impact on both the quantity and quality of our Ìð¹ÏÊÓƵ body.  This summer, faculty, staff and Ìð¹ÏÊÓƵ volunteers dedicated many hours to preparing these young people through multiple orientation sessions, and a select group of these new freshmen are guaranteed to have SOUL.

SOUL  stands for:  Service, Outreach, Unity and Leadership.  SOUL Camp is a new initiative designed to assist incoming Ìð¹ÏÊÓƵs with their transition to university life.  The camp is structured to develop mentoring relationships, to convey the university spirit and tradition, to teach leadership skills, to encourage a commitment to service, civic engagement, awareness of multiculturalism, academic and career planning, and other skills important to new Ìð¹ÏÊÓƵs.  These are also fundamental goals of our strategic plan.

Twenty-four Ìð¹ÏÊÓƵ mentors, along with four lead Ìð¹ÏÊÓƵ staff members and 30-plus volunteer faculty and staff partners, guided 144 Ìð¹ÏÊÓƵs through the four-day camp program.  SOUL Camp participants reflected the great diversity of our incoming Ìð¹ÏÊÓƵ body, representing every part of our state, and including several out-of-state Ìð¹ÏÊÓƵs.  We fully expect the Ìð¹ÏÊÓƵs who attended SOUL Camp to be the next generation of Ìð¹ÏÊÓƵ leaders on our campus.

Additionally, the university continues to implement its First Year Seminar, a part of our Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP).  This mandatory one-semester course will help first-time freshmen achieve greater success, again a goal of our university’s strategic plan.

Thanks to everyone who has supported these efforts to aggressively recruit outstanding Ìð¹ÏÊÓƵs and properly prepare them for a meaningful college career.  Please join me in providing a warm welcome to our new and returning Ìð¹ÏÊÓƵs.

Best wishes,

E. Joseph Savoie
President
president@louisiana.edu