Undergraduate Academic Affairs

September 24, 2013

Welcome from the Dean Autumn 2013

Ed Taylor

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

Fall quarter is always an invigorating time for me. We begin by welcoming our newest students to the academic life of the University of Washington at Freshman Convocation, an event that represents the moment when students fully transition into the UW.

These students join those who are settled and have found their groove here. And many of those returning students actively welcome their new fellow Huskies by being orientation leaders, Freshman Interest Group (FIG) leaders, peer mentors, tutors, and more.

Through programs in Undergraduate Academic Affairs, students—new and returning—find opportunities to connect with the academic communities here; explore the worlds of service and research; achieve excellence as they define it; and benefit from faculty innovations in the classroom.

The undergraduate experience is an indicator of the quality of the UW as a whole. Recently, the UW has received some distinctive rankings including:

  • 16th in the world in a study by the Center for World-Class Universities of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China. The study ranked universities on quality of education, quality of faculty, research output and per capita performance.
  • Washington Monthly ranked the UW 13th nationally and 9th in “Best Bang for the Buck.” Washington monthly ranks universities based upon social mobility, research production and commitment to service.
  • 16th among public universities for our undergraduate program in America’s Best Colleges by U.S. News & World Report.

What this means for undergraduates is that they can avail themselves of educational opportunities as unique as they are. Students from rural Washington can find research opportunities in rural China. Undergraduates from across the nation and world can learn together and alongside distinguished faculty in a freshman seminar. Returning students and new students alike embrace service and leadership and grow into the leaders our world needs.

Though the trees and squirrels on campus are getting ready for the winter, I’m getting ready for what I think of as the season of renewal and am excited for the year to come and the promise our students hold.

Sincerely,

Ed Taylor's Signature

 

 

 

Ed Taylor
Vice Provost and Dean