The fall semester is off to a great start with students, faculty, and staff returning to campus and filling Bascom Hill with the sounds of delight at seeing friends again after the summer break and with excited conversation about engaging classes and clubs. We are especially pleased to be welcoming more than 7,000 new and continuing international students to UW–Madison. There has been a lot of media attention regarding the challenges some have faced in getting to the U.S. for the start of the fall term, and it speaks volumes about the quality of the education we offer that so many students decided to join us and embark on their journey as Badgers.
One of the most important events of the new semester is the International Student Welcome and Information Fair, where representatives of campus organizations and off-campus institutions showcase the opportunities they offer for cultural enrichment, engagement with the Madison community, and health and safety assistance. With a delicious lunch served to all and warm handshakes from Bucky, the fair demonstrates our commitment to the success of international students at UW–Madison.
I also had the pleasure of meeting international faculty members at the New Faculty Orientation and speaking to them about the many ways they can get involved in international teaching and research in the years ahead. With Associate Dean for Academic Initiatives Kate McCleary, we presented information about leading study abroad programs, forming partnerships with international institutions, and affiliating with our regional studies centers. It was exciting to learn that the majority of these new U.S. and international faculty have interests in international engagement.
At the end of this month, we will host the annual Study Abroad Fair and share information with students about the hundreds of opportunities to study or do internships in another country or in another part of the U.S. We are ranked 8th in the nation for the number of students who participate in study abroad with more than 3,000 Badgers going abroad in the last academic year. The enthusiasm among our students for learning about the world and engaging actively in it is inspiring, and I invite each of you to embrace this spirit in the academic year ahead.