I am privileged on this clear fall day to be standing at the center of a beautiful, busy campus. Our fall colors have come late this year because of a long warm spell, but this week the trees began turning yellow. Students linger on the steps of Bradley Hall to chat with friends and soak up the sun before going into classes.

The new January/Spring 2008 Schedule of Classes was distributed on campus this week, and, as students thumb through it, I sense their anticipation for the new semester.

On the west side of campus, work progresses rapidly on a new parking deck, which I think will be a welcome addition to campus. Instead of driving from parking lot to parking lot looking for a place, commuters will be able to turn into the deck directly from Main Street. The Markin Family Student Recreation Center is taking shape as concrete trucks make repeated trips to campus to pour the foundation walls.

As generations of engineering students before them have done, small groups of young men and women cluster around transits and tripods to survey the campus.

Even though the new construction has brought change to campus, so many things will never change - the enthusiastic students and the beauty of the campus in its fall colors.