Dear Weber State University students,

Welcome! For those of you who are experiencing your first fall semester as a Wildcat, we have something in common. It’s my first fall semester here as well. I just arrived on campus during spring semester, but I already appreciate the outstanding mixture of caring faculty, supportive staff and educational access that makes WSU so special. Soon, you will too.

In January, we will celebrate WSU’s 125th anniversary. Our institution’s history is defined by offering the best to students. Whether you’re a freshman or a returning student, you can take advantage of several new campus features that will enrich your educational journey. The beautiful third residence hall at Wildcat Village is now open, as is the new classroom building at Weber State University Davis. Join us at WSU Davis on Aug. 29 at 5 p.m. for a short program, a ribbon cutting and celebration, and food during an open house.

Several other projects will make this year special. Construction crews are completing work on the expansion of the Wildcat Center for Health Education and Wellness, so you can nurture a healthy body as well as a healthy mind. With the upcoming grand opening of the new Weber State Downtown building at 2314 Washington Blvd. this fall, Ogden will feel more and more like a college town. Work is also wrapping up on the new ice rink and indoor practice field at the Weber County Ice Sheet adjacent to the Dee Events Center.

I hope that you’ll take part in some great events that surround my formal presidential inauguration in October. We’ll kick things off with the College Town Color Dash 5K run on Oct. 19 (sign up at weber.edu/colordash) followed by a WSU football game against Montana State University that afternoon. My formal inauguration will take place on Oct. 22 at 2 p.m. in the Browning Center. Then, on Oct. 25, we’ll conclude nearly a week of celebration with a concert featuring Imagine Dragons and Fictionist in the Dee Events Center. Students who show up at a WSU ticket outlet with their Wildcards can receive a $5 discount on tickets.

As you get settled in this semester, I encourage you to get involved in at least one major campus activity outside of class. Join a community service project through the Center for Community Engaged Learning, sign up for an intramural sport, make new friends at the Multicultural Student Center, or start a research project with one of our amazing faculty members. Your education at WSU goes far beyond the classroom, so make the most of it!

With best wishes,

Charles A. Wight

WSU president