Dear Alum,

Welcome to your new UNT Insider, which was redesigned with you in mind. I want the UNT Insider to help keep you informed about university news and events, while allowing us to have an open dialogue about the future of our university. I look forward to visiting with you each month.

Before I arrived, I was deeply impressed by what I had learned about UNT, and after just six weeks here, I am more certain than ever that our university is poised for even greater success and recognition. This fall, nearly 90 new faculty members representing 42 disciplines arrived at UNT from a variety of prestigious institutions and corporations across the globe, coming from as far away as Mexico and Thailand and as nearby as Austin and Dallas.

These faculty members join the ranks of nearly 900 scholars who are already dedicated to providing an extraordinarily rich academic experience for our students. As I meet faculty members and talk with them, it is immediately clear that they take immense pride in striving for an ever stronger foundation of educational excellence from which we will continue to advance.

In addition, our freshman class is the largest to date. This fall, we welcomed 3,885 first-time college students onto our campus. This newest crop of talented, bright students also has the highest average SAT score – 1105 – in UNT history. By the way, UNT’s increased average SAT score continues to surpass state and national averages, which are declining. There is no doubt we can expect great things from these students.

As a university, we are on the brink of solidifying our identity as a student-centered public research university with a national and international presence. We will put UNT on a map bigger than just North Texas.

With green pride,
Gretchen M. Bataille
President

Get your Homecoming freebies
My first Homecoming celebration at UNT is just around the corner (Oct. 4-7), and I’m eager for the opportunity to meet even more alums, especially those from the Class of 1956 who will be recognized as Golden Eagles. I hope you are planning to come show your Mean Green spirit. I understand that Homecoming freebies have been popular, so I’d like to give away tickets to the football game, tailgating food packages, tickets to the Exes’ Homecoming tailgating party and Exes t-shirts, tickets for Spring Creek Barbeque at the Mean Green Village, Homecoming T-shirts, UNT T-shirts and decals. Just e-mail me at president@unt.edu with “Homecoming” in the subject line by 5 p.m. Oct. 2 and you’ll be entered in our drawing. I look forward to being in the thick of the green.

Moving Forward: Our Strategic Plan (download Real Player for free to watch)
One of my most important charges is to oversee the implementation of UNT’s five-year Strategic Plan. To achieve these critical goals, we must review our readiness, establish benchmarks and determine what we need to achieve along the way. This fall, we will work with a higher education consultant to evaluate our academic affairs, research, information technology, student development and advancement operations. We also will work with a national expert to identify a group of peer institutions and to set benchmarks for student retention and graduation, for faculty and administrative salaries, for federal research goals and for fundraising.

Nominate your fellow alums for appreciation awards
Nominate your fellow alumni or friends of the university for UNT's 2007 alumni awards through 5 p.m. Oct. 13 by completing an official nomination form and documenting why a particular individual deserves to be recognized by the university. The awards recognize alums and friends of the university for their outstanding contributions to society and our university.

Fashion collection expands into Dallas
The UNT System and UNT recently opened Fashion on Main - an exhibition space at the Universities Center at Dallas - to showcase selected items from UNT's prestigious Texas Fashion Collection, which is part of the School of Visual Arts. The premiere exhibition, Flights of Fancy, opened Sept. 22 and features exotic 20th-century designer fashions.

Faculty Focus: Arthur J. Goven
I recently appointed Art Goven to serve as our interim vice president for research while we conduct a national search to fill the position. Dr. Goven, a professor and chair of the Department of Biological Sciences, was a natural selection. A hard-working researcher with an excellent reputation as a scholar, Dr. Goven and his co-researchers have brought in more than $1.5 million in research dollars. He specializes in environmental toxicology, immunotoxicology and immunoparasitology. Dr. Goven also previously served in the office between 2001 and 2003 during its transition from vice provost for research to vice president for research.

UNT Traditions: Our Eagle
As a new UNT community member, I’m discovering the university’s rich history and fabric of traditions that many of you know so well already. I just couldn’t help but think that we all enjoy a stroll down memory lane, so I wanted to use my discoveries as a way to reconnect you with the traditions, symbols and historical moments that bolster our pride. Our majestic eagle statue, In High Places, that I see clearly each day from my office window serves as a focal point (and landmark) for many students and campus visitors. It also stands as a symbol of our spirit, UNT’s high-soaring standards and our future.

Featured Link: Tailgating To Go
For those of you already planning your next tailgating party, don’t forget you can order prepackaged tailgating food from our very own Dining Services. The packages range from ready-to-serve barbecue, sandwiches and subs to the necessary food supplies (even the coals) to cook your own tailgating favorites. Learn more about game schedules and tailgating at www.meangreensports.com.

Join the Exes for their tailgate parties
One of the great things about UNT tailgating (besides the food) is the chance to catch up with old friends and meet new ones. The North Texas Exes hope you'll join them for their pre-game tailgating parties at the Alumni Center in the Gateway Center, 801 North Texas Blvd. Upcoming parties are set for 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. before each of the home games this season. To learn about fun alumni activities and chapters to join, visit www.ntexes.org.