Welcome, returning students, and congratulations new students who have brilliantly decided to make the University of Sioux Falls your "home away from home."

A brilliant decision can be described as “extremely bright, radiant and exceptional.”

As USF's president, I admit to being unapologetically biased, but I am also convinced that you are destined to do amazing things here and after you graduate.

At USF, we are honored to carry on the long-standing tradition of placing Christ at the center of everything we do. You are now part of a distinctively Christian university with a distinguished history, an effervescent present and an even brighter future.

Our new marketing slogan, “The Whole Way,” is a reflection of our commitment to create a wonderful experience for you and to support you at each step of your USF journey.

In addition, I encourage you to engage in the multitude of opportunities offered to you through our connection with the greater Sioux Falls community.

USF students have always been an essential part of the community, adding to the workforce, providing service to those in need, ministering to others, teaching children, displaying their talents and simply having fun.

As a USF student, you are bound to have questions. Please visit with staff members of the Student Development Office and/or Academic Success Center; they will help answer your questions.

Karen Sumner, Dennis Thum, Billie Streufert and Alex Heinert are just four of the outstanding employees at USF who have a passion for helping you—our students.

Of course, our strong faculty is at the heart of our academic community, and our professors are here to teach, advise and mentor you.

Again, welcome to the 2011-12 academic year at the University of Sioux Falls. We're one of America’s great success stories, and I'm glad you're here to write the next chapter.