University of North Texas

Oct. 2, 2013

Dear UNT community,

In our quest to give students a good education and sound career preparation, one thing we sometimes forget as a university community is that college can be tough.

But students, it doesn’t have to be if you follow some simple tips and access the resources offered in our Succeed at UNT campaign. The tips are:

• Show up.
• Find support.
• Take control.
• Be prepared.
• Get involved.
• Be persistent.

These six tips not only will help you succeed in college; they will help you succeed in work and in life. Consider senior Lauren Frock who wrote in a recent column in the Denton Record-Chronicle how these tips are helping her to finish strong at UNT and be prepared for her future.

In truth, this is just a new spin on principles that our faculty and staff have long embraced to help you excel. This is what one of our faculty members, Janice Hauge, eloquently pointed out in her essay on how she supports student success: “The new Succeed at UNT campaign echoes my philosophy. Most professors have preached these steps for years; now we have a voice of unity in reaching our students. Encouraging students to attend class, to ask us for help, to do their homework and to study is the norm for many of us. Making it happen is more difficult.”

“Making it happen” is a collective effort, but it starts with you being present physically and mentally and fully engaging in the college experience. Our faculty and staff will take it from there, giving you strong support and a great education to help you earn a college degree.

The Succeed at UNT initiative is a great reminder to all of us — faculty, staff and students — that we each have a role to play. Like the proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child,” it takes a dedicated university community to help a student succeed.

Best,

Warren Burggren

UNT Provost