The institution Thomas Jefferson founded has emerged as the foremost public university in the nation, joining a select group of universities known throughout the world for the excellence of their programs and for their intellectual vigor. Every member of our University community can claim a share of credit for these accomplishments. At the same time, we know that excellence in higher education cannot simply be achieved and held.
Excellence is a process, a mode of thinking, and an ongoing exercise in planning and improvement.
It is also important to remember that we do not seek excellence for ourselves, but to preserve the standing of this institution and to serve better the people of Virginia and beyond who come here to teach and learn. Never before has the University of Virginia been able to exert such a constructive and widespread infiuence. Members of the faculty, who have orbited Earth and probed the mechanisms of the smallest cells, are recognized for their pioneering achievements in many fields. Research done here in cancer vaccines, microchip fabrication, and global warming has shaped and improved the lives of people far from the Grounds, and new advances are being made every day. The long-range consequences of transferring knowledge, skills, and wisdom to students are even more significant.