Dear Marquette students,

Welcome to Marquette University’s 135th academic year!

As you navigate your first day of classes — perhaps your very first at Marquette — I want to offer my prayers and best wishes for a successful semester.

If you see me around campus, please feel free to introduce yourself. Here are some ways that you can regularly connect with me:

• At the 10 p.m. Tuesday Mass at St. Joan of Arc Chapel and at many of the great programs offered by Campus Ministry.
• Follow me on Twitter: @PresLovell.
• Request to join me for lunch.
• Join the president’s running group on Facebook. We meet at the Father Marquette statue at 11:45 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays and at 8 a.m. on Fridays.

Getting in good shape is important for many reasons, with one being that all students who beat me in the upcoming Briggs & Al’s Run and Walk on September 19 will win a coveted “I leveled Lovell” T-shirt.

Safety is also important. In fact, it's one of our top priorities. The initial impact of transitioning our Department of Public Safety into the Marquette University Police Department has been very positive, with a 47 percent reduction in robberies this summer compared with last. You can help make our community even safer by taking simple prevention precautions, taking advantage of the safety services available, and downloading the BlueLight Safety app for iPhones and Androids to get a direct connection to the Marquette Police Department.

A final note: Have you heard about the Top 10 Insights of the Class of 2015? Marquette’s just-graduated seniors had excellent advice for students, and I encourage you to read them.

Thank you for choosing Marquette for this step of your life’s educational journey.

Best,

Dr. Michael R. Lovell