Dear faculty, staff and students,

Today is an important day in the history of UF as we resume classes after closing the university six days ago.

I want to acknowledge that recovery efforts remain underway and extend my heartfelt thanks to all those who are returning to work or to their studies, despite lacking power or water, or coping with the storm’s impact on family and friends. A special shout-out to those who worked over the past week to prepare, protect and restore our campus. While the storm and its aftermath have dealt many in our community a significant punch, they also have made clear the resilience of the Gator community and the university we cherish.

We resume the semester amid this week’s exceptional news that UF is ranked among the nation’s top-10 public universities in the latest U.S. News & World Report Best College rankings. We are ranked 9th, an historic achievement and a higher ranking than any other public or private university in Florida.  We are also expecting to learn of another major top-10 ranking later this month.  These milestones are the result of the vision, persistence, focus and excellence of faculty, staff, alumni and friends over many years. 

I wish everyone a smooth transition back to normal life and a productive and fulfilling fall. It is great to be a Florida Gator.

Warmly,

Kent