What has gratified me the most is the enthusiasm I have witnessed this week on campus and among our alumni and friends. No doubt that a winning team brings great credit to the university.

I believe we have the best football coach in the country in Urban Meyer. I had the privilege of hiring him, as you know, and I think he is doing fabulous work.

The arts, quite simply, nourish the soul. They sustain, comfort, inspire. There is nothing like that exquisite moment when you first discover the beauty of connecting with others in celebration of larger ideals and shared wisdom.

I often have said that to be a college president, you need a thick skin, a good sense of humor, and nerves like sewer pipes.

I have a passion for academic life, a passion for students and for the ability and the narrative of a university to make a difference in the world in which they reside.

The strength of the American higher education system is that it is a multifaceted, multi-layered system, and that is what makes us very strong.