December 4, 2006

To Northeastern Parents:

Soon you will welcome your child home for the holidays. For those who are traveling to campus, I extend a warm welcome back. It may be your first time here since August. How quickly these months have passed. As I embark on my first New England winter in many years, I am glad for the opportunity to reflect on my time here thus far. I am indeed thankful to have met so many of your sons and daughters.

We gladly accept our role in partnering with you to prepare your child for their future and we greatly appreciate the trust you bestow on us. Based on my interactions with our students, you have done a wonderful job. They are engaged, confident, and determined to succeed. We have you to thank for that. Our role is to excite them about learning and prepare them for lives that are deeply fulfilling, personally and professionally.

Northeastern approaches this challenge differently than other universities. Here, there is no dichotomy between theory and practice. By removing that barrier we provide students with a wider range of possibilities to explore. Our distinctive philosophy of integrating the classroom with the real world enriches their educational experience. By the time they complete their studies, your child may have conducted research in nanotechnology. They may worked on co-op in Mumbai or Beijing. They may have done service-learning at a non-profit organization. They may go on to graduate study or directly into the professional world. Either way, they will have developed a desire for learning that will last a lifetime.

I hope to see you on campus. May you have a wonderful holiday and enjoy this time with family and friends.

All the best,

Joseph Aoun