Dean's update

October 7 , 2009

The fall semester is well underway in our College and we have just concluded another successful Cornucopia Fest. I would like to personally thank Sara Putnam and members of her committee for their hard work on this singular event at UConn. Cornucopia provides a great opportunity for the public to learn a little about what we do in the College. Although it is difficult to estimate the total attendance, the event drew a large crowd from beginning to end. Our alumni association had another successful auction which raises funds for student scholarships and other needs. A "well done" to everyone!

I am pleased to report that undergraduate enrollment increased more than 8 percent this fall. This is a great testament to the relevance of our programs to today’s students and our dedication as a college to student recruitment. Nearly every program showed increases, with Agricultural and Resource Economics, Natural Resources and the Environment, Animal Science, and Nutritional Sciences all showing double-digit increases--Agricultural and Resource Economics had a whopping 44 percent increase! With these healthy increases, I believe we can place a greater emphasis on selectively recruiting for those programs where we have capacity for further growth.

Although budget uncertainties remain, we do have permission to move forward on a few critical hires of faculty and staff and are hopeful that we will receive the necessary funding and hiring permission for a few additional hires after January 1. I have worked closely with our department heads and associate deans to craft a hiring plan that addresses our most critical needs first so that we can rebuild our capacity as budget pressures begin to ease over time. 

Gregory J. Weidemann

Dean and Director