The beginning of a school year is always filled with excitement. Our amazing faculty and staff eagerly anticipate welcoming our students each year, and our campuses were abuzz with their infectious energy this fall.

Fall enrollment hit nearly 47,000 students, up 5.8 percent -- our fifth consecutive year for record-breaking growth. It's no secret that we're the fastest-growing university in Texas and in the nation. Our caring and creative community sets us apart from every other university in the North Texas region and beyond. With more than 244 programs of study -- including innovative degree programs that allow students to create an interdisciplinary degree that speaks to their passions -- there truly is something for everyone at UNT. Student success is our top priority as we prepare students for graduation and establishing their careers in an ever-evolving dynamic workforce.

Thanks to the generosity of donors, UNT recently opened two new career centers -- the Wilson Jones Career Center in the G. Brint Ryan College of Business and the Satish and Yasmin Gupta Career Center at UNT at Frisco. From resume help to dedicated career coaches housed in each college, we're ensuring our students have the resources for success.

This summer, we also announced a 15-year football stadium naming rights agreement with our longstanding partner, DATCU. A new era in athletics began as we played our first football game Sept. 2 with the California Golden Bears in DATCU Stadium -- our first game as a member of the American Athletic Conference. It's an exciting time for the Mean Green.

I am thrilled at our successes so far this fall, and we're just getting started. I am proud of the momentum we gain as we continue to create the innovative, hard-working and passionate leaders of tomorrow.