Office of the Provost / Academic Affairs

So just how well do we do this at the University of Florida? And, more important, where can we improve? I suggest that our university does a very good job of providing opportunities for enrichment in these areas, but perhaps not enough students take advantage of these options.

Study Abroad is highly recommended as part of the full Gator experience. Not only does it make one more marketable as it shows future employers your ability to immerse yourself in a completely different culture and emerge a more adaptable and experienced leader, but it also helps to broaden your perspective on the world. We are lucky that UF offers a wide variety of study abroad opportunities. I hope all students at least explore the possibilities.

But you don’t even have to buy a plane ticket to broaden your perspective right here in Gainesville. We are a culturally rich campus and there seems to be no shortage of chances for exposure to a multitude of different cultures. I mean “culture” in the broadest sense here – social, economic, ethnic, political… Stroll through the Plaza of the Americas on any given day, or the Reitz Union Colonnade and Turlington Plaza. All these places are meccas for a wide variety of interest groups. But one must stop and engage oneself with these groups to take advantage of what they have to teach us. I encourage you to take some risks while here at UF and put yourself outside your comfort zone as much as possible. Our Office of Multicultural and Diversity Affairs does a superb job of keeping us all informed of many different opportunities for new experiences.

Another important method of enrichment is Service Learning. I believe any kind of active contribution to our community benefits us all deeply. Active engagement on our campus and in our community helps to make this place our home. It is easy to just go to class or work and not worry much about anybody else. But through service to an organization or group, we reap rewards beyond something we can put on our résumé. For students, it may spark a lifelong passion for a particular group in need. It may actually inspire some to take a different career path to further make a difference in the world. For those of us settled into work at the university, it balances and enhances our lives in countless ways. Our sense of place and purpose develops from these experiences.

So, the prospects for creating a socially conscious and responsible student of moral and academic integrity abound on this campus. Perhaps it is our job to put these opportunities at the forefront of all we do and more vigorously encourage all students spending their four years in Gainesville to take advantage of all that the university has to offer. We should encourage active engagement of every Gator on campus.