This was quite a busy week for summer time. Throughout the week, I spent a lot of time following the legislature as they deliberated over a number of bills that were crucial for higher education. We were pleased that the legislature largely avoided further cuts to higher education, and remain hopeful that the TOPS shortfall can be addressed somehow during the year. More on that later. Monday and Tuesday were filled with meetings with my administrative team doing planning and budgeting. I also invited students in our I/O Psychology doctoral program to present analytical data they have prepared to help us better understand key recruiting factors and better predict enrollments using just a few key indicators. They have done an outstanding job in analyzing our data over the past couple of years and we are excited about the tools they have developed for us. Thanks to the I/O Psych faculty for the tremendous educational experience that they are providing these students. On Wednesday, I met with twin sisters from California who were here to take a look at Tech. I am seeing more and more students come here from across the country, and they really seem to like what they see when they get here. These sisters seem certain to join our outstanding College of Education.  Thanks for all of our alumni and friends who help us spread the word about Tech! We were pleased to introduce Lane Burroughs as the new Bulldog baseball coach at a press conference at noon on Wednesday. I am confident that Lane will continue to build our program to be competitive at the highest levels. We welcome him and his family to Ruston! I was very happy that the University of Louisiana System Board of Supervisors decided to host their June meeting at Tech. On Wednesday afternoon, I gave the Board and staff a bus tour of our campus. During the tour, I took time for a stop at Tech Pointe so the Board could see several of the companies that have a presence on our campus and are partnering with us in research and workforce development. I believe these visits really help our Board members better understand the needs and opportunities that our campuses have so they can make more informed decisions about proposals that we bring forward to them. On Wednesday evening, Kathy and I joined the Board and other university administrators and staff for a reception at Grambling State University. It was great to see the Eddie Robinson Museum and the Performing Arts Center while visiting with colleagues from across the state. Early Thursday, we had the “Big Tech Welcome” for our largest orientation program to date (well over 500 students.) They were all pumped up and excited to be on campus after having spent the prior evening in orientation events in downtown Ruston. Something really special is going on here and you can feel it when you talk to the students and parents. So much credit goes to our staff and student leaders who demonstrate caring, loyalty and commitment in all that they do when these students and parents are on campus. Kathy and I went to “Presents” at a packed Howard Auditorium Thursday evening.  We love seeing our students entertaining our future students and parents! The tradition continues. Special thanks to Congressman Charles Boustany for stopping by on Friday to get oriented to Tech. I hope that you enjoy a few of my pictures for the week.